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GUC Decreases Gas Rates;
Continues to Absorb Electric Costs
September 11, 2009

Greenville Utilities is a not-for-profit, publicly-owned utility, and we purchase both natural gas and electricity to meet our customers' needs. The price our customers pay for natural gas and electricity is directly related to increases and decreases in GUC's costs.   

Gas
The price we pay for natural gas has decreased substantially over the past year, and GUC has passed all of those savings onto its customers. In the past 12 months, we have reduced natural gas rates by 44%, or about $38/month based on average residential usage.

All costs associated with increases or decreases in the commodity price of natural gas are normally passed along to customers on a dollar-for-dollar basis. In other words, we simply “track” the increases or decreases to our customers. 

Electric
We have also helped our customers avoid more than $4 million in increased electric costs over the past eight months. The price we pay for electric power increased 4%, effective February 1, 2009. Since that time, we have absorbed the entire increase at a total cost to GUC of over $4 million, about $500,000/month.

We are continuing to absorb a portion of the increase, and in accordance with our FY 2010 budget approved by our Board, part of the increase (2.8%) will be passed on to customers in October. The modest increase is strictly to recover part of our increased costs. GUC doesn’t keep any of the money. With the increase, a GUC customer using 1,000 kWh of electricity will pay an additional $3.38 - $3.67/month for electricity.

Even after the increase, GUC will continue to absorb $72,000/month or a total of $650,000 throughout the remainder of the current fiscal year (ending June 30, 2010). The total amount absorbed by GUC in FY 2009-10 will be $2.15 million.

Ways to Save
We encourage customers to actively pursue ways to lower their energy/water usage and costs. Most families/homes unknowingly waste 20% or more of their energy/water dollars each month. This occurs by unnecessary use of electric, water and gas. Here are some simple ways to reduce this waste which will in turn reduce your utility bill.

• Start with the biggest energy user in your home – heating and air conditioning. Lowering your thermostat setting by one degree in winter or raising the setting one degree in summer easily saves over $5.00 per month. Better yet, on a day-to-day basis turn your air conditioner off when the home is unoccupied. This can save half or more on your cooling costs. It does not cost more to re-cool the home when you return.
  
• If you are someone who does not change your furnace filters regularly, changing your filter monthly can yield an additional 10% to 20 % saving in heating and cooling costs.
  
• Lower the thermostat setting on your water heater to 115° or 120°. If it was set at 130° to 140° you can save $10.00 to $15.00 each month.
  
• Saving on hot water use (showering, bathing, clothes washing, etc.) can yield a triple savings on your utility bill. When you reduce your hot water use you save on the water bill itself, and you also save on the dollars it costs to heat that water and on top of all that, you save on the sewer costs.
  
• Take short 5 to 7 minute showers, wash clothes in cold water and check your home for water leaks. Take shorter showers. If you take 15-20 minute showers, try taking 8-10 minute showers. With a 3 person family this can save over $10.00 each month.

Our Energy Services Office provides a number of programs to assist customers in keeping utility bills as low as possible. Call Energy Services at 551-1525.

We also encourage customers to become a Beat-the-Peak volunteer. You can help us save power costs and receive an annual credit of up to $70 on your bill as a Beat-the-Peak participant. Please call 551-1583 for information or click here.