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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — City Council has approved a gas and electric rate increase during a meeting Tuesday.

Council approved a one year, two percent rate increase for both options after initially voting against a gas rate increase.

Some people WREG spoke with were fine with paying a little more — others not so much.

Under the plan the average person would pay an extra $4.24 a month this year for gas and electric combined, followed by a similar increase in 2019 and a nearly $3 increase in 2020.

“That’s too much money. I think that’s too much,” said Christine Thomas, who says her bill already averages $230 a month and she can’t afford increases like that.

Under the plan MLGW would use the extra money to upgrade substations and limit power outages when storms hit, something Thomas would support if the price tag were lower.

But Lance Hairrell says increases like that are doable. He’s on board with such a plan if power outages truly become less frequent.

“Every dollar counts in this day in age but that don’t sound too bad,” he said. “If they actually use the money to get those substations up and going, that’d be great.

“The outages that we’ve experienced lately, these people are going into the weeks without power and that’s unacceptable.”