Citing the rising cost of wholesale power, REA Energy Cooperative says electricity rates are going up as of January 1st. The increase is approximately 15 percent, meaning that for the average consumer using 950 kilowatt-hours per month, the bill will go up eighteen dollars.
Unlike other energy suppliers, REA is member-owned and not for profit, so it’s rare that the rate goes up. The cooperative actually began preparing its members for the increase with an announcement in its monthly publication PennLines, in November. President and CEO Chad Carrick wrote that wholesale costs for electric generation and transmission have increased “across the board”, including standard equipment such as vehicles, poles, and transformers, which are up nearly 400 percent.
REA Energy is one of fourteen electric cooperatives operating in Pennsylvania, with offices in Indiana and Ebensburg.
