LEWES, Del.- The Lewes Board of Public Works announced an electric rate increase starting in June this year for both people living in the town and businesses.
Commodity rates in Lewes will increase 10.14 percent says the BPW. Calculations on the website show an average residential customer can expect an approximate $11 per month increase. Commercial customers will see about a $28 per month increase, while industrial users will see an approximate $700 increase.
The Lewes BPW says the state and federal energy policies aimed towards a transition to cleaner energy have led to increased costs. All electric customers on the Delmarva peninsula will share a cost of about $177 million over a 12-month period.
"When customers pay their electric bill, they’re not just paying for the electricity itself. They also pay for the amount of electricity available and for the costs to get the energy from where it’s made to where it’s used. Unfortunately, prices are continuing to rise, including parts of a customer’s electric that the BPW does not decide." says Lewes BPW's website.
The entity emphasizes that while they are a member of the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation, local utilities do not have the final decision when it comes to rules, regulations, and charges imposed at these levels.
Lewes BPW encourages users to visit their resource page for ways to save on electric usage.
In Feb., other cities like Milford saw an electric increase. Milfordians began paying a 4.8 percent increase in the Power Cost Adjustment.