Town Manager: Bedford received a $3.5 million power bill as council grapples with rising electric costs

Town Manager Bart Warner told listeners the Town of Bedford recently received a monthly power bill for $3,500,000 — the largest such invoice anyone associated with the town has seen — and said the council is concerned about higher electric costs affecting residents and municipal operations.

Warner, summarizing the council meeting of Feb. 17, said the spike is tied in part to recent extreme weather and rising power-supply costs. "The Town just received a monthly bill for $3,500,000 which is the highest one that anybody associated with the Town has experienced to date," he said. Warner explained that the town often must secure power in advance under contract and that some of the higher bills reflect those purchasing arrangements and broader supply-and-demand pressures.

Members of the public and council described wide local impacts. Councilman Dave Foster said his household bill rose 63.9% year over year (January 2025 to January 2026). Leslie Mahaffey, manager of the Bedford County Museum, said the church she attends saw about a 300% increase in its bill over the last three months. Public commenter Anne DeLong urged the town to hold a public town-hall or working session so customers can review bills and better understand usage and billing mechanics.

The meeting also surfaced questions about residential rooftop solar and the town's net metering practice. Warner said the town does not pay for surplus power exported to the grid because paying for that surplus would effectively shift costs across the entire customer base given the town's contracting and non-investor-owned utility structure. He said customers who reduce their load still benefit long term by lowering the town's purchases, but that immediate payment for surplus generation is not currently provided by the town.

Council and staff discussed several follow-ups: researching state-level bills related to electric policy, exploring utility discount or weatherization programs, and considering customer outreach. Warner said staff will answer questions raised by council and the public and report back; Anne DeLong’s request for a public town hall was noted as a possible next step.

The council did not adopt an ordinance or vote on a utility policy at the Feb. 17 meeting; officials directed staff to gather additional information and bring refined options or recommendations to a future meeting.