(Estherville)– Estherville residents could soon be paying more for electricity.
The city council this (Mon.) evening will consider the proposed increase. City officials say it’s needed to keep up with an increase in rates from their supplier, Western Area Power Administration, or WAPA, and Basin Electric. It would be the first increase in rates in Estherville since 2017. City officials add the 15 percent increase that’s being proposed is still well below the consumer price index over the same nine-year period.
In addition to keeping up with increased costs of wholesale power, city officials say the additional revenue is also needed to improve distribution and generation systems.
If approved, the average residential customer in Estherville would see their electric bills increase by $11.89 per month, based on a usage of 611 kilowatt hours per month.
