CHARLESTON, W.Va. – It’s now up to the state Public Service Commission to sign off on a rate decrease for Appalachian and Wheeling Power customers.
It’s all a part of the annual Expanded Net Energy Charge. PSC Consumer Advocate Byron Harris explained Wednesday what the agency looked for when reaching a number.
“It reflects the cost of fuel, primarily coal, that they’ve purchased, as well as power they’ve purchased from the wholesale market and revenues they get from selling it to wholesale market,” Harris said. “It’s a net of all of those factors.”
This year that adds up to $50 million surplus, meaning a rate drop for customers.
“An average residential customer will see the average monthly bill go down from the current level of $96.75 a month to $93.82 a month,” Harris said.
That $3 decrease per month is not the only decrease the PSC is considering.
“There are some other cases pending before the Public Service Commission that may allow for further reductions,” Harris said. “We just have to wait and see what happens with those.”
Those include the merger of Appalachian and Wheeling Powers, the securitization of past-due bills and the acquisition of the remaining portion of the John Amos Power Plant in Putnam County.
Harris said if all those come through, the news could be better for customers. But first the PSC has to sign off on them.
Harris hopes the PSC approves the Expanded Net Energy Charge by the end of the week. That would put the new decreased rate into effect starting Sept. 1.