Members of Jacksonville’s municipal energy aggregate program will see a 1-cent increase in their electric rates starting in June.<\/p>\n
Homefield Energy announced April 6 that it would raise its fixed electricity rate to 13.19 cents per kilowatt hour. The new rate will go into effect June 1 and run through May 31, 2027.<\/p>\n
According to U.S. Energy Information Administration<\/a>, the average U.S. residential electric customer uses an average of about 899 kilowatt hours. Under the new rate, Jacksonville customers using that much power could see a monthly bill of around $118.57.<\/p>\n The city previously signed a one-year contract at a rate of 12.04 cents per kilowatt hour after working with consultant Good Energy.<\/p>\n Jacksonville residents approved the creation of the program in March 2012. City Clerk Angela\u00a0Salyer said the idea behind the program was for customers to have a single rate for an entire year. When purchasing power directly from suppliers, the suppliers can raise or lower the rates “pretty much any time they want to,” she said.<\/p>\n “Locking in your rate, really, is the benefit of this program,” she said.<\/p>\n Ameren Illinois’ non-summer rate, which applies until May 31, is 8.769 cents for up to to 800 kilowatt hours and 7.85 for every kilowatt hour over 800, according to Plug In Illinois<\/a>.<\/p>\n