Gulf Power customers having trouble paying higher bills from January’s record cold snap are encouraged to contact the company to learn about programs available to help manage electricity bills and electricity use.

The nearly week-long cold spell at the beginning of January was the longest endured in Florida since 2001, according to the National Weather Service. The colder temperatures produced near record demand for the utility in early January as customers’ electricity consumption skyrocketed by 36.5 percent compared to January 2009.

“Most of us used much more electricity than we normally would have this time of year,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesman. “More time is spent indoors which means more electricity is consumed.”

Heating systems consume the most energy during extended cold weather, but other factors helped contribute to the 36.5 percent increase in usage.

“TVs and computers are on more, oven and appliances get more use, and water heaters work overtime because people tend to take longer, hotter showers when it’s very cold out,” Rogers said.

The utility offers several programs to help customers save money and energy.

Budget Billing

Gulf Power’s budget billing plan takes the guesswork out of paying a power bill by averaging a customer’s monthly charges.

Energy Select

Energy Select is an EarthCents program that helps customers pay less for their electricity 87 percent of the time. It’s an interactive energy management system that lets the customer program selected appliances to automatically respond to four different electricity prices using a programmable thermostat.

EarthCents Programs

Customers can save money and energy with Gulf Power’s EarthCents Programs, a menu of energy efficiency programs for new and existing homes and businesses.

Those customers who need help with higher bills should visit a local Gulf Power payment office or call 1-800-225-5797 to speak with a local Gulf Power customer service representative about payment options.

Information on how to save money and energy can be found on Gulf Power’s Web site, www.gulfpower.com.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 400,000 customers in 10 counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely deliver affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy to very satisfied customers in strong communities.