HOPKINSVILLE ELECTRIC SYSTEM GENERAL MANAGER AUSTIN CARROLL SAYS DUE TO UNUSUALLY COLD TEMPERATURES LAST MONTH RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WILL SEE A HIGHER ELECTRIC BILL.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT RESIDENTIAL RATES ARE SEVENTEEN PERCENT LOWER THAN LAST YEAR, CARROLL SAYS FORTY-ONE PERCENT MORE HEATING WAS REQUIRED IN JANUARY.
HOW MUCH HIGHER BILLS WILL CLIMB IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT BASED ON A NUMBER OF VARIABLES, ACCORDING TO CARROLL, WHO NOTES HES PURCHASED OVER 4.6 MILLION MORE KILOWATTS PER HOUR FROM T.V.A. IN JANUARY OVER DECEMBER. BASED ON THEIR EARLIER BILLING CYCLES, HE SAYS RETAIL BILLS HAVE INCREASED AN AVERAGE OF APPROXIMATELY TWENTY PERCENT DUE TO HIGHER USAGE. HOWEVER, HE ADDS SOME RESIDENTIAL BILLS COULD BE FIFTY PERCENT OR DOUBLE LAST MONTH DEPENDING ON INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
CARROLL STATES THAT HES WOULD WORK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME PAYING THE HIGHER BILLS. HOWEVER, HE NOTES HES IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND 82 CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR HES COLLECTS GOES TO TVA FOR THE WHOLESALE POWER BILL WHICH HAS TO PAID AT THE END OF EVERY MONTH. THUS, CARROLL SAYS HES IS LIMITED IN WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR CUSTOMER BILLS ALREADY DUE.
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