What inflation? Turlock-area power customers get a little break on monthly bills
Electricity customers of the Turlock Irrigation District will get a modest break on their bills, thanks to an easing of wholesale power costs.
This will shave 1 cent off the cost per kilowatt-hour starting Saturday, June 1, and running at least through November.
A household will save $8.05 on average monthly consumption of 805 kilowatt-hours. It will be a $12 savings if the home uses 1,200 kilowatts a month during air-conditioning season.
A news release said the change resulted from the TID staff’s semiannual review of the cost of generating electricity. This mainly involves natural gas, which is affected by global supply and demand.
The Power Supply Adjustment can range from a 1 cent increase per kilowatt-hour to a half-cent credit on customer bills. It was adopted by the district board in 2005.
TID has charged an extra half-cent since December 2022. At the time, the gas market was roiled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other factors.
The latest adjustment is to a half-cent credit, for a total swing of 1 cent. This will be applied to base rates that range from 10.7 cents per kilowatt-hour for low-volume customers to 14.36 cents at the highest tier. The base rates have not changed since 2015.
TID serves parts of two counties
TID supplies about 240,000 people in an area from south Modesto to north Merced County and from the La Grange area to the hills west of Patterson. Along with gas, it taps hydroelectric, wind, solar and nuclear sources from around the West. The rates also cover payroll, maintenance, debt repayment and other expenses.
The neighboring Modesto Irrigation District also is a power utility with a substantial gas expense. It does not adjust its bills like TID, but that will change in 2025, with small monthly charges or credits. This was part of a rate increase approved last November.
TID and MID both remain cheaper than Pacific Gas & Electric Co. That utility serves the rest of Stanislaus County and most other parts of Northern California.
This story was originally published May 31, 2024 at 6:30 AM.
