WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. -- The emergence of bird flu has Delmarva farmers on high alert, and now, another challenge has surfaced. Rising electric bills have a poultry grower in Pocomoke unsure if he can keep the lights on.
Electricity accounts for roughly 33% of Far Nasir's yearly expenses. Nasir operates his business in Pocomoke, and he's been dealing with the threat of bird flu since Christmas. Lately, however, his attention has turned to his Delmarva Power electric bill.
"With the bird flu and with this added pressure, we don't know if we're going to make it," said Nasir.
This is not the first time someone on the peninsula has raised concerns about their electric bill, and Delmarva Power has worked to provide WBOC with answers over the past few weeks.
On Monday, Zachary Chizar with Delmarva Power told us neighbors could be seeing a fluctuation in their bills due to unusually cold weather over the last two months.
According to Chizar, Maryland customers used 60% more electricity in December than they did in November, and the company expects that number to be even higher in January.
Chizar said the primary factor in higher electric bills is the trend of increased usage during months with a great deal of inclement weather.
For a more robust breakdown, you can click here.
That trend is shown in Nasir's monthly electric bills. We reviewed the bills with him on Monday, and the graphs provided by Delmarva Power on those bills show that Nasir used more electricity in December and January.
However, he was charged more for his usage.
Bill Breakdown:
November 7th, 2024 - December 5th, 2024: $1,248.58
December 6th, 2024 - January 7th, 2025: $2,888.68
The Difference:
It's minuscule, but Nasir's price per kilowatt-hour(kWh) showed discrepancies between the two pay periods. For the November-December pay period, Nasir was charged ~$0.10 for the first 3,500 kWh, which equaled a total charge of $362.16.
For the December-January pay period, he was charged ~$0.11 for the first 3,500 kWh, for a total of $409.28.
Like other Maryland ratepayers, Nasir is also charged for the Empower Maryland program. However, between November andDecember, he was charged $60.56, and between December andJanuary, he was charged $160.40.
Those small charges do add up, but again, Delmarva Power told WBOC the biggest reason for increased electric bills is the trend of inclement weather coupled with increased usage.
This matter has reached Maryland's legislature. Senator Mary Beth Carozza(R) brought up the issue at Friday's Eastern Shore Delegation meeting.
Carozza told those in attendance, "Our industry is already dealing with the challenge of the avian flu, so [they] asked for some special focus on assisting our poultry growers and industry."
If the problem isn't addressed quickly, Nasir said he might have to cancel his farm insurance, skip out on buying new equipment, or worse.
"If we can't afford it, it's time to close the farm," said Nasir.
Rising electric bills are raising concern among poultry growers in Pocomoke.