NOVEMBER POWER RATE RISES ON HIGHER TVA FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT

The power rate from Athens Utilities Board (AUB) for the coming month of November will increase as the fuel cost adjustment from TVA goes up.

The local power rate will move from the current $0.08989 up to $0.09195 per kilowatt hour as “transition rates” continue one more month.

Transition rates are the lowest of the year, with a base of $0.06887 per kilowatt hour.  The fuel charge for November will be $0.02308, up from $0.02102 per kilowatt hour in the current month of October.

The transition rate season will be in effect for the months of October and November, then the four months of winter rates from TVA take effect.

“The base rate for November will be the same as it is in October.  What is taking the final rate up over nine cents per kilowatt hour is TVA’s resale fuel cost adjustment going up a bit,” said AUB’s Wayne Scarbrough.

AUB does not yet know what will come from TVA for winter rates, but when they go into effect at the end of the year it is likely that the final rate will rise somewhat from the November level.

“It’s a fact that we won’t know what the December rate will be until mid-November, but to be safe I would count on it being somewhat more than these transition rates because the winter base rates from TVA that run December through March are higher,” Scarbrough said.

Wintertime brings colder temperatures, of course, and that means higher energy use for heating, so saving the money now to apply it in later months can pay off.

“Definitely, take advantage of this time of year when heating and cooling are at a low.  Save some money for the colder, more expensive winter season,” he said.

“For customers who heat with natural gas, we expect to see that commodity be particularly more than the last couple of winters, so it’s best to plan for that now, when utility bills level off somewhat,” he said.

About 83 cents of every dollar that AUB’s power division collects go to TVA for wholesale power.