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Higher power bills seen by December
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Posted on Nov 01 2006
Consumers are expected to get higher power bills this December due to an increase in the electric fuel charge for their November electricity use.
According to a Commonwealth Utilities Corp. announcement, the October fuel charge was $0.194 or 19.4 cents per kilowatt-hour; for this month the fuel charge is $0.206 or 20.6 cents per kWh. The increase is $0.012 or 1.2 cents per kWh.
The September fuel charge was $0.219 or 21.9 cents per kWh, while the August fuel charge was $0.215 or 21.5 cents per kWh.
Saipan Tribune repeatedly tried to reach CUC yesterday for an explanation about the increase, but no one was available to comment.
A CUC staff said that executive director Anthony C. Guerrero was in a meeting, while deputy director Patrick Deleon Guerrero and spokesperson Pamela Mathis are off-island.
The CUC’s announcement, however, stated that the November electric fuel rate includes under-recovered fuel costs for the month of August 2006.
The electric fuel rate of 21.5 cents per kWh in August 2006, as implemented, was insufficient to fully recover the cost of diesel fuel and lubricating oils consumed during the month.
“Part of the reason was the increase in the price of lubricating oils consumed during that month,” CUC said.
Using the November fuel rate under the rate scale, residential customers will be charged 22.2 cents for the first 500 kilowatt-hours; 27.2 cents for the next 500 kWh; 29.2 cents for the succeeding 1,000 kWh; and 33.3 cents for each kWh consumed in excess of 2,000 kWh.
Commercial customers are charged a flat monthly fee of $7.67. Under the November rate, they will be assessed 29.2 cents per kWh that they consume.
A flat monthly fee of $7.67 has been applied to government agencies. Their new power rate will be 29.7 cents per kWh.
Customers categorized as “non-conforming load” because of their erratic usage are assessed a flat fee of $56 monthly. The new rate will assess them 42.8 cents per kWh.
