During the November 20 meeting, the Alexandria Board of Public Utilities approved a 5% overall increase to electric rates and a 9% increase to water rates for 2024. The increase is necessary to cover the rising cost of purchased power, distribution equipment and capital infrastructure projects.
Residential electric customers will see their monthly facilities charge increase by $1 from $20 to $21, with the energy charge from October to June being $0.083/kWh and $0.103/kWh from July to September. An average ALP residential customer, utilizing 750 kWh, will see a monthly increase of $4.07 on their bill.
Large commercial electric customers will see a $5 increase in the monthly facilities charge from $55 to $60 with the energy charge remaining the same at $0.04/kWh. Meanwhile, demand rates for July through September will increase from $19.15/kVa to $20.65/kVa and from $13.80/kVa to $15.05/kVa for the months of October through June.
The water rate change affects monthly facilities and usage charges for both residential and commercial customers. The increase is necessary to recover operating cost increases, maintain existing infrastructure and serve the needs of the growing community. Significant infrastructure expenditures include water main replacements done in conjunction with street improvement projects and construction of a new water tower due to growing demand. A typical residential water customer with a 3/4″ meter using 4,000 gallons of water will see an average increase of $2.41 per month.
As a community-owned and operated utility, ALP regularly reviews its rates with its local governing board to reflect the costs of providing reliable and quality service to its customers. We strive to operate efficiently and control costs to keep our electric rates among the lowest in the region.
Looking forward to the New Year, ALP will continue to embrace new technologies and put best practices in place to improve the communities we serve through excellence. Complete listing of 2024 utility rates.