City of Toccoa planning to offer Budget Billing for customers struggling to heat their homes this winter

The Toccoa City Commission met last week for its regular scheduled meeting; during which, Commissioner Terry Carter asked for an update regarding budget billing to help struggling families pay to heat their homes this winter.

As WNEG News has been reporting, the cost of gas has doubled since last year, creating a financial burden on some families.

Carter asked City Finance Director Becky Bohannon, who previously told the commission that she was waiting to hear back from the city’s billing provider about budget billing; however, during Monday’s meeting, Bohannon explained that the city would be the only municipality to offer budget billing.

“I did have one question for Becky, if I may, I don’t want to belabor the point, but I know budget billing is important to a lot of folks. I just wanted to know if you had an update on the software process that we’re looking into,” he asked.

“They do not have anybody, any of their clients who are using it right now, so they’re using ours to test it to make sure it’s going to work,” Bohannon said.

Carter asked when it would be available? Bohannon says it will be available by the spring.

Vice Mayor Jeanette Jamieson originally brought the topic to the commission during a meeting last month.

“Your honor, this may not be the appropriate place, but I don’t know any other, I would very much appreciate it if we could look at the possibility of addressing the billing for the increase of gas prices. There are those of us who can pay, then there are those of us who, this increase that we know is coming, will work a financial hardship. I think it’s going to be considerable. I don’t know if we can do anything and pay for the gas. But we should at least look at it,” she said.

Carter says anyone struggling to pay to heat their homes can contact the City’s Customer Service Department.

“I know customer service is really good about working with folks who are having difficulty paying it; but it would be nice to have an official program, at least one that we can plan for, even if we have to wait for Spring,” Carter said.

This year, the cost of gas is over $4 per dekatherm, whereas, last year, the cost of gas was just under $2 per dekatherm.

However, Bohannon says the City’s customers won’t pay the full increase.

“Internally we have plans on how we can assist customers, if its needed. There’s also a lot of sources of money that are available out there, so we’re encouraging people to go out there and apply for Ninth District. There’re all kinds of sources out there. The cost of gas has doubled for us, but we haven’t passed all that on to our customers. The cost of gas for our customers hasn’t doubled. Billy, I don’t remember what we looked at the other day, but it’s only gone up .25 cents per CCF,” she said.

WNEG News will continue to follow this story and bring you updates as they become available.