Alliant Energy has issued an apology to their customers after many in Marion County and across Iowa received higher than average estimated bills recently.

With the hotter than usual summer customers used more energy than normal and the billing system sent out more adjusted bills than ever before. Normally those bills are reviewed by a staff member before being sent out, but a representative with Alliant Energy tells KNIA/KRLS News the increased volume made it impossible to handle increased call and bill volume as customers became aware of their higher bills. The company is changing their billing processes, suspending service shutoff and late fees for those affected and hiring more employees. Alliant Energy encourages customers to call with questions and to work out a 12 month payment plan for the increased billing amounts.