LAHARPE — LaHarpe residents will pay a little less for their electric service starting this month.
City Council members approved a 5% cut Monday in the city’s fuel cost adjustment for electricity.
The cut was ordered during a special meeting with Darren Prince of the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency
The lower rates were made possible because LaHarpe is switching this year to KMEA for its wholesale energy supply, at a substantially lower rate, and saving the city as much as $100,000 annually.
Council members briefly debated how much of a decrease was warranted, noting that while the city’s electric system underwent a full upgrade in 2018, “they weren’t able to fix everything,” Councilman Danny Ware said.
Still, Mayor Mae Crowell noted customers have seen their bills skyrocket in recent years, with higher rates and meter fees.
“They deserve something.”
Prince urged the Council to look again at the revenues and expenses in about six months to determine if the rate should be adjusted further.
The rate cut does not automatically mean utility bills will drop by 5% accordingly, because the bills include other utilities, such as water, sewer and trash service.
