City Of Crane Gives Electric Customers A Break In November Billing Cycle
December 6, 2018
Isaac Estes-Jones
Electric customers in the city of Crane received a surprise in their bills this week. After looking at finances and income, and understanding the impact that high electric bills over the summer may have had on families, the Mayor and Crane Boards of Aldermen and Public Works decided to give all residential electric customers a 50% reduction in their bill.
The city reduced the rate electric was billed at for just the month of November to 0.435 per kilowatt hour, rather than the usual 0.87. This one-time move is estimated to cost the city approximately $20,761.
According to Collin Brannan, Mayor of Crane, the idea came to him after looking at the overall financial health of the public works department and thinking about the impact that high electric bills over the summer may have had on city residents.
“June, July, August and September all set new peak demand records for the city as customers battled the heat,” says a letter included with the November electric statements mailed last week. “With each peak demand, our electric costs increased and you felt the pinch in your wallets,” it continues.
The letter goes on to explain in brief how electric rates are calculated, based on the overall demand for the city, leading to increased demand charges.
“My primary focus in city administration is, and will always be, in the financial health of the city,” Brannan said. “Each month I review the expenses, revenue and [costs] of the various projects we have going on in each department.
“Over the last few months, our electric department has maintained a healthy position. We have been able to provide exceptional service at a cost that is less than those outside the city,” Brannan continued.
When Brannan considered the state of the electric department and thought about the costs customers paid over the summer, he says he had the idea “to see what we could do to give a little back.”
The discussion was brought before the board of aldermen at the November 13 meeting. Mayor Brannan reports the board all wanted to go forward with issuing some sort of credit to customers.
After receiving board approval, Mayor Brannan worked with Eddie Bowling, the city utility clerk, to figure out the easiest way to issue reduce residential electric bills.
These discussions led to reducing the rate for the November billing period.
After working out the reduction, the Board of Public Works reportedly voted unanimously at the November 18 meeting to approve “a 50% reduction in usage rate for the city’s residential customers for the November billing period.”
“We do not anticipate this will be something we will be able to do again,” Brannan said, “but, for now, we are happy to do what we can” to reduce the financial stress of Crane electric customers.
This credit is a one-time only event that cannot be carried over or applied to any other bill.
“The city leaders have been extremely careful on how money is spent as well as how it is collected. This project was not about needing or wanting to reduce reserves, but was all about being able to provide an unexpected benefit to our residential customers,” Mayor Brannan said.
Isaac Estes-Jones
Electric customers in the city of Crane received a surprise in their bills this week. After looking at finances and income, and understanding the impact that high electric bills over the summer may have had on families, the Mayor and Crane Boards of Aldermen and Public Works decided to give all residential electric customers a 50% reduction in their bill.
The city reduced the rate electric was billed at for just the month of November to 0.435 per kilowatt hour, rather than the usual 0.87. This one-time move is estimated to cost the city approximately $20,761.
According to Collin Brannan, Mayor of Crane, the idea came to him after looking at the overall financial health of the public works department and thinking about the impact that high electric bills over the summer may have had on city residents.
“June, July, August and September all set new peak demand records for the city as customers battled the heat,” says a letter included with the November electric statements mailed last week. “With each peak demand, our electric costs increased and you felt the pinch in your wallets,” it continues.
The letter goes on to explain in brief how electric rates are calculated, based on the overall demand for the city, leading to increased demand charges.
“My primary focus in city administration is, and will always be, in the financial health of the city,” Brannan said. “Each month I review the expenses, revenue and [costs] of the various projects we have going on in each department.
“Over the last few months, our electric department has maintained a healthy position. We have been able to provide exceptional service at a cost that is less than those outside the city,” Brannan continued.
When Brannan considered the state of the electric department and thought about the costs customers paid over the summer, he says he had the idea “to see what we could do to give a little back.”
The discussion was brought before the board of aldermen at the November 13 meeting. Mayor Brannan reports the board all wanted to go forward with issuing some sort of credit to customers.
After receiving board approval, Mayor Brannan worked with Eddie Bowling, the city utility clerk, to figure out the easiest way to issue reduce residential electric bills.
These discussions led to reducing the rate for the November billing period.
After working out the reduction, the Board of Public Works reportedly voted unanimously at the November 18 meeting to approve “a 50% reduction in usage rate for the city’s residential customers for the November billing period.”
“We do not anticipate this will be something we will be able to do again,” Brannan said, “but, for now, we are happy to do what we can” to reduce the financial stress of Crane electric customers.
This credit is a one-time only event that cannot be carried over or applied to any other bill.
“The city leaders have been extremely careful on how money is spent as well as how it is collected. This project was not about needing or wanting to reduce reserves, but was all about being able to provide an unexpected benefit to our residential customers,” Mayor Brannan said.