KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — East Tennesseans have started receiving their utility bills for January, and the cost may be a shock to some. Recent winter weather had a lot of households cranking up the heat, which cranked up utility bills.
During the wintry weather in January, the Magnolia Avenue United Methodist Church was busy. It ran a warming center, helping make sure people had a safe place to sleep as a deadly winter storm moved through the area.
“We had consistently 100 to 150, sometimes 175 people each day. Men, women and children sleeping here and downstairs, in the pews,” said Tim Jackson, a pastor of the church.
The church opened its doors to people who needed a warm place to stay as the frigid temps and snow fell across East Tennessee.
“We use that furnace for about two to four hours on Sundays. So, we kept this sanctuary warm and the furnace and the gas running for those nine days," he said.
The church, along with many residents, cranked up the heat during the winter storm. Now, Magnolia Avenue Church is seeing those effects.
“Our bill the month before was about $2,400 and our bill this month was about $5,400," said Jackson.
But, Pastor Jackson said the Knoxville community showed their appreciation for the church’s efforts.
He posted a picture of the bill on Facebook and within four hours, the church had received more than $5,000 in donations to help pay the bill.
KUB also released a statement about energy consumption during the storm. That statement is available below.
"The extent of the increase would depend on each household's efficiency. KUB residential customers' average energy consumption in January 2024 was 35% higher than the average energy consumption in December 2023. KUB residential customers' average energy consumption in January 2024 was 10% higher than the average energy consumption in January 2023."
"Project Help and KUB are committed to helping customers who need financial assistance on their utility bills. Project Help is an emergency heating-assistance program for those in need."
More information can be found here.