Scorching temperatures are on the way this weekend coming on the heels of a record-breaking July. That means sky-high electric bills for some people in the Valley.
"It will run this much, 200 maybe 250 dollars," said Janie Roberts.
She told ABC15 that's how much she is paying for electricity.
Roberts can look at her daily usage on her phone with her plan from SRP.
Roberts said that's pretty expensive because at her home it's just her and her dog.
"During this month of July we did see a spike going up in our electricity bills," said Quansay Romero.
He and Donisha Dillard said their electric bill, with two kids, for their Phoenix townhome is close to $400.
"It's getting crazy and it's even hot inside," said Romero. "We have to run our A/C inside the whole time, and it's still hot."
Some people told ABC15 they are careful with the temperatures inside their homes or opt for a payment plan that doesn’t mean a big summer jump.
But SRP is predicting one Gilbert homeowner, David Gingras, could pay as much as $800 for his August bill.
The company sends out estimates throughout the month, and Gingras was shocked to see that high of a price.
"I've been in Arizona since 1990,” said Gingras. “I've never had an 800-dollar power bill.”
Typically, Gingras and his wife pay around $500 to keep their large home cool in the summer.
The couple even paid top dollar for a new A/C unit that was energy efficient.
"In past years honestly if you get a high-power bill what are you going to do, you're going to turn your A/C up and you're just going to suffer through it," said Gingra. "This year it's like, no just forget about the price it doesn't matter."
He knows he's blessed to be able to afford the bill, but Gingras is hoping the cost doesn't keep rising.
Both APS and SRP said they had historical usage during July.
"From what we can tell in projections, customers are using about 10% more energy," said Zack Thompson, manager of the residential contact center for SRP.
SRP said the record-breaking heat in July is really to blame.
The utility company knows some people may be getting a July bill that they just can't afford.
For some. the company can help set up payment arrangements. But SRP staff told ABC15 they can also help with other resources if something else in life is making paying the bill a challenge.
“We have a group called our customer resources counselors who work with community action agencies, and we can help connect customers to resources available in the community,” said Thompson.
SRP said they have representatives who can also provide tips that may help lower energy usage.
The energy provider’s biggest message to customers is don't panic.
“Our number one tip is to reach out to us,” said Thompson.
ABC15 also reached out to APS to ask what resources they have to help any struggling customers.
They provided ABC15 with a website with a list of tips for customers.
“Also, I want to emphasize that there will be no disconnections for past due APS residential accounts through mid-October,” said APS’ Katie Conner. “We continue to waive late fees for customers during this time period as well. We encourage customers to reach out to us if they have concerns with their bills so we can help them stay on track.”
