Questions about our 2006 rate increase

What is the residential rate schedule?
Has Coastal Electric changed any other fees?
When will the new rate take effect?
Does this rate affect all consumers?
How will this rate increase and fee change impact my residential monthly bill?
What is the general service rate schedule?
Didn't you have a rate increase two years ago?
Why is Coastal Electric increasing its customer charge?
Why is the cost of electricity rising?

What is the residential rate schedule? Want a pdf version.

COASTAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

RESIDENTIAL SERVICE

SCHEDULE RS-4

APPLICABILITY:

Applicable only to single-phase residential consumers, for all uses, subject to the Cooperative’s Service Rules and Regulations.

AVAILABILITY:

Throughout the Cooperative’s service area, in accordance with the Cooperative’s Service Rules and Regulations.

TYPE OF SERVICE:

Single-phase service, 60 hertz, at the following standard voltages:  120/240 or other voltages as might be mutually agreeable.

MONTHLY RATE:

              Customer Charge:                           @          $11.25     per month

              Energy Charge:                               @          $  0.0925 per kWh

MINIMUM MONTHLY BILL:

The minimum monthly bill shall be $20.00.

Whenever a consumer applies for reconnection of service at the same location within a fifteen-month period of the time the service was disconnected at the consumer’s request, a charge equal to the sum of the minimum monthly bills determined for the months that the service was disconnected will be billed to the consumer and must be paid by the consumer before reconnection of service is made.

WHOLESALE POWER COST ADJUSTMENT:

 The above rate shall be increased or decreased subject to the provisions of the Cooperative’s Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment schedule.

TERMS OF PAYMENT:

 The above charges are net, the gross being ten (10) percent higher.  In the event payment is not made within twenty (20) days from the date of the bill, the gross charges shall apply.

LOCAL TAX ADJUSTMENT:

The above rates are net of any applicable sales tax, excise tax, franchise, occupation, gross receipts or any other lawfully imposed tax, fee, charge or other imposition.

If any political subdivision of the state, or any taxing district collects such tax then, insofar as practicable, such payments shall be billed pro rata to the customer; provided, however, the foregoing shall not apply to ad valorem taxes.

When will the new rate take effect?
The new rate will be reflected beginning with the November bills.

How will this rate increase and fee change impact my monthly bill?

kWh usage - This is how many kWh you used in a billing period. A kilowatt-hour (kwh) is a measurement of electricity. One kwh runs a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours.

Energy charge - (.0925 x kWh)

Customer charge - $11.25

*Minimum bill applies in this case.

Total - Sum of energy charge, plus customer charge. It does not include any taxes or franchise fees, or any other ancillary services that may be applicable.

What is the General Service Rate Schedule? :  Want a pdf version.

GENERAL SERVICE

SCHEDULE GS-4

APPLICABILITY:

Applicable to all consumers, other than single-phase residential consumers, for all uses, subject to the Cooperative's Services Rules and Regulations.

AVAILABILITY:

Throughout the Cooperative's service area, in accordance with the Cooperative's Service Rules and Regulations.

TYPE OF SERVICE:

Single-phase or multi-phase service, 60 hertz, at the following standard voltages: 120/240, 120/208, 277/480 or other voltages as might be mutually agreeable.

MONTHLY RATE:

              Part A (Demand Customers)

              Customer Charge:

                                Single-Phase Service                              @          $12.50 per month

                                 Multi-Phase Service                               @          $17.50 per month

              Demand Charge:                                                       @          $  6.50  per kW

              Energy Charge:                                                         @          $  0.065 per kWh

              Part B (Non-Demand Customers)

              Customer Charge:

                            Single-Phase Service                                  @          $12.50 per month

                            Multi-Phase Service                                   @          $17.50 per month

              Energy Charge:

                            First        2,000 kWh                                  @  $ 0.10500  per kWh

                            Next       4,000 kWh                                  @  $ 0.0875  per kWh

                            All Over 6,000 kWh                                   @  $ 0.0825  per kWh

DETERMINATION OF RATE CLASSIFICATION:

Any consumer whose demand during the past twelve (12) months has exceeded twenty-five (25) kW will be billed under Part A of this rate. Those consumers whose demand has not exceeded twenty-five (25) kW during the past twelve (12) months, all churches, and community activity fields will be billed under Part B of this rate.

MINIMUM MONTHLY BILL:

The minimum monthly bill shall be $22.50 for single-phase service and $27.50 for multi-phase service, or such other minimum as may be specified in the contract for service between the consumer and the Cooperative.

Whenever a consumer applies for reconnection of service at the same location within a fifteen-month period of the time the service was disconnected at the consumer’s request, a charge equal to the sum of the minimum monthly bills determined for the months that the service was disconnected will be billed to the consumer and must be paid by the consumer before reconnection of service is made.

DETERMINATION OF DEMAND:

The billing demand shall be the maximum kilowatt demand established by the consumer for any period of thirty (30) consecutive minutes during the month for which the bill is rendered, as indicated or recorded by a demand meter and adjusted for power factor as provided hereafter, but in no event less than sixty (60) percent of the highest demand established in the preceding eleven (11) months.

POWER FACTOR ADJUSTMENT:

The consumer agrees to maintain a high power factor. Demand charges may be adjusted for all consumers with one hundred (100) KW or more of billing demand to correct for peak power factors lower than ninety (90) percent.

WHOLESALE POWER COST ADJUSTMENT:

The above rate shall be increased or decreased subject to the provisions of the Cooperative's Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment schedule.

TERMS OF PAYMENT:

The above charges are net, the gross being ten (10) percent higher. In the event payment is not made within twenty (20) days from the date of the bill, the gross charges shall apply.

LOCAL TAX ADJUSTMENT:

The above rates are net of any applicable sales tax, excise tax, franchise, occupation, gross receipts or any other lawfully imposed tax, fee, charge or other imposition.

If any political subdivision of the state, or any taxing district collects such tax then, insofar as practicable, such payments shall be billed pro rata to the customer; provided, however, the foregoing shall not apply to ad valorem taxes.

Has Coastal Electric changed any other fees?
Coastal Electric Cooperative has increased its customer charge to $11.25 per month, an additional $1.25. It has also increased its minimum monthly bill to $22.50 per month.

Why is Coastal Electric increasing its customer charge?
Coastal Electric Cooperative like other business is facing increased operating expenses - labor, postage, fuel, etc. We operate a very efficient operation, but these increases require us to raise our rates to maintain the level of service we provide.

Does this rate affect all consumers?
The rate increase will impact all rate classes of Coastal Electric Cooperative..

Didn't you have a rate increase two years ago?
Our members' bills did increase two years becauseof an increase in wholesale power costs. Coastal Electric Cooperative recovered the additional costs through a power cost adjustment. The new base rate rolls the power cost adjustment that we have been accessing into our rate.

Why is the cost of electricity rising?
Higher fuel costs - Fuel used to generate electricity (natural gas, coal, oil) is getting more expensive. Unfair trading practices by railroads can make the cost of shipping coal more expensive than the coal itself.

Rising demand - Economic growth in the U.S. and overseas ( e.g. China) has increased the demand for energy.

Regulations - Government regulations often require costly changes for compliance.

Will I still be assessed a power cost adjustment?
Coastal Electric Cooperative is rolling the power cost adjustment it has been charging into its new base rate.