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INDIANAPOLIS – AES customers will see their bills increase starting this month.

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved an increase in the Fuel Adjustment Charge (FAC). AES filed its initial request for an increase in June; the IURC made its final ruling granting approval this week.

While AES had sought a rate hike that would increase bills by about 19%, the commission signed off on a slightly lower rate than the utility company initially proposed. As a result, AES said customers will see an approximately 12% increase in their bills starting Sept. 1.

That means the bill for a customer who uses 1,000 kWh of electricity in a month will see an increase of $15.79, according to the IURC filing. The utility’s original request would have resulted in an increase of $24.39 per month.

AES blamed soaring natural gas and coal prices for the increase, which will affect bills for September, October and November. The company sent an email to customers about the change this week.

Every quarter, utilities can request an adjustment in the Fuel Adjustment Charge (FAC) to account for variations in energy prices. The IURC recently approved a similar request from Duke Energy. Both companies could request another FAC change before the end of the year.

AES offers some payment assistance options here.

The utility company also offers budget billing in which customers pay a flat rate for 11 months and make up the different on the 12th month. Payment extensions can be requested through the AES website or by calling 317-261-8222.