Utility rates going up in Brainerd
Increases set at 5% for water 5% for wastewater and 2% for electricity
Brainerd utility rates will increase this year.
With the Brainerd Public Utilities bills in February, customers will see rate increases of 5 percent for water, 5 percent for wastewater treatment and 2 percent for electricity.
The last rate increase for electricity was in 1992. The water and wastewater treatment rates were last raised in 1999.
Utilities commission secretary Gary Johnson said the increases were needed to keep up with costs.
"Every year cost of everything goes up -- our supplies, our power, the cost of labor. It's been too many years (since a rate increase) and we had to do a slight catch-up," said Johnson. "We're no different than a retailer, and it's a small increase compared to cost-of-living increases."
Residential electric customers will see a 7-cent increase in the basic monthly service charge, and a tenth of a cent for every kilowatt hour used thereafter. The total electric charge increase will be 82 cents for a family consuming 750 kilowatt hours of electricity.
Small commercial electric customers will see a 7-cent increase in the basic monthly service charge, and an additional twelfth of a cent for every kilowatt hour used thereafter. The total electric charge increases will be $3.07 for a business using 2,500 kilowatt hours of electricity per month.
Residential water customers will get a 36-cent increase in the basic monthly service charge, which includes 2,000 gallons of water, and an additional 8 cents for every additional 1,000 gallons of water used. The total water charge increase will be 60 cents for a family using 5,000 gallons of water per month.
Residential wastewater treatment charges will increase by 9 cents for every 1,000 gallons of water used. The total wastewater treatment charge increase will be 45 cents for a family using 5,000 gallons of water per month.
Commercial operations with a 1-inch meter will see a 94-cent increase in the basic monthly service charge, which includes 10,000 gallons of water, and an additional 8 cents for every 1,000 gallons of water used thereafter. The total wastewater charge increase will be $1.34 for a commercial operation with a 1-inch meter consuming 15,000 gallons per month.
Commercial operations with other meter sizes will see a 9-cent increase in wastewater treatment charges for every 1,000 gallons of water used. The total waste treatment charge increase will be $1.35 for a commercial operation using 15,000 gallons of water per month.