DEMEC: Electric bills may fluctuate

SMYRNA — The Delaware Municipal Electric Corp. will soon pay $177 million to assure enough energy for customers, but the financial impact will vary among communities.

That’s according to the agency’s president and CEO Kimberly Schlichting, who said the bill reflecting regulatory market changes and rising energy prices will arrive from transmission source PJM Interconnection on June 1.

Neighborhoods in Dover, Clayton, Smyrna, Milford, Lewes, Middletown, Seaford, New Castle and Newark may feel the impact in some way, as DEMEC serves a population of over 90,000.

However, Ms. Schlichting said, not all areas will be affected equally, due to the varying financial situations of infrastructure projects.

“There may be different electric rates from community to community, other projects to fund or other things to allocate money for,” she explained.

Speaking generally, Ms. Schlichting said some residents may see a 3.3% or so rise in electric bills, while other areas may not see any increase.

She added that continuing to distribute power is a must, as is the reality of absorbing higher prices.

“As a public power provider, we fight to get the lowest electric rate we can, while making sure the grid is reliable because what good is the electric if it’s not reliable?” Ms. Schlichting said.

“You lose food in your refrigerator because it’s not functioning, and nobody wants to experience that.”

She realizes that there’s disappointment that comes with anticipated cost hikes.

“The point of my frustration is that I see this coming on June 1, and the consumer does know about it,” she said.

“By the time they get their bill for June, when it typically warms up, they might not have that opportunity in July to adjust their usage at the most extreme time of the year when they’re going to be using more electric than they typically do.”

In response, the corporation encourages participation in its Power Savers Program, which debuted in 2018. Residential and commercial customers have received $4.9 million from incentives since then, DEMEC reported.

With Power Savers, “on days that large increases in electric usage are expected, DEMEC will encourage people to voluntarily avoid activities that will increase their use,” the agency stated.

“Simple efforts like changing the thermostat 2-3 degrees, waiting to run the washer/dryer, and turning off unnecessary lights can help DEMEC avoid the extra kilowatts needed that day. This prevents a higher peak for all customers, saving electricity and money.”

For information, visit demecinc.net .