DO YOUR BEST TO STAY COOL DURING HOT SUMMER DAYS

Everyone knows that fuel costs have been soaring.  The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which generates a portion of the region’s power using natural gas, is experiencing record-breaking costs in this area.

“It is key to keep in mind that Athens Utilities Board has not raised your power rate.  The AUB rate for July is exactly what it was in June, at $0.07412 per kilowatt hour.  In fact, it will be identical in August and September as well,” said AUB’s Wayne Scarbrough.

What is causing the increase in power costs? TVA’s fuel charge.

One year ago, the TVA charge was at $0.02001.  In July of this year, it is $0.04031, or about twice the cost.   When added to AUB’s base rate, the full cost of a kilowatt hour of electricity is $0.11443.

AUB saw an approximate 10% increase from TVA from June 2022 to July 2022 in the fuel cost adjustment charge for both residential and commercial customers.

The war in Ukraine plays a key role.  Experts say that European countries are looking to natural gas supplied by the United States and other countries to reduce or eliminate their reliance on Russia’s natural gas.  This decreases the natural gas supply here in the U.S. and drives the price higher.

AUB customers also are having to crank up their air conditioners due to the record temperatures that are forecast on into July.

“Some customers don’t want to raise their air conditioning temperature but choose to keep their homes at 68-degrees, for instance.  We understand that is completely up to them.   But some of our customers want to keep their monthly charges down, so we do have a few tips to offer,” Scarbrough said.

Customers who want to keep their power bills in check are encouraged to make slight changes to their thermostats and home environments during the summer, when people are using more electricity to cool their homes.  

There are several ways customers can take simple actions around the home to reduce their use:  

• Turn up your thermostat to 75 to 78 degrees.  Sixty-nine degrees feels great, but it will result in considerably more energy use and a notably higher cooling bill.
• Use curtains, awnings, or other coverings for windows to reduce solar heat gain from the sun.
• During the hot parts of the day (generally 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.), avoid using the oven.  If you’re making food, try using the microwave instead.  
• Use weather stripping on doors and windows to preserve cooled air and keep it inside the house.
• Ceiling fans can help circulate cooled air throughout the house.

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