Georgia Power Wants Rate Increase

Customers of Georgia Power, take note. The company is requesting a rate increase.

According to the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) website, the utility that serves many residential customers in Gwinnett County wants to charge higher rates beginning Jan. 1, 2014.

And the public will have a chance soon to speak on the proposed increase. A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m. The hearing will be at 244 Washington Street SW in Atlanta. The PSC will hear from additional public "witnesses" beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Georgia Power is requesting an increase that would mean about a $4.55 monthly increase for the average residential customer that uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month. This request would allow Georgia Power to apply for future increases.

An alternate request would mean about a $7.84 monthly increase for the average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month. This request would be for the years 2014-16, according to a Georgia Power spokesperson Friday (Sept. 27).

Spokesperson John Kraft said the request for an increase is "primarily to recover the costs of investments in infrastructure like environmental controls on power plants, transmission and distribution power lines and smart grid technologies to maintain high levels of reliability and customer service that our customers deserve and expect."

Georgia Power's rates last were increased in December 2010, the PSC statement said.

The commission is scheduled to rule on the latest request on Dec. 17.

-- Are you a Georgia Power customer? How would this rate increase affect you? Tell us in the comments below.