Marietta Power strives to provide quality service and reliability while keeping utility costs down for customers. Unfortunately, there are times that adjustments are necessary in order to maintain and operate the utility system.
On January 14, Marietta City Council adopted recommendations of the Marietta Board of Lights and Water to increase electric rates for all Marietta Power customers. The rate increase, which takes effect February 1, 2009, is necessary to recover increases in the cost of power that Marietta purchases from its supplier, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia.
Marietta Power’s costs to purchase power from its supplier are projected to be $72.2 million, an increase of $11.2 million over 2008. Even with Marietta Power’s efforts to minimize the impact to customers by reducing operating expenses and deferring some capital investments by 4.2 million, Marietta Power determined that adjustments to electric rates are necessary to recover the remaining $ 7 million caused by the increase in costs Marietta pays for power
The change will result in an increase of $5.37, or 7.78 percent, to the monthly bill for the average residential customer who uses 850 kilowatt-hours per month. A customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours will see an increase of $6.32, or 7.96 percent. For customers using 2,000 kilowatt-hours per month, the increase will be $12.64, or 8.25 percent. Most commercial and industrial customers will receive increases ranging from 5 to 12 percent.
This is the first time Marietta Power has adjusted rates in five years, and even with the increases, Marietta Power’s rates are lower than area providers, including Georgia Power and Cobb EMC.
Marietta Power knows rate changes affect customers’ budgets and will continue working to keep the impact as little as possible.
For more information, call Marietta Power at 770-794-5100.
Residential Rate Increase
