Waukee residents raise concerns over increase in utility bill Share Updated: 10:22 PM CST Feb 27, 2021 Share Updated: 10:22 PM CST Feb 27, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript >> STARTS RIGHT NOW. ANCHOR: FEBRUARY'S BITTER COLD WEATHER BUMPED UP GAS UTILITY BILLS FOR MANY. BUT SOME WAUKEE RESIDENTS WERE SHOCKED TO LEARN HOW MUCH THEY OWE. KCCI'S KAYLA JAMES REPORTS ON WHY THE CITY OF WAUKEE SAYS EACH FAMILY COULD BE PAYING SEVER HUNDRED DOLLARS MORE THIS MONTH. REPORTER: THESE ARE 3 MONTHS OF UTILITY BILL STATEMENTS SENT TO KCCI BY A WAUKEE RESIDENT. THE BILL FOR GAS ITSELF NEARLY DOUBLED FROM JANUARY TO FEBRUARY. IT'S AN ISSUE OTHER WAUKEE RESIDENTS MENTION SEEING, LIKE ERIKA FLORES. >> DECEMBER AND JANUARY IT USED TO BE MAYBE $200. A WEEK AGO, WE PAID ALMOST $400. REPORTER: FLORES SAYS SHE KNOWS THE RECENT COLD TEMPERATURES PLAYED A ROLE BUT DOESN’T BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE THAT MUCH OF AN IMPACT. >> EVEN IF WAS THAT COLD, IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH US. IT’S NOTHING THAT WE CAN CONTROL. REPORTER: OTHER RESIDENTS IN WAUKEE NEIGHBORHOODS TELL US THEY EXPECTED A HIGHER BILL DUE TO THE WEATHER. THE CITY REPORTS GAS USUAGE WAS UP 41% FROM JANUARY TO FEBRUARY. KCCI REACHED OUT MAYOR COURTNEY CLARKE AND ALL 5 CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON SATURDAY. NONE OF THEM RETURNED OUR CALLS. THE CITY DID ADDRESS THE SITUATION ON ITS FACEBOOK PAGE AND WEBSITE, SAYING THE AVERAGE WAUKEE HOUSEHOLD IS SEEING AN INCREASE OF $200 ON THE CURRENT BILL. THE POST ALSO NOTES OTHER UTILITY PROVIDERS IN IOWA ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR INCREASES. MIDAMERICAN ENERGY SAYS RESIDENTIAL GAS CUSTOMERS WILL SEE AN AVERAGE OF $214 OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTH CLAYTON ENERGY, BASED IN NEBRASKA, MANAGES WAUKEE’S GAS UTILITY’S PURCHASES. >> WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE CITY DO? >> MAYBE HELP US OUT SO PEOPLE DON’T LEAVE WAUKEE. REPORTER: THE CITY SAYS THE BILLS ARE FINAL, BUT PEOPLE CAN OPT IN TO SPREAD PAYMENTS OUT OVER 12 TO 18 MONTHS. IN AN UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETING, COUNCIL MEMBERS PLAN TO CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO ALLOCATE $50,000 FOR UTILITY BILL RELIEF TO LOW INCOME RESIDENTS. >> MY QUESTION IS I DON’T KNOW WHO WILL QUALIFY. I DON’T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY THEY’RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT ABOUT INCOME OR THINGS LIKE THAT. REPORTER: IN WAUKEE, KAYLA JAMES, KCCI 8 NEWS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. ANCHOR: OF THAT 50,000 DOLLAR ALLOCATION, WAUKEE’S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR TELLS KCCI THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER ALLOCATING $15,000 TO THOSE QUALIFIED IN THE LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 35,000 COULD GO TO THOSE IN NEED VIA THE WAUKEE AREA CHRIST