As we ring in the new year for 2013, we'll also ring in some new prices on our electric bill.
NPPD has confirmed that a 3.75 percent rate increase will take place beginning January of 2013. It's an increase that comes due to NPPD operating to cost of service.
"[We ask ourselves] what does it cost to operate our facility, our transmission line, our equipment trucks, vehicles...stuff like that across the district. We use that to determine what we need in revenue to cover those cost," said Mark Becker, NPPD's media relations specialist.
Those who pay the bills are not the only ones who will need to adjust to make ends meet. Officials at NPPD will too.
"Now, NPPD has done a lot of things to reduce the rate increase this year. We've eliminated about 15 million of our 2012 budget to help reduce that cost," said Becker.
The last rate increase was in January of 2012 due to fuel price, and the transportation costs for that fuel. In 2013, there will be various reasons as to why the rates are increasing.
"The rate increase will be applied to our debt payments. We've invested in about 1 billion dollars in the last five years," said Becker.
