In April, you will see a difference in your electric bill. As costs are rising around us, it has become necessary for South River EMC to implement a change of rates.

There are several factors driving the change to include:

• Increases in all aspects of business, including materials.
• Growing need for more facilities at a higher cost.
• Tightening government regulations.
• Increased interest rates.

The changes will be primarily in the Grid Access charge. The Grid Access charge is a monthly fee that helps cover the cost of maintaining our electric utility system so we can deliver power to you whenever you need it. This includes the cost of transformers, power lines, poles, substations, loans, insurance, buildings, trucks, preparing and mailing bills, etc. The cost to operate and maintain our system exists even if no electricity is used – we must keep our system updated and energy available whenever it’s needed.

South River EMC engages the service of a third-party firm to perform a cost-of-service study. It encompasses all facets of our business and identifies the cost of providing service to each member, by rate category. This information is used as a guide to ensure each category is covering the cost of providing electric service to that group of member accounts sufficiently. It is a useful tool to determine if rates are in line with the cost of service, or how much of a change is needed. Rates are carefully crafted to ensure we recover our costs and maintain the financial stability of the co-op.

Grid Access Changes