As Ameren bills increase, here's what to look out for

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Ameren's cost for electricity went up by 50 percent Sunday because of an increase to the utility's energy supplier.

Illinois law requires utilities pass supplier costs directly to the consumer. Ameren's supplier is increasing summer costs which will translate to higher bills for Ameren customers.

Ameren described the increase as temporary:

Ameren Illinois is a delivery-only utility. State rules require utilities to procure electric capacity from generators at the prices secured by MISO and the Illinois Power Agency and pass the costs to customers, dollar-for-dollar, without markup.... As a result of the increase in summer capacity charges, the typical customer's monthly summer bill is expected to increase by approximately 18% to 22%, depending on their usage.

The Citizen's Utility Board (CUB) is a nonprofit consumer watchdog group dedicated to lowering electric bills. CUB has encouraged Ameren to lower bills in the past but the group says this hike is not Ameren's responsibility.

"Ameren's electricity price went up by 50 percent ... that's going to cost customers about 18 to 22 percent in higher electric bills this summer," said Jim Chilsen, spokesperson for CUB. "Ameren has estimated that that would cost a typical residential customer about $38 to $46 per month during the four month summer season, which is June through September, so that's about $150 to $180 total over the summer."

Ameren said bills should return to normal in October, but in the meantime they are encouraging people to use their energy as efficiently as possible. Ameren said its important to develop more efficient energy habits.

"When you start kind of cutting back on those things and it's important to do so, you want to directly affect the usage and your cost," said Stephanie Robinson, Senior Program Supervisor for Ameren. "Turn your thermostats up if you're away from home, because you don't want to cool of an empty home. If you have ceiling fans or floor fans, you want to start taking advantage of that."

Robinson recommends customers use Ameren's rebate page to see if there are any cost-cutting programs that apply to your usage. They specifically mentioned their budget billing program can be helpful for summer, as it evens out monthly payments over expensive summer months.

CUB encourages Ameren customers to reach out to Ameren if they are struggling to pay their bulls. They may be able to connect you with programs that can lighten the load on your budget.

"This will be a difficult summer, I don't want to sugar coat it, said Chilsen. "When you call Ameren, ask for any payment plans. Ask about energy efficiency programs. Ask about any type of program, like peak time rewards that may be able to give you a benefit on your bill."

CUB is also warning people about switching their utility provider. Almost all utility companies were impacted by the same price hike that hit Ameren, so if someone comes to your door to try to get you to change your provider for a cheaper price, be wary. Often, these are scams and not legitimate or money saving.

Chilsen recommends visiting their help website for more details on reducing your power bill.