energy costs in Wyoming? (Gillette, Cody: coop, credit, water heater)

[Mr_Dove]

I read somewhere that electricity was cheap in Wyoming due to there being alot of production there. Is that really the case? What does your power run there?

What about other energy sources?

[sunsprit]

Electricity ... depends upon your service provider. In town municipal services are less expensive than the rural service.

We pay 12 - 14 cents per KWH for the consumption charges, but there's a demand charge for providing the service. My 12 cent/KWH three phase has a $500 monthly charge incurred after the 16th minute of use in a billing month. It's not unusual to have a $650 bill where we only consumed $150 of electricity, although irrigation months can be $1,500/month average. Our typical household monthly bill runs around $80 in the summer months, but reaches $200-250/month in the winters when we're running stock tank water heaters, more lighting per day.

I mention rural charges because you've indicated that you want to be on acreage, which is more likely to not be on a municipal service.

[Happy in Wyoming]

According to my last bill I paid .09 per kwh. The rate was incomprehensible but that's what I got by dividing the charge by kwh. I do live in a rural area, rural enough that I pay distance charges on my telephone service. Rocky Mountain Power provides my electric service. It's single phase. There is no surcharge.

[tigergal]

In Cody, we're paying .088 per kwh, in addition to the $14 base rate.

[paintersspouse]

The rates in Star Valley. Though they are about to go up a bit.

R-1 Farm and Residential Service
Service Charge: $15.00 per month
Energy Charge per KWH: $0.05063

C-1 Small Commercial
Service Charge: $15.00 per month.
Energy Charge per KWH: $0.05321

C-2 Large Power Service
All KW Demand: $6.74
Energy Charge per KWH: $0.03402

I-1 Small Irrigation Service
Service Charge: $15.00 per month.
Energy Charge per KWH: $0.05320

I-3 Small Irrigation Optional
Energy Charge per KWH: $0.056 (No Service Charge)

I-2 Large Irrigation Service
All KW Demand: $6.74
Energy Charge per KWH: $0.03402

L-1 Street and Yard Light Service
100W Sodium Vapor: $8.12
175W Sodium Vapor: $9.67
200W Sodium Vapor: $12.44
250W Sodium Vapor: $13.47
400W Sodium Vapor: $16.58

[sunsprit]

The rates fluctuate wildly, apparently.

Wish I was paying only what the folk in Star Valley are paying ... I haven't seen that low a demand charge from HiWest Energy in almost a decade.

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

The rates fluctuate wildly, apparently.

Wish I was paying only what the folk in Star Valley are paying ... I haven't seen that low a demand charge from HiWest Energy in almost a decade.

but we got 5 meters on the ranch so thats $75 before the meter even starts.....

[WyoNewk]

Without rummaging through my invoices for the latest, I have an electric bill here from this past January. As far as I know rates haven't gone up. Looks like in Gillette we're paying $.0725/KWH plus a base charge of $16. That came to a total of $78 for 855 KWH -- $.0912 with the base charge in this case. The city bought an interest in one of the power plants just outside of town, so that helps keep our rates reasonable.

[Poletop]

This may help answer the question..

http://psc.state.wy.us/htdocs/dwnload/Ratecompweb.pdf

[sunsprit]

Poletop ... what a great reference. I knew we were paying top dollar here in SE Wyoming with High West Energy compared to the rest of the state, but I had no reference that we were at the top.
Now I know where the "high" comes from in the COOP name. I've got capital credits with them in the $10,000 range, but they don't retire the debt until you leave their service ... and only then, they make payments on it when they make an annual distribution.