(Spencer)– Customers of Spencer Municipal Utilities electric and cable t.v. services will see a modest rate increase between now and the end of the year.
SMU’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the increases at a meeting this (Wednesday) morning.
SMU Information Director Curtis Dean says most of their residential electric customers will see rates go up about eight percent…or three dollars a month. The increase is slightly less for business accounts and slightly higher than eight percent for large commercial customers.
Dean says SMU cable t.v. rates will increase about 25 cents a month for basic service and about $1.20 a month for expanded basic.
Dean says an increase in supply costs for hydroelectric power from WAPA, the Western Area Power Administration, is going up by about 17 percent January 1st. Dean says hydroelectric constitutes about 50 percent of SMU’s total electric supply.
Dean attributes the cable television rate increase onto increased programming costs from providers. He says many of those services have increased fees by atleast 50 percent in recent years. Dean says SMU had been absorbing the increases up until now, but he says they can no longer do that and the increases will be passed on to customers.
The increases take effect November 17th.
