Residents report steep DPU bills; city utility staff point to cold weather and thermostat settings

Several Orangeburg residents reported what they called unusually high utility bills during public comment and asked city officials for explanations and help.

Gail Jarvis, who gave her address to the council, said multiple households saw bills jump from typical amounts into the hundreds of dollars: "We had a drastic increase in our DPU bills this past month ... I just spoke with a lady, a 93 year old ... who had a bill of about $900," she said, adding that other seniors had bills near $800. Jarvis said her own bill was "almost $300 more than it usually is" and urged the council to explain whether the spike was a billing glitch and whether there would be recourse.

Johnny Abraham, a local veteran, said his bill rose more than he expected and wanted city staff to note the change. The council called on Department of Public Utilities staff to respond.

The DPU manager (name not specified in the meeting record) told the council the city had not raised electric or gas rates in the most recent budget year and said the primary driver of recent higher bills was colder weather. "Your light bill does not go up based on the Christmas lights," the manager said, noting that holiday lighting is funded separately through hospitality taxes. He added that December and January were about "20% colder than they were last year at this time," and explained that thermostat settings materially affect consumption: "We always tell people to keep your thermostat set on 68 ... every degree above 68 will add 7% to your bill."

The manager offered practical steps the utility can take: free home energy assessments using thermal imaging to find heat loss at doors and windows, in-home checks for leaks or malfunctioning water heaters, weatherization suggestions, and referral routes for payment help. He said customer-service representatives work with local churches and assistance programs and that the utility can make payment arrangements for households that do not qualify for outside aid. A council member asked whether there is a cost for the assessment; the manager said there is no cost.

Staff also addressed water and wastewater billing questions: the manager said water and wastewater rates were adjusted in a prior budget year and that the city's combined utility charges remain low compared with other municipalities in the region, although he did not provide a written comparison during the meeting. He advised residents to call DPU customer service for a site visit and specific billing explanations.

Why this matters: Multiple residents — including older adults — reported one-time bills of several hundred dollars and asked whether the increases reflected billing errors, meter problems, or one-time weather-driven usage spikes. DPU staff presented both operational causes and assistance options and encouraged affected customers to request on-site assessments.

No formal action or vote was taken on the topic during the meeting; staff offered follow-up and one-on-one consultations.