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December 10, 2008 City OKs third rate-setting date VINELAND -- Thanks to City Council's approval Tuesday, the city's electric utility customers will see lower bills after Jan. 1. The council approved the addition of Jan. 1 as a third date for the Vine-land Municipal Electric Utility to adjust fuel fees. Previously, utility officials could only make changes to the fuel ad-justment rate on June 1 and Oct. 1. "I'm happy to be able to participate to move this forward so there can be a more timely adjustment," Councilman Louis Cresci said Tuesday. Another date enables utility officials to get rates in line with the current wholesale power and fuel market more often, VMEU Director Joseph Isabella said last week. Instead of waiting until June 1 for a change, the utility can now lower rate-payers' bills starting Jan. 1, 2009. After Jan. 1, an average ratepayer using 1,500 kilowatt-hours per month would see a rate reduction of 4.7 percent for an annual savings of roughly $135, Isabella said. That rate-payer currently pays $216.87 per month, but would pay $205.62 next year. City resident Bob Rob-ertson told the council that, while he applauds the motion, he doesn't think a 5 percent rate reduction is nearly e-nough, especially since he noted a 72 percent decrease in fuel costs since the summer. "The fuel adjustment should go down dramatically," he said. Council said his comments would be repeated to utility officials. City Councilman Doug Albrecht, who serves as liaison between City Hall and the utility, said the ordinance was a good sign city officials do listen to their residents. He said adding a date will help the utility keep in line with volatile fuel costs. "This is the greatest decrease he's seen in a long time," Albrecht said of Isabella. "It's good to take advantage of that."
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