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As power bills began making their way into the hands of Alabama Power Customers this week, some of those bills may have taken some by surprise.

Officials with Alabama Power Company understand that times are tough and have issued the following statement concerning those “higher-than-usual” power bills.

“The recent cold wave has led to increased electricity usage, resulting in higher bills for many customers. We’re here to help, and so is support through programs like Project SHARE, LIHEAP and ABC Trust Fund. For anyone we serve facing difficulties, please contact us to discuss payment options.

We are experiencing an unusually high volume of calls to our customer service center. We appreciate their patience and understanding as we work to address each call.

To assist customers more efficiently, we encourage them to visit our website at www.alabamapower.com. Here, they can easily create an account, check their usage and trends, and get many of their questions answered quickly.

If a customer still has questions or concerns after visiting our website, we invite them to submit an inquiry through our online form. Rest assured that a member of our team will get back to them within 5-7 business days. Customers can also visit their local business office to discuss any billing or account concerns.

We want to reassure customers that, in coordination with the Alabama Public Service Commission, Alabama Power commits that we will not disconnect customers due to non-payment through March 15^th. We understand the challenges they may be facing and are committed to supporting them.”