She got an electric bill for $1,373. She's not alone

Raelynn McMurchy (left) with her husband, Tucker, and daughter, Ella, launched an online petition over high power bills. Her last bill topped $1,370, including a $598 deposit following previous late payments. Raelynn McMurchy hide caption

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TULSA, Okla. — Raelynn McMurchy was shocked when she opened her most recent electric bill. After some late payments in the past, the utility had tacked on a deposit of nearly $600, pushing the total to $1,373.

"Our electric bill is literally more than our rent this month," McMurchy said in a TikTok video that quickly racked up more than 100,000 views. "I make decent money and that's not sustainable for my family. That's crazy."

McMurchy, who works nights at a Tulsa hospital, launched a petition on Change.org, calling on Oklahoma regulators to crack down on soaring power bills.

Around the country, electricity prices have been climbing faster than the overall cost of living, according to the Labor Department . That's especially expensive in the hot summer months, when fans and air conditioners are running around the clock.

Tulsa's main power company, Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), wanted to raise residential electric rates by about 15% this year. It agreed with the state attorney general to lower that to 1% in a settlement that still has to be approved by regulators.

Even with no rate increase, though, Tulsa electric bills would be spiking this year because of searing summer heat, with more than twice the average number of triple-digit days. Summer heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense around the country as a result of climate change, largely caused by the burning of fossil fuels.