Designed to provide customers with predictable monthly payments, Georgia Power’s Budget Billing program is drawing widespread criticism as customers report receiving unexpectedly large “true-up” bills—some amounting to hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

The complaints are not just about sticker shock; they highlight the systemic stress placed on the predictable payment scheme by the continuous and rapid escalation of electricity rates across the state. Customers are increasingly feeling “trapped” in a system that fails to keep pace with the true cost of power.

The Root Cause: Six Rate Hikes Since 2022

The backdrop to the Budget Billing crisis is a steep rise in the operational costs passed on to consumers. Since 2022, Georgia Power customers have absorbed six separate rate increases.

These hikes—driven primarily by non-base rate expenses such as higher fuel costs for power generation and costs associated with the landmark Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project—have added an average of $43 to the typical monthly bill.

The latest increase, which took effect in January 2025, added approximately $5.85 to the average monthly charge. While the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved these hikes and instituted a freeze on base rates through 2028, other variable costs (like fuel and storm recovery) remain subject to increase, continuing the upward pressure on total bills.

How Budget Billing Turns into Bill Shock

Georgia Power’s Budget Billing plan works by estimating a customer’s monthly payment based on their historical usage over the previous year. The goal is to smooth out seasonal spikes (like high AC use in the summer) into a consistent monthly amount.

However, the program is fundamentally flawed in an environment of accelerating rates:

1. The True-Up Time Bomb: Budget billing is not a flat rate or fixed plan. After 12 months, the account is “trued-up.” This process compares the customer’s actual cumulative usage cost against the cumulative payments they made. Because rates have consistently risen over the past two years, the estimated average payment often lags significantly behind the increasing actual cost of electricity.

The result is that many customers have deferred large balances, leading to massive true-up bills that must be paid immediately at the end of the yearly cycle.

2. Feeling “Trapped”: A major source of frustration is the perception of being “trapped.” Customers who wish to exit the Budget Billing program must first pay off their entire deferred balance—the accumulated difference between their low average payments and their high actual costs. For those facing hundreds or thousands of dollars in debt to the utility, leaving the program is financially impossible.

3. Instability Despite the Promise: Complaints filed on social media and with the Better Business Bureau also note that Georgia Power has begun changing the estimated budget billing amount more frequently. Customers argue that these frequent adjustments defeat the primary purpose of the program: providing predictable, stable payments.

Facing Criticism, Georgia Power Must Respond

While Georgia Power maintains that Budget Billing is a voluntary program intended to help customers manage their finances, consumer advocates argue that the utility must better communicate the risks associated with the true-up process, especially when rates are in flux.

As the cost of power continues to climb, state regulators and consumer protection agencies are likely to face increased pressure to scrutinize how Georgia Power’s billing practices interact with approved rate hikes.

How to File a Consumer Complaint

Customers who believe they have been overcharged or misled by the mechanics of the Budget Billing program are advised to file a complaint with the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.

Complaints can be submitted through several channels:

  • Online: File a complaint directly through the Consumer Protection Division website.
  • Mail or Fax: Download and complete an official complaint form from the website.
  • Phone: Call the Consumer Complaints line at 404-651-8600, or toll-free in Georgia at 1-800-869-1123.