To the Editor:
I was reading the letters from fellow concerned citizens and though I felt empathy for them and their situation (I know their bill seems high to them), at the same time I was wishing mine was as low as theirs.
The last two years have truly been a struggle and frightening to say the least. We used to pay $200 to $300 a month for utilities in the cooler winter months and around $400 to $500 in the warmer summer months. But since 2020/2021, things have gone up tremendously.
My utility bill during the warmer summer months now runs $700 to $900 – it was actually over $900 one month last summer ($971). And in the cooler winter months, it is running about $500 to $600 a month.
We are a middle class hardworking family. We don’t have a fancy house, it is almost 4,000 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. We do not have to keep the temperature low, we generally keep it 76 to 78 inside in the summer, and in the winter we do not use the heat. We have a gas hot water heater.
I’m not sure what else we can do, but I do know we won’t be able to afford this for the long haul. It saddens me to think we may have to move because of utility costs.
Misty Frye
Ocala resident