PSC approves Georgia Power rate increase


TYPICAL MONTHLY BILL

Georgia Power’s “typical” bill rose in 2011 after a rate increase and fees related to construction. It then dipped due to falling fuel costs.

Year Monthly bill

2007 $ 89.48

2008 $ 99.63

2009 $ 102.62

2010 $ 102.62

2011 $ 122.35

2012 $ 122.28

2013 $ 117.20

Note: Based on usage of 1,000 kilowatt hours Source: Georgia Power

Georgia Power rate increases and decreases since 2010:

January 2011: $10.79, the first of a three-tiered rate increase, plus a $3.88 increase for a Plant Vogtle nuclear cost recovery fee

January 2012: 19-cent increase for energy-efficiency programs, 38-cent increase for Plant Vogtle recovery fee

April 2012: $2.46, second part of the three-tiered rate increase

June 2012: $7.93 drop, for lower fuel costs

January 2013: $1.82 drop, for lower fuel costs

January 2013: $1.05, third part of the three-tiered rate increase; 31-cent increase for energy-efficiency programs; 85-cent increase for Plant Vogtle

Note: Figures are amounts added or reduced on a typical monthly bill based on usage of 1,000 kilowatt hours.

Source: Georgia Power

CUSTOMER COSTS

The PSC has approved Georgia Power’s $873 million rate increase.

The increases are for a typical residential customer bill of 1,000 kilowatt hours a month.

2014: $110 million, or 1.4 percent. $2.19 a month for consumers.

2015: $186.8 million, or 2.1 percent, an additional $3.61 a month for consumers.

2016: $169.8 million, or 1.8 percent, an additional $2.96 for consumers.

Source: Georgia Power

Georgia Power customers, your bills are going up next year.

The Georgia Public Service Commission unanimously approved an $873 million rate hike for the state’s largest utility at a meeting Tuesday morning.

Residential consumers will pay an estimated $2.19 more in 2014.

That amount will increase another $3.61 in 2015 and another $2.96 in 2016.

The utility originally proposed a $1.46 billion rate hike for its 2.4 million residential and business customers. Georgia Power cut that amount by 40 percent after reaching an agreement with PSC staff, consumer advocates and others.

Georgia Power said in June it needed to boost bills to pay for pollution equipment on its coal-burning power plants, as well as to add transmission lines and install smart grid technologies.

As a regulated monopoly, Georgia Power is allowed to recoup its capital costs from consumers plus earn a set profit.