Georgia regulators approve $1.77 billion power rate increase

ATLANTA - Bills will be going up starting Jan. 1 for Georgia Power's customers across the state.

The Georgia Public Service Commission voted 4-1 on Tuesday for a plan projected to cost customers an additional $1.77 billion over the next three years.

The company says it needs the money to cover rising costs.

A Georgia Power spokesman says a residential customer who uses 1,000-kilowatt-hours of power a month will see bills rise by nearly $6 a month beginning next month.

The monthly charge that residential customers pay to connect to the grid will rise from $10 now to $12 in 2021 and $14 in 2022.