Rate Increase
As the Owners of Elmhurst Mutual are our customers, we should all be proud that our power rates have remained among the lowest in the United States. In January of 2023, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported the average residential rate per kwh in the United States as 14.26 cents. The average residential rate per kwh in Washington State is 9.76 cents, a 5.5% increase over last year. Elmhurst Mutual was approximately 6.1 cents, far below the national and state average and below all nearby utilities.
The decision to adjust rates for 2023 wasn’t taken lightly. The Elmhurst Board voted on the rate adjustment during the monthly meeting on May 8, 2023.
“In 2022, the organization worked diligently to keep our costs low for our community, however inflation in the costs from our suppliers, coupled with scarcity of equipment and parts has increased the cost of doing business. As an organization, we are not for profit, but we must collect the funds to pay for the increases in these costs,” Bryan Bertacchi, General Manager, said. He added, “This moderate increase in our rates will help us keep up with the inflation that we continue to see in our community.”
After careful consideration, our Board has approved a modest increase of 5% overall in the rates, compared to much larger increases by our suppliers and other third party costs. By June 1, 2023, the typical average monthly bill will increase from $83 to $88. The Elmhurst website is updated to provide details of the increased rates.
The Board has also approved modest increases in Elmhurst fees:
- Membership Fee – $75
- New Account Fee – $25
- Transfer Fee – $20
- Return Check Fee – $35
- Late Fee – $15 or 10% of past due amount, whichever is greater
- Reconnect Fee (7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday) – $40
- Reconnect Fee (Monday through Thursday, after 5 p.m. and Friday through Sunday) – $200
- Meter Tampering Fee – Three times the kWh used, plus $500
These rates are also posted on our website.