Burnet electric bills to increase
Keith McBurnett, assistant to the city manager, speaks at the Burnet City Council meeting on Aug. 27. Staff photo by Elizabeth De Los Santos
Electric bills are going up in Burnet. During its regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 27, the City Council revised the rate ordinance to cover the rising cost of delivering electricity to homes and businesses.
Burnet’s updated Purchased Power Cost Adjustment (PPCA) ordinance will use a new calculation method so the city can better account for lost power, which happens naturally in all electrical power systems due to inefficiencies.
“When (electricity) travels down the line, there’s resistance and some of the power is lost as heat,” said Keith McBurnett, assistant to the city manager. “This power loss has resulted in the city being unable to charge for all the electricity it buys, costing the city of Burnet approximately $357,000 annually.”
The new calculation method will adjust for lost power, which is approximately 6.23 percent. The council used the example of a household electric bill of $247.52 that would increase by $8.79, or 3.6 percent, using the new calculation.
“The main reason for the change is the fact that, previously, we were not taking into account lost power in our billing calculation and that resulted in a loss (to the city),” McBurnett said. “The lost power impacts the city in that we are not able to deliver and charge for the power that we actually buy. That’s money we can reinvest in electrical infrastructure to ensure we provide reliable utilities for citizens.”
Burnet electricity customers can review the full ordinance and other related documents on the city’s website under the Government: Agendas and Minutes section.