Leesburg electric customers will see slightly higher power bills this fall

LEESBURG – Citing recently rising fuel costs, the city of Leesburg will be modestly increasing the Bulk Power Cost Adjustment (BPCA) by one cent per kilowatt hour effective Oct. 1.

To minimize the overall impact on monthly electric charges, the increased bill from the city-run utility will coincide with the fall and winter months — when energy consumption decreases.

City Manager Al Minner showed a chart detailing the city's balance from the start of the fiscal year — $3 million — at the Aug. 26 city commission meeting .

In the past, the electric fund couldn't sustain any decrease, Minner added. Last year, however, Leesburg utility customers saw a slight reduction in power costs .

When the power costs $3 million or more, the city dips into the electric fund general reserve, the city manager explained.

A shift in financial sourcing, in turn, results in costs that need to be recovered.

Minner said that the cyclical nature of power use increasing and decreasing during colder and warmer months should offset what the city isn't getting back from power customers. by charging one cent instead of two cents per kilowatt hour.

Recent power news Leesburg Electric Advisory Board plugs into teacher discount and other fee-related topics

A penny per kilowatt hour translates to around $10 per 1,000 kilowatt hours. In general, a typical 3-bedroom American home may use on average between 900 and 2,500 kilowatt hours of electricity per month during the summer.

The Leesburg utility ranks ninth in the state when it comes to rates among the 35 municipalities that run their own power, putting Leesburg in the average range of municipalities listed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs .

"We're still significantly cheaper than Duke ... and we're still about hand in hand with SECO and Mount Dora, "Minner said.

"Statewide, (Leesburg Electric) has the most competitive rate right now."

The Leesburg Electric Advisory Board meets the 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 16. You can tune in live to Leesburg meetings on LakeFront TV's YouTube channel , Xfinity channel 22, CenturyLink ch. 21 (HD, 1021) or Spectrum ch. 497.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Leesburg electric customers will see slightly higher power bills this fall