RP&L customers will save a few bucks

Richmond Power & Light customers will pay less for electricity during the year’s third quarter.

General Manager Tony Foster told the RP&L board, which is composed of Richmond Common Council members, during a June 3 meeting that the quarterly energy cost adjustment change will lower customer bills by 0.3284 of a cent per kilowatt-hour, which equates to $3.28 for 1,000 kilowatt-hours. The ECA adjusts for fluctuation in the price RP&L pays for electricity.

Foster said residential customers will pay an ECA rate of 1.5719 cents per kilowatt-hour during the third quarter, down from 1.9003 cents. 

The ECA decrease is the second among the past five quarters and puts the ECA rate lower than the third quarter last year, when it was 1.66608 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Board members unanimously approved the decrease.

Foster also shared that RP&L received a certificate for excellence in reliability from the American Public Power Association. The utility is one of five in Indiana and among 245 public power utilities nationwide to receive the designation, which is based on the average minutes a customer has been without service the past five years.

Equipment bids

Foster opened bids for a mini-excavator and trailer for the line department. The department has a 2012 model to offer in trade.

Bids for the mini-excavator after trade-in are $51,965 by New Holland Richmond, $52,327.27 by Bobcat of Anderson and $67,850 by MacAllister Machinery of Indianapolis. The lone trailer bid, which also includes a trade-in deduction, was $14,765 by Midway Trailers of Dayton, Ohio.

The bids were taken under advisement.

Safety video

RP&L is releasing a video that reminds customers to call 811 before digging on their property. The service allows utilities to mark underground lines before projects begin, avoiding potential harm to workers and liability claims against property owners.

The video was produced by Whitewater Community Television as part of a partnership.