The Kaplan City Council and Mayor Mike Kloesel are making moves to help customers struggling with their utility bills as energy costs continue to increase.
Kaplan residents, along with others, are struggling to pay for the high cost of electricity. Many have witnessed utility bills double over the last three months throughout Acadiana due to the rising cost of natural gas.
"We want to do something to help our customers. So we asked our customers what can the city do to help?", said Mayor Kloesel.
The Mayor and council voted 4-0 to suspend the late fees on utility bills; and pushed back the electricity late-fee and cut off dates which will remain in effect until December.
As a result of the suspension, the late-fee date is now the 25th and the cutoff date is the 30th of each month.
It was also voted among the Mayor and council to cancel the automatic 3 percent increase in sewer and water rates that were scheduled to take place this week.
Based on an ordinance, the city automatically raises those rates 3 percent annually. Mayor Kloesel and council voted 4-0 to suspend the rate increase until next year.
Mayor Kloesel also said, "I want everyone to understand that the extra charges you are seeing on your electric bill is not benefiting the city of Kaplan in the least. Every penny of the increase is going directly to SLEMCO for the generation charges that they are passing on to us."
