EPUD Rate Updates

January 2010 Update:

EPUD Board Approves 2010 Budget

The EPUD Board of Directors recently approved the 2010 budget, which outlines EPUD's continued efforts to keep pace with rising costs at minimal impact to its Customer-Owners. Even with the use of $444,000 in cash reserves and nearly $650,000 in cuts to capital expenditures, labor, materials, and energy services, the 2010 budget still requires a rate increase to offset rising costs.  Exact details of the rate increase will be released after the EPUD Citizens Advisory Committee on Rates convenes in the spring.

“EPUD’s highest priority is to provide reliable, cost-effective service to our Customer-Owners,” said EPUD General Manager Frank Lambe. “The challenge remains that reliable service requires maintenance and upgrades, which cost more and more money as prices rise. The cost of power will also continue to rise, so while we strive constantly to tighten our belts and find the most cost-effective ways to operate, rate increases are still necessary to offset what we can’t compensate for internally.”

The proposed budget was reviewed by the EPUD Citizen Advisory Committee on Finance before being passed to the Board for a public hearing and then approval. “Recommendation for this budget included deferral of major capital expenditures into future years,” said Committee Chairman Robert Ball. “The only increases for 2010 are based on projected price increases and critical system improvements and maintenance.”

As a not-for-profit public power entity, EPUD provides power to its Customer-Owners at cost, and raises rates only when necessary to cover the cost of providing power to its District.

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April 2009 Update:

EPUD Board Approves Rate Increase

The EPUD Board of Directors approved a rate increase during the April 28 Board meeting. After review of multiple proposals by staff, the Citizen Advisory Committee, and the public, the Board adopted the average 6.4 percent increase effective for all bills issued on and after June 8, 2009.  The average 6.4 percent increase is split between a 5 percent energy charge increase and a flat $2.50 per month Basic Charge increase. The rate increase will cost the average EPUD residential Customer-Owner an additional $7 per month. (For Full Release, CLICK HERE)

For more information on the details of this rate increase dowload our RATE INCREASE FACT SHEET here.

CLICK HERE to see a copy of the new rates schedule effective June, 2009.

With additional questions and concers, please feel free to call our email our customer service line at 746-1583 or customerservice@epud.org.

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March 2009 Update:

Notice: Rate Increase Discussion

EPUD is moving forward with rate increase discussions proposed for 2009. The entire process is open for public comment and your participation is encouraged. Scheduled dates are as follows:

Rate Committee Meeting: Thursday, March 12 – 5:30-8:30
Rate Committee Meeting: Thursday, March 19 – 5:30-8:30
Board Meeting, Public Hearing: Tuesday, April 14 – 6:00

The Board will make its final decision at its April 28 meeting. If adopted, the average 5% rate increase will become effective June 8. (Not all rate classes will see the same percentage increase.) The increase is proposed to offset the rising cost of maintaining EPUD’s distribution facilities and the forecasted BPA
rate increase. As a nonprofit public power entity, EPUD provides power to our Customer-Owners at cost. We raise rates only when necessary to cover the cost of bringing you power.

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December 2008 Update:

The Rising Cost of Power

Residents of the Pacific Northwest have long enjoyed access to abundant, reliable, and relatively inexpensive power. According to the Energy Information Administration, electricity rates in Oregon today are roughly 50% lower than in states like New York or California. However, as the population of our region grows, so does the cost of providing power. New generating facilities, which are vital to producing additional power, cost 130% more to build today than they did in 2000. Yet the demand for electricity will continue to increase as much as 30% by 2030. Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is forecasting a 14% rate increase in 2009, to cover these new costs. Even with this rate increase however, BPA alone will no longer be able to meet the growing demands of our region as early as 2011.

So what does this mean to YOU?

As we can no longer depend on BPA to provide 100% of the power we need at-cost, EPUD will have to pursue additional, more expensive, resources to meet our load growth. We are currently developing local hydro resources on Dorena and Fall Creek reservoirs, and are purchasing power from the White Creek Wind Farm.As growth continues, we may also have to purchase market-priced power to meet customer demand. This, added to the rising cost of maintaining our District’s distribution facilities, and the forecasted BPA rate increase, has lead EPUD to propose a 5% rate increase in May 2009. As a non-profit public power entity, EPUD provides power to our customer-owners at-cost. We raise rates only when necessary to cover the cost of bringing you power. This proposal would cost the average EPUD customer-owner $5 more per month.

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November 2008 Update:

EPUD and the Economy

As the economy is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, we want to take this opportunity to discuss the financial state of EPUD. As it stands now, EPUD faces challenges on three fronts: the ability to access new long-term debt to finance our capital projects, lower sales due to economic downturn in local industries, and across-the-board price increases on everything from fuel to metal. EPUD’s operations are financially sound, but the inability to access credit strains our business operations and will hamper our ability to fund infrastructure and reliability improvements.

EPUD’s 2009 Budget is still under discussion, but we will consider suspension of capital projects, freeze or reduce consulting contracts, and cut or defer non-critical expenses, We are carefully considering our options and deciding how best to meet our customers’ needs at the lowest possible cost. Even with careful planning and consideration however, it is inevitable that the cost of providing power will increase in coming years. We will communicate early and often, to relay and address any upcoming changes.

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Questions or concerns? Please contact your Board Member or call us at 541-746-1583.