Local Power Rates Edge Up In December On Seasonal Base Change

Media Contact:

Wayne Scarbrough

(423) 745-4501 ext. 6002

wscarbrough@aub.org

November 19, 2018

ATHENS, Tenn. – Local electric power rates will move up in December as we move from the “transition” base rate period into the first of four winter rate months.

The AUB residential power rate for December will be $0.09169 per kilowatt hour compared to November’s rate of $0.08938.  As a result, the average household using about 1,200 kilowatt hours of energy will pay about $2.70 more versus last month.

TVA’s rate scheme has four seasonal rate periods. The winter period runs December through March. The base rate of $0.07123 cents per kilowatt hour will be the same each of those months.

“As residential consumers, the two remaining factors in the amount of our energy bill are the TVA monthly fuel charge and how much energy we use as it gets colder,” said AUB’s Wayne Scarbrough.

TVA adds a monthly fuel charge to the base rate to determine the full retail rate per unit.  For December the residential fuel charge is $0.02046 per kilowatt hour.

“TVA’s forecast is for slightly lower monthly fuel charges going forward through the winter.  If that holds true, that’s a positive for all of us as the cold takes hold and our heating units run more hours a day to keep up,” Scarbrough said.

“In winter we all are above that average energy use mark in our homes regardless of what heating source we use, so winter energy expenses will be higher than what we’ve had in the past couple of months,” he said.

AUB advises customers to plan now on ways to keep their warm air inside and cold air out.  Simple steps include adding insulation to attics and crawl spaces, weather stripping around doors and windows, and setting the thermostat on 68 or 70.

AUB also recommends that you change your system’s air filters monthly and have your HVAC unit tuned up by a local professional annually.

“A well-tuned unit with clean filters will run more efficiently and will use less energy correspondingly, lowering your AUB bill as a result,” Scarbrough said.

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