Electricity customers could see a slight reduction in their monthly bills if the State Corporation Commission approves a fuel charge adjustment requested by Dominion Virginia Power.
For a customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month, the fuel charge could be reduced by $4.35, or about 3.8 percent, per month, according to a news release.
The fuel charge makes up 20 percent of a customer’s bill and is calculated based on the actual cost of power station fuels like natural gas, coal, uranium and oil. Dominion is not allowed to make a profit from the fuel charge and any change to the rate must be approved by the SCC.
If approved, the change will go into effect July 1.
“At Dominion our goal is to operate at high levels of efficiency in order to keep bills low for our customers. We have done this, and the efficiency from our generating units, combined with the low cost of natural gas and the generally milder weather, has led to this positive announcement,” said Robert Blue, president of Dominion Virginia Power, in a statement.
Additionally, Dominion is looking to increase an average customer’s bill by 30 cents, or .3 percent, to benefit new and upgraded transmission infrastructure. This change would take effect Sept. 1, if approved.
Dominion is currently seeking a building permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a project that includes construction of a transmission line over the James River. According to a decision from the SCC last December, Dominion must bring that project online within 20 months of the Army Corps’ approval.
