HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β A Henrico County woman saw her energy bill skyrocket from $352 in January 2025 to $694 this January, nearly doubling her costs and leaving her struggling to afford basic necessities.
Deborah Stroud, who is retired and living on a fixed income, said the dramatic increase has forced her to make difficult choices about her spending.
"I can't afford this. I don't have that kind of money," Stroud said.
Despite using solar energy and heating her home with a heat pump without auxiliary heating that typically increases costs during cold weather, Stroud's bill still doubled. The unexpected expense has impacted her ability to afford other essentials.
"It takes away anything else plus at the beginning of the year I have my medications and stuff," Stroud said.
Stroud is among thousands of Virginians asking the same questions about their unusually high January energy bills.
"Is this what we're gonna be looking at for the rest of the year and from now on now if it is, there's gonna be a lot of elderly people that can't afford it," Stroud said.
When asked about immediate action the state plans to take, Gov. Abigail Spanberger said her administration is working with the General Assembly on priority bills focused on lowering energy costs.
"As governor, I've worked with the general assembly to have priority bills focused on lowering cost, and energy. Those bills so far have been moving through the general assembly," Spanberger said.
The governor highlighted legislation focused on newer technologies, particularly high-strength battery storage, to help manage peak energy moments that drive up costs.
"So there's a variety of good bills that are moving forward, focused on newer technologies, particularly high strength battery storage that will ensure that we can contend with some of the real peak moments. That can be a real cause of driving up those costs, my administration is also working to ensure that affordability is a cross secretary of priority," Spanberger said.
A Dominion spokesperson attributed the unusually high January energy bills to weather conditions, increasing costs of grid equipment and fuel.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
