Most of us know the old, familiar feeling of dread upon opening a power bill in the middle of winter in Bozeman. The process goes in a recognizable order: First, we think, "Why did I leave the TV on that night? Why didn't I turn the heat down and buy some extra blankets?" Next comes denial: "I wasn't home much this month. The bill shouldn't be too high." Finally, we crack open the envelope and gawk at the price before begrudgingly paying it, wondering why we're not living in a warmer climate.

What if I told you that you could be charged even more money based on how you choose to pay your bill? NorthWestern Energy goes through Western Union for credit card transactions, who then charges a fee for each. NorthWestern has chosen to pass this expense on to its consumers, who now have to pay a fee of $5.50 if they choose to pay their bill by credit card.

While passing costs on to consumers is certainly nothing new in the corporate world, NorthWestern Energy’s charge is unethical because of the recession’s negative effects on Bozeman.

After the construction boom ended, Bozeman was one of the hardest-hit towns in Montana. The Gallatin Valley had an 11 percent decline in employment in 2008. The Montana unemployment rate hovers around 7.5 percent.

This is relatively low compared to the rest of the country, but wages in Montana are also notoriously low. 14 percent of Montanans live below the poverty level — one-seventh of our population.

A $5.50 charge may not seem like a lot of money. But if one pays that fee each month, it adds up to a total of $66 a year, which is a lot of money for the large portion of our population making less than $20,000 a year. For those who are unemployed or making insufficient wages, a credit card may be the only way to get bills paid on time.

Furthermore, most of our energy is not produced here (but shipped in, adding delivery charges), there is little competition among energy companies and we have long, cold winters, adding to the money consumers must pay for power. Montana ranks sixth in the nation for energy expenditures per person, as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

In the last few years, NorthWestern Energy has not gained a good reputation in our community. Many customers are frequently unhappy and feel that they are being treated unfairly (as evidenced by a visit to the company’s Facebook page). If NorthWestern Energy wants to gain customer faith, they should find a way not to pass these credit card fees on to consumers.

Montanans are already struggling in the recession and cannot afford to pay any more for power — nor can they do anything about the requirement of heat in the winter, which can boost bills up several hundred dollars a month. NorthWestern Energy should re-examine its fees and make sure they are treating (and charging) customers fairly.