Alabama's regulator asks Alabama Power to stop billing customers for its adverts now, three years before a new law bans it

The stories

8 on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

1. 01

   Alabama's regulator asks Alabama Power to stop billing customers for its adverts now, three years before a new law bans it

   $6 million

   spent by Alabama Power on general adverts last year

   roughly $4 for each customer, its federal filings show [1]

   50%

   of its non-safety advert costs that customers can be billed for today

   a 2026 state law ends that, but only from 2029 [1]

   37%

   rise in the forecast US home power price since 2020

   to about 18 cents a unit in 2026, the US energy statistics agency said in February [2]

   What happened

   • Alabama's power regulator asked Alabama Power on Tuesday to stop billing customers for its adverts at once. [1]
   • Alabama Power spent more than $6 million on general adverts last year, roughly $4 for each customer. [1]
   • Customers can now be billed for half, 50%, of its adverts that are not about safety. [1]
   • Alabama Power is the state's biggest electricity seller, covering about two-thirds of Alabama. [1]
   • It is a monopoly: homes in its area have no other company to buy power from. [1]
   • Its recent TV adverts praised a rate freeze it announced late last year. [1] They ran amid heavy criticism of rising power prices. [1]
   • A state law passed in 2026 bans putting those advert costs on customers' bills. [1] But it only starts in 2029. [1]
   • "I don't see any reason why we shouldn't go ahead and take steps now," said commission president Cynthia Lee Almond. [1]
   • Her motion was not on the meeting agenda. [1] Commissioners Jeremy Oden and Chris Beeker IV voted yes after a brief discussion. [1]

   Who is involved

   • Alabama Power Alabama's biggest electricity seller, a monopoly; it has not said whether it will agree
   • Jeremy Oden commissioner, voted yes
   • Chris Beeker IV commissioner, voted yes
   • Alabama Public Service Commission the state body that sets power prices; it asked Alabama Power to drop advert costs from bills now
   • Cynthia Lee Almond the commission's president; she proposed the request, which was not on the agenda
   • Energy Alabama a group whose director, Daniel Tait, called the vote a boon to customers

   How it unfolded

   1. Now half of adverts on bills
   2. Tuesday regulator asks to stop
   3. 2029 a new law bans it
   4. 2026 law passed
   5. 2029 advert ban starts
   6. Tuesday 3 members ask
   7. January 7 members, an energy secretary
   8. Late 2025 Alabama Power announces a rate freeze, later praised in its TV adverts [1]
   9. 2026 Alabama passes a law banning advert costs on bills from 2029 [1]
   10. 3 Nov the commission asks Alabama Power to stop billing them now [1]
   11. Jan 2027 the commission grows from 3 members to 7 [1]
   12. 1 Jan 2029 the law takes effect [1]

   Why it matters

   Energy Alabama's director called the move a boon to customers, who have faced some of the highest US power bills. [1]

   The US energy statistics agency forecast home power at about 18 cents a unit for 2026, Realtor.com reported in February. [2] That is 37% more than in 2020. [2]

   How it works

   In utility regulation, Alabama's rules split the firm's adverts into public safety notices and ones that promote its business. [1] Customers can be billed for half of the second kind. [1]

   Alabama Power's customers cannot switch to a rival, so its adverts cannot win new ones. [1] The recent ones defended its prices to the public instead. [1]

   Seen it before

   A school's only canteen still puts up posters, aimed at the parents and staff who renew its contract.

   The truth

   • What is really going on Alabama's regulator asked Alabama Power to take its advert costs off customers' bills three years before a law forces it, but only the company's agreement can make that happen before 2029. [1]
   • The request is voluntary: the commission asked Alabama Power to consent. [1] The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. [1]
   • Who gains Alabama Power's customers, if the company agrees — Advert costs would come off their bills in 2027 and 2028, years before the law requires it. [1]
   • Who pays Alabama Power's customers, until the company agrees or the law starts — Half of the cost of adverts that are not about safety can still go on their bills. [1]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How much of Alabama Power's $6 million of advert spending reached customers' bills.

     Its federal filing gives the total but not how much was passed on, or how much the new ban would cover. [1]

   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Alabama Power will agree to drop the advert costs before 2029.

     The commission can only ask for its consent, and the company did not respond to a request for comment. [1]

   • Nobody knows yet

     Who will set the agenda of Alabama's enlarged commission.

     Governor-elect Tommy Tuberville has not named the new energy secretary, who will set the enlarged commission's agenda. [1]

   What comes next

   In January the commission grows from 3 members to 7, with a new energy secretary setting its agenda. [1]

1. 02

   Georgia's power regulator plans hearings on bills

   What happened

   • Democrats will hold 3 of the 5 seats on Georgia's Public Service Commission from January. [3]
   • It is the first time in 30 years that the party has controlled it. [3]
   • Commissioner Peter Hubbard, re-elected this week, plans hearings into why power bills are high and how to cut them. [3]
   • Chris Womack, boss of parent firm Southern Company, said on Thursday: "we think that's a strong platform to stand on." [3]

   Who is involved

   The commission regulates Georgia Power, the state's biggest electricity seller. [3]

   • Public Service Commission Georgia's power regulator
   • Georgia Power the state's biggest power seller

   How it unfolded

   Last year Georgia Power announced a rate freeze before any hearing let advocates check its numbers. [3]

   1. Last year rate freeze announced
   2. No hearing claims left unchecked
   3. Now old majority
   4. January Democrats take 3 seats

   Why it matters

   The commission has faced scrutiny over rising bills and the power that data centres, buildings full of computers, need. [3]

   How it works

   A rate case is the process in which a regulator resets a utility's prices. [3] Georgia Power's next one is due in 2028. [3]

   A freeze announced first skips that check, which advocates say left them unable to confirm the company's promises. [3]

   Seen it before

   A pupil who announces their own mark before the test is marked asks to be believed, not checked.

   Why a power company with no rivals pays for TV adverts

   A monopoly cannot win customers from anyone, so its image adverts speak to the voters and officials who decide what it may charge.

   The twist

   A company with no rivals still has people to win over: the voters and officials who set its prices. When the power bill pays for those adverts, customers fund the case made to the people who decide that bill.

   The picture

   Safety noticeon the bill

   vsvs

   Image adverthalf on the bill

   Step by step

   1. 1 A power firm is the only seller in its area
   2. 2 Its customers cannot switch, so adverts win it none
   3. 3 So its image adverts speak to voters and officials
   4. 4 Those people decide what its bills may charge
   5. 5 When bills pay for the adverts, customers pay to be persuaded
   6. 6 So regulators keep safety notices and move image adverts off bills

   The same force, elsewhere today

   Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

   • Georgia's power regulator plans hearings on bills

     Southern Company's boss pointed the new commissioners to Georgia Power's rate freezes, a promise made in public before any hearing checked it.

   Where you've seen this

   A town's only water company

   its posters about fixing pipes reach the council that renews its licence

   A national railway with no rival

   its adverts speak to the ministers who set its fares and grants

   A one-hospital town

   its appeals reach the local politicians who vote on its budget

   The catch

   Some monopoly adverts are useful, like a gas-leak warning or an outage number, which is why regulators treat safety notices apart.

   And the whole of it

   The customer watching the advert, the voter choosing a commissioner and the household paying the bill are often the same family. Each sees only one part of how the price is set.

   The truth

   • What is really going on In Georgia, Southern Company's boss is pointing the new Democratic regulators to rate freezes that Georgia Power announced before any hearing checked them. [3]
   • Why it works on people A rate freeze sounds like a price cut, so announcing one can stand in for the hearing that would check the company's numbers. [3]
   • Georgia Power's contract to supply a new OpenAI data centre was fully redacted, with only a summary published after approval. [3]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Georgia's rate freeze really shielded households from the cost of serving data centres.

     The freeze came before any hearing, and the OpenAI supply contract was fully redacted. [3]

   What comes next

   The new majority takes its seats in January. [3]

1. 03

   Pakistan starts auctioning its cooking gas

   What happened

   • Pakistan will sell 90% of its home-made cooking gas, called LPG, through open auctions held in front of the media. [4]
   • The other 10% goes to state-owned sellers, to supply remote areas. [4]
   • Each company may buy at most 20 tonnes a day at the auctions. [4]
   • Pakistan's government has also told 4 state-owned firms to start importing LPG again, to ease the shortage. [4]

   Who is involved

   LPG is gas sold in cylinders, used for cooking and heating by homes off the piped gas network. [4]

   How it unfolded

   Supplies fell after crossings on the Iran border closed. [4] Cylinders now sell at twice the official rate in the open market. [4]

   Why it matters

   More homes buy cylinders as it gets colder, and the minister expects winter to peak in December and January. [4]

   How it works

   Economists call this an open auction: firms bid against each other where everyone can see. [4]

   Under the old system, middlemen profited from how the gas was handed out. [4] An open sale is meant to cut them out. [4]

   Seen it before

   When a class bids tokens in public for the last trip seat, nobody gets it quietly through a friend.

   The truth

   • Much of the detail comes from the petroleum minister, as reported by Radio Pakistan, the state broadcaster. [4]
   • Who gains LPG users in remote parts of Pakistan — A tenth of home-made LPG is set aside for state sellers to supply them. [4]
   • Who pays Pakistani homes off the piped gas network — They rely on cylinders, which sell at twice the official rate in the open market. [4]
   • Nobody knows yet

     What a cylinder of cooking gas will cost in Pakistan once the auctions run.

     The petroleum minister described how the gas will be sold, and the report gives no figure for a cylinder. [4]

2. 04

   Pakistan caps deposits when booking a new car

   What happened

   • Pakistan's government unveiled a car policy on Saturday that it says will make most cars cheaper. [5]
   • Carmakers may not take more than 20% of a car's price as a deposit at booking. [5]
   • Import duties on cars and parts will fall each year for 5 years. [5] Pakistan's government says prices will come down gradually. [5]
   • Sales tax would be 1% on electric cars, 6% on range-extended ones and 9% on hybrids. [5] The International Monetary Fund must approve it. [5]
   • The State Bank of Pakistan's car-loan scheme will lend up to 10 million rupees for electric cars. [5] For ordinary cars it lends up to 3 million. [5]

   How it unfolded

   It targets 'on-money', the extra charges buyers have paid to get a car booked. [5]

   1. Saturday policy unveiled
   2. Next cabinet approval

   Why it matters

   The policy says its cheaper cars are especially for middle-class and lower-middle-class buyers. [5]

   How it works

   Economists call this a cross-subsidy: a charge on one group pays for a break for another. [5]

   Here a levy on engine cars above 1,000cc, ordinary cars, is meant to pay for the electric car breaks. [5]

   Seen it before

   Older pupils pay a little more for a school trip so the younger ones can come for less.

   The truth

   • The adviser, Haroon Akhtar Khan, promised car prices would come down but gave no amount. [5]
   • Who gains Pakistani buyers of electric cars — They would pay 1% sales tax and could borrow up to 10 million rupees through the State Bank of Pakistan's scheme. [5]
   • Who pays Pakistani buyers of engine cars above 1,000cc — A new levy on their cars is meant to pay for the electric car breaks. [5]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How much cheaper Pakistani cars will get, and when.

     The adviser promised lower prices with no amount, and the electric car sales tax still needs the IMF's approval. [5]

   What comes next

   The cabinet began approving the policy on Saturday. [5]

3. 05

   Pokemon fans queue from 3am against resellers

   What happened

   • More than 120 people queued outside Forbidden Planet, a London shop, on Friday. [6] They wanted a new Pokemon card set. [6]
   • Kai, a fan there since 3am, guessed the queue was 50/50 fans and resellers. [6]
   • The shop sold one 49.99-pound 'elite trainer' box to each customer. [6]
   • The Guardian expected the set to sell at big mark-ups on eBay by the end of the day. [6]

   How it unfolded

   In September small card shops said thieves were opening their parcels in the post, as card prices soared. [7]

   1. September parcels robbed in the post
   2. Friday a 120-person queue

   Why it matters

   Parents trying to buy cards for their children now ask for help in Reddit and Facebook groups. [6]

   How it works

   Forbidden Planet has an unsealing policy, asked for by the supplier. [6] An opened product cannot be sold on as brand new. [6]

   A sealed box can be sold on as new and an opened one cannot, which deters some resellers. [6]

   Seen it before

   A baker who slices each loaf at the counter stops anyone reselling it as a whole fresh loaf.

   The truth

   • The 50/50 split is one fan's guess from the queue, not a count. [6]
   • Who gains Pokemon resellers — A box bought at the shop price was expected to sell on eBay at a big mark-up the same day. [6]
   • Who pays Parents and young Pokemon fans — They queue in the early hours or pay resale prices for cards meant for play. [6]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How many of the people in the Pokemon queue were resellers.

     The 50/50 split is one fan's guess, and nobody counted. [6]

   Good news

   • A games shop in Hessle, near Hull, runs a free kids' club and keeps cards back for regular players. [6]
4. 06

   US workers lose unspent health money

   What happened

   • About 4 in 10 US workers with a health FSA lost unspent money in 2024, research found. [8]
   • Those who lost money forfeited $404 on average. [8]
   • The Employee Benefit Research Institute, a research group, studied more than 3.3 million accounts. [8]
   • About a third of users face a strict rule: money unspent by the deadline is lost. [8]
   • Other plans let workers carry up to $680 into next year. [8] Others give up to 2.5 extra months, but never both. [8]

   Who is involved

   An FSA is a work account that pays health bills from pay taken before tax. [8]

   How it unfolded

   1. Now limit $3,400
   2. 2027 limit $3,500

   Why it matters

   Workers must choose how much to put in before the year begins, and health costs are hard to guess. [8]

   How it works

   Financial planners weigh the tax an FSA saves against the money forfeited. [8] At a 35% tax rate, putting in $3,400 saves about $1,190. [8]

   So a worker who loses less than $1,190 still ends up ahead, planner Sean Lovison says. [8]

   Seen it before

   A gym pass bought at a big discount still pays off even if a few sessions are skipped.

   The truth

   • The $1,190 is a planner's example, which assumes a 35% total tax rate and no money from the employer. [8]
   • Who gains Employers that run health FSAs — Money a worker leaves unspent by the deadline goes back to the employer. [8]

   Good news

   • That average loss was down from $436 in 2023. [8]
   • US workers who lost unspent money from a health FSA in 2024 lost $404 on average, down from $436 the year before.

   What comes next

   The IRS said on Thursday the most a worker can put in will rise to $3,500 in 2027, from $3,400. [8]

5. 07

   The Labubu doll craze cools

   What happened

   • Pop Mart, maker of Labubu dolls, said July-to-September sales fell by up to 50% on a year before. [9]
   • Its sales in the US fell by at least 70%. [9]
   • A box often cost $15 or more, and fans bought box after box to find the doll they wanted. [9]
   • One collector, Ensito, says he has spent more than $50,000 on more than 400 dolls. [9]
   • Pop Mart's shares have fallen by more than 50% from last year's peak. [9]

   Who is involved

   Labubus are small furry monster dolls sold in 'blind boxes', sealed so buyers cannot see which one is inside. [9]

   • Ensito collector, more than $50,000 on 400 dolls

   Why it matters

   Some collectors told the BBC they now buy only dolls they like, not every new series. [9]

   How it works

   Marketers call it a blind box: buyers cannot see which toy they get, so many keep buying. [9]

   As Pop Mart made more dolls, the sense of rarity that drove the buying faded, an analyst told the BBC. [9]

   Seen it before

   Stickers are exciting to swap while they are rare, and the swapping stops once every shop has them.

   The truth

   • Pop Mart declined to comment on its share price and did not answer questions on falling sales. [9]
6. 08

   A plan to sell 20 staples at a posted mark-up

   What happened

   • A group, the Kitchen Table Project, proposes letting any US grocer buy 20 staples at US government auction prices. [10]
   • In return, each shop would sell them at a mark-up set in advance and posted for shoppers. [10]
   • The group's report estimates a family of 4 would save about $315 a year. [10]
   • For 6 of the 20 items, including eggs, milk and ground beef, the report shows no saving. [10]
   • Ground beef costs close to $7 a pound because the US cattle herd is the smallest in 75 years. [10]

   How it unfolded

   The US farm department, USDA, already buys food by auction for school lunches. [10]

   Why it matters

   Small shops pay more for the same eggs because they buy fewer cases, writes food economist David Ortega. [10]

   How it works

   Economists call this purchasing power: buying in bulk wins a lower price per case. [10]

   Pooling every shop's orders through one auction could give a corner shop close to a big chain's price, Ortega says. [10]

   Seen it before

   Classmates who club together for one big pizza each pay less than buying slices alone.

   The truth

   • The report does not say who sets the mark-up, Ortega notes. [10] A shop could raise prices on its other items, he warns. [10]
   • Who pays Corner-shop shoppers under the grocery plan — A shop holding 20 prices down could raise the rest, so the saving could vanish across the whole cart. [10]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Who would set the posted mark-up in the Kitchen Table Project's grocery plan.

     The report does not say, and shop costs in the Bronx and in Lansing differ, Ortega notes. [10]