JANUARY POWER RATE EDGES UP COMPARED TO DECEMBER

Although Athens Utilities Board’s (AUB) power rate will be exactly the same in January compared to the current December rate, TVA will be charging a bit more on its fuel cost adjustment, causing the overall rate kicking off 2023 to climb somewhat.

AUB’s portion of the rate for the month is $0.07244, the same as December, and will be at that level through March 2023 during the “winter” rate season.

However, TVA is raising its portion of the rate from $0.02796 up to $0.03039.

This will result in a power rate of $0.10283 for the month of January.

“It’s was good to see TVA lower their fuel cost this month, but they are edging up once again to start 2023.  We at AUB continue to push them to keep their overall costs lower so that their fuel cost doesn’t affect our customers as much,” said AUB’s Wayne Scarbrough.

“AUB’s rate is unchanged for the month, and it will stay right where it is through the month of March,” he added.

“Higher natural gas costs figuring in to TVA’s fuel charge to us has affected our end rates pretty dramatically, keeping them above 10 cents,” Scarbrough said.

“We are urging TVA to keep their other costs in control just as much as local power distributors do,” he said.

TVA recently announced $161 million in year-end bonuses.

AUB’s power rate has increased less than eight percent in the past 25 years.   However, TVA has increased its rate by more than 62-percent in fewer than 20 years.

“Those are the facts, and they say a lot.   We at AUB have gone up less than eight percent in a quarter century against TVA’s increase of well more than 60 percent in less time.  Those facts weigh heavily on us and we hope are weighing in the minds of TVA management as well,” Scarbrough said.

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