The monthly light bill should get cheaper next month, but electric rates in Chattanooga will still be up 5.2 percent from a year ago in February.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is cutting its monthly fuel cost adjustment next month, although TVA spokesman Scott Brooks said bills may still go up with higher usage if the weather turns colder.
EPB in Chattanooga said the typical residential bill for a household using the average 1,295 kilowatthours next month will be $1.39 cheaper, or 1 percent, less than in January. A year ago, households using the same amount of power paid $133.46, or $6.94 less.
“The overall system average fuel rate is approximately 4 percent higher than the three-year average February fuel cost,” Brooks said. “This is primarily due to lower expectations for hydro generation resulting from the recent drought conditions.”
Hydroelectric power generation from TVA’s 29 power- generating dams produced about 18 percent more than was forecast in December. However, hydro power – TVA’s cheapest source of electricity – was still only 71 percent of normal because of below average rain last year.