Extra Results in TVA Fuel Charge Decrease
SAVANNAH, Tenn. – A nice day after the rain brings people out to enjoy the outdoor life at Pickwick Dam. Although the rain can dampen the fun, there is a up side to it all. During the recent flooding rains, TVA customers were actually saving money. Pat Wilkinson has been visiting the Pickwick Dam ever since she has been a little girl and was shocked to find out that the dam plays such a big role in her electric bill. “I had never thought of that you know when the water gets up because they have to open the gates. I think about flooding, not my electric bills,” Wilkinson said. The majority of the rain from the Volunteer State flows into the Tennessee River which is lined with 49 dams, 29 of which are power saving dams. “The more hydro-power we have, the more water we have to produce the power, the greater we can open our hydro turbo out of the source,” said Chris Stanley, TVA Public Relations. So the more rain there is, the lower the company’s fuel costs which they pass to the customer. “So last year in August, it was 2.287 cent per kilowatts per hour. This August it’s 2.222 and it doesn’t sound like much but that’s really about a 3% difference,” explained Stanley. Which is only about 25 cents on the average monthly bill but TVA customers say they will take anything they can get. “Well anytime you can save 25 cents it turns into a dollar and a dollar turns into a 10,” says Joe Shepard, a TVA customer. “It can flood again. I know it’s bad for the crops but anytime you can save money on your electric bill that’s okay,” said Wilkinson.
