Oklahoma Families Struggle with Rising Electric Bills and Potential Power Shutoffs

Raelynn McMurchy, alongside her husband Tucker and daughter Ella, has taken action against increasing power bills by launching an online petition. Her recent electric bill reached $1,373, which included a $598 deposit due to previous late payments. This figure surpassed their rent, prompting McMurchy to voice her concerns on TikTok, garnering over 100,000 views. McMurchy, who works night shifts at a Tulsa hospital, initiated a petition on Change.org urging Oklahoma regulators to address the escalating power costs.

Electricity prices are climbing nationwide, exceeding overall living costs according to the Labor Department. In summer, the financial burden rises due to heavy air conditioning use. Tulsa’s main power provider, Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), initially sought a 15% increase in residential rates this year. After negotiations with the state attorney general, the proposed increase dropped to 1%, pending regulatory approval. Regardless of the rate change, Tulsa residents face higher bills due to extreme summer heat.

Climate change exacerbates these summer heat waves, intensifying both their frequency and severity. In Oklahoma, residents are at significant risk of having their power cut if bills are unpaid. PSO’s disconnection rate is more than five times the national average according to the U.S. Energy Department’s report based on 2024 shutoffs. Unlike some states that ban summer shutoffs, Oklahoma allows them if the heat index is below 101 degrees, despite failed attempts by consumer advocates to lower this threshold.

Every week, the Helping Hand Ministry in downtown Tulsa assists those at risk of losing electricity. Clients line up each Monday and Tuesday with disconnection notices. At the ministry, volunteers like John Johnson contact PSO’s parent company to negotiate partial payments to maintain service. For example, he helped Ashley Fonseca Mejia pay enough on her overdue bill to keep the lights on for the time being. Fonseca Mejia works in retail and has faced rapidly increasing bills.

Others, like Eric Widger, also experience similar financial pressure. Widger, employed at a Kimberly-Clark factory near Tulsa, witnessed his monthly bill double to $500. He nearly faced a power cut-off but managed to avoid it last minute with aid from the Helping Hand Ministry. The organization prevents dozens of disconnections weekly using funds from local foundations and the First Presbyterian Church, although thousands more face shutoffs monthly.

The Helping Hand Ministry’s budget stretches up to $14,000 weekly, funded by external contributions. Many clients are struggling to balance necessities like rent, utilities, and food with their typically modest incomes. Joanne Pearson, the ministry’s president, sympathetically describes their situation as juggling multiple financial concerns.

In response to customer frustrations, PSO’s CEO Leigh Anne Strahler addressed the rising costs. She emphasized the company’s commitment to affordability and improving power infrastructure to withstand future demands and extreme weather. Strahler highlighted that PSO is investing in additional power capacity and grid resilience.

Across the U.S., rising electric bills pose significant challenges. More than 13 million people nationwide face power disconnections annually, according to Energy Department data. Mark Wolfe, head of a group of state energy assistance directors, warned that as prices continue to rise and temperatures soar, the situation might worsen. Unlike other commodities, electricity remains an irreplaceable necessity.