Sawnee EMC to reduce rates for second time this year

CUMMING - Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation announced Monday that customer rates will drop for the second time this year.

The Corporation's Board of Directors recently approved a reduction in the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA) factor, a component in Rate Schedule "R" by which the majority of Sawnee's electric bills are calculated.

The move will lower the electricity rates for approximately 133,000 Sawnee members for the remainder of 2012, which includes energy bills processed in November and December. It is estimated that this reduction, in total, will save Sawnee members over $2.3 million dollars in lower energy bills over the two-month period.

"This is very good news and provides a much needed break for our members; especially after this past summer when so many people had higher than expected energy usage. Not to mention the fact that so many of our members continue to struggle financially," said Blake House, Vice President of Member Services.

In May of 2012, the Board of Directors approved a reduction in the WPCA factor of about $5.75 per month for the typical residential consumer who uses 1,500 kWh per month. This most recent rate change, which went into effect on October 31, 2012, will further reduce the energy bills that Sawnee EMC members receive in November and December by approximately $9.50 per 1,500 kWh used.

The total effect of these two WPCA rate reductions is a function of a person's actual energy usage, according to company officials; those members who use more electricity will see bigger savings, while those that use less energy, will see less savings.

Sawnee EMC, which is headquartered in Cumming, serves seven counties in the north Georgia area.