Council approves changes for utilities rates

City Council approved changes to the city's water and electric rates and utility billing structure in September.

General Manager of Utilities Jim Briggs said the changes were not made to generate more revenue but to fix a problem with the rate structure that left the city dependent on revenue based on the variable or consumption-related charges.

"We needed to correct some of the structural issues associated with our rates," Briggs said. "[We are] moving fixed costs more into the base charge so costs won't have to be dependent on consumption revenue."

Briggs said the move would also help the utilities manage costs while encouraging conservation.

"There are certain folks within the [lower] rate classes that have been subsidized [by the higher rate classes] because of the rate structure that was built," Briggs told the council. "That will get corrected with this proposal."

The average Georgetown residential customer uses about 1,300 kwh per month.