When you opened your mailbox this month, your water bill may have made you frown.
There was an increase that appeared on Knox Utility Board bills this month for water and wastewater.
It's a $4.50 increase on the basic rate, and KUB said that's the only increase in the works--you can expect your electric and gas bills to go up about two dollars this November.
"These increases help us fund and plan future projects," Stephanie Midgett, a KUB spokesperson, said Tuesday. "It helps us improve and maintain our systems so that it stays in good working order not only for the citizens now, but for the citizens to come."
Looking to lower those bills? Midgett said there are some easy ways to keep your bill down.
"84 percent of a person's average electric bill is that variable charge based upon how much they use, so there's 84 percent of your electric bill that you can influence just based on your habits," she said.
She recommended setting your thermostat as high as you can comfortably stand it.
"For every one degree you change your thermostat, that's one percent savings," she said.
A few other tips: don't open your oven when cooking and keep your fridge closed so those appliances don't have to work extra hard to maintain their temperatures.
Midgett also said people should try to be as efficient as possible when using appliances like a diswasher.
"You want to make sure when you're running the dishwasher that it's a full load, not just one or two things at a time," she said.
And whenever you leave your home, make sure to close the blinds and turn off the lights to help keep costs down.