According to the Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC), Calhoun ranked number three out of 95 electric companies within the state for 1,500 kilowatt hours (KWH) usage.
“It is good news for us, but we are just doing what we are suppose to,” said Larry Vickery, Director of Calhoun Utilities.
The surveys are done biannually during the summer in July and then the winter in Jan., according to the GPSC.
The electric providers’ are ranked by rates for 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 KWH, and according to GPSC, all electric providers in Georgia partake in the surveys.
City of Calhoun Utilities came in ninth for the 500 KWH ranking, sixth for the 1,000 KWH ranking and third in the 1,500 and the 2,000 KWH rankings.
According to Vickery, Calhoun City Utilities serves 5,200 families, and during the summer months 1,500 to 2,000 KWH is the average usage for its customers.
Rates are low, according to Vickery, not only due to the fiscal responsibility of the council, but also because the utilities are owned by the city, putting the resources, management and regulation right at the source of the consumer.
“By owning the utilities locally we have no purpose other than to serve the people we work with,” Vickery said. “The Mayor and Council have kept it as low as possible with low taxes in Calhoun, following strict budget plans and having high reliability in customer services.”
The electric department has been stable for about eight years, but fears of increases are always looming. Any change in federal regulations or the occurrence of natural disasters could cause the prices to elevate, according to Vickery.
In the 1,500 KWH ranking, North Georgia EMC ranked 11th, Dalton Utilities ranked 12th, Cartersville Electric System ranked 29th and Georgia Power came in 94th out of 95 electric suppliers in the state.
“We are one of the lowest cost power suppliers in Georgia after review of rates and services,” Vickery said. “It’s nice to have an outside party tell us that.”
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