THE WIDE RANGE IN UTILITY RATES
The Wide Range in Utility Rates [AN EDITORIAL] TTOUSEWlVES and businessmen in Wisconsin communities served by publicly owned utilities pay substantially lower electric bills every month than their...
...3.25 4.10 Elkhorn...
...These rates, along with the still lower rates of Manitowoc, stand along those of Stevens Point and Oshkosh, served Dy the Wisconsin Public Service Corp., ol $17.94 and $30.75 for 375 kwh and 7oU kwh: those of Eau Claire and Lacrosse, served by the Northern States Power Co., of $18.63 and $33.25...
...4.23 Seymour...
...EXAMINATION* of the federal power commission's survey of commercial light bills in Wisconsin communities also illustrates that commercial users or electricity in cities and villages served by publicly owned utilities pay less for electric service than businessmen in privately served communities of comparable size...
...Yet the householder in Mayville and Tomah, cities the same size as Columbus and privately served by the very same private power company, have to pay monthly bills of $4.90, or $1.90 more, for the same amount of current...
...Residential users in Sauk City, a municipally served community comparable in size to Adam.s, pay $3.25 for 100 kwh, or $2.05 a month less...
...Po...
...Atkinson Wis Gas & Elec...
...3.35 Menomonee F; ills 4.10 Sun Prairie 3.38 4.12 Montreal...
...Serv...
...While the Columbus municipal plant bought its electric current from the Wisconsin Power and Light Co., sold it to its customers in the amount of 100 kwh a month for $1.90 less than the power company charged its residential customers in communities the same size, the publicly owned electric plant in Columbus made a profit of $13,004 in 1939...
...Lowest commercial bills in the state are paid by Manitowoc businessmen, who pay $8.09 for 375 kwh a month and $14.03 for 750 kwh a month for service from the municipally owned plant...
...While Madison has the lowest residential electric rates in this large city classification and the second lowest rates in the state, it should be pointed out that there is no municipally owned plant available for comparson in the large population group...
...which may soon be offered for sale, Kenosha by the Wisconsin Gas and Electric Co., and Milwaukee and Racine by the Wisconsin Electric Power Co...
...In the 2,500-10,000 population group, commercial light users in Shawano, Wisconsin Rapids and Menasha—all served by Municipal piants—pay the lowest bills for 375 kwh and 750 kwh, Here is how their rates compare with four privately served communities in the same population group: Commercial Liirht Bills for Community Served by 375 kwh 750 kwh Shawano "Municipal plant $ 8.31 $14.88 Wis...
...19.13 82.25...
...3.50 4.35 * * * RESIDENTIAL users in Adams, served by the Wisconsin Power and Lignt Co., have to pay $5.30 a month for 100 kwh...
...For 375 kwh commercial light users pay $8.90, for 750 kwh $16.40...
...Second lowest commercial light mils in the state for the 10,000-50,000 group are those of Two Rivers, served by the publicly owned utility...
...For 100 kwh, the residential user in Menasha, publicly served, pays a monthly bill of $2.63 compared to $4.90 paid by the residential user for the same amount of current in Baraboo, Beaver Dam, Berlin, Delavan, Lake Geneva, Mayville, Monroe, Portage, Ripon and Tomah—all privately served by the Wisconsin Power and Light Co...
...2.63 West Milwaukee . . S3.35 2.73 Whiteflsh Bay...
...17.94 30.75 Baraboo Wis...
...in the same population group...
...4.23 Niagara...
...for 100 kwh 10() h Lake Mills...
...Only two municipal plants in this classification—Hartford and Marshfield— have relatively high rates for 100 kwh...
...3.50 Wcyauwcga .. 4.23 Westby...
...Light Co...
...3.20 3-20 4.40 OF the 93 Wisconsin communities in the 1,000-2,500 population group, 37 are served by publicly owned utilities...
...3.99 Sauk City...
...Illustrating the success of municipal ownership in Manitowoc, the 1939 report of this community's electric plant on tile with the state public service commission shows a profit of $78,408 for last year...
...3 ')) Little Chute...
...In this population gi'oup of more than 50,000...
...OF the four Wisconsin cities with a population of more than 50,000, Madison has the lowest residential rates...
...Of the 56, 20 communities are served by publicly owned utilities...
...The village of Monona, served by the Madison Gas and Electric Co., has the lowest rate for 100 kwh...
...3.20 Schofield...
...Here are the municipal plants that lead in this group of Wisconsin communities with their low net monthly bills for 100 kwh, together with the lowest bills of communities privately served in the same population: Municipal Bill for Private Bill for 100 kwh 100 kwh Menasha...
...Thus the federal power commission statistical study reveals a striking argument for the benefits of public.ownership of electric facilities...
...and even their bills of $4.20 for this amount of electricity are not as high as those in communities served by the Wisconsin Power and Light Co...
...That householder pays his bill to the municipally owned plant, which buys its wholesale energy from the Wisconsin Power and Light Co...
...For 100 kwh per month, which permits the use of electric current for lighting, refrigeration and a liberal operation of small appliances, rates in this population group range from $2.38 in Manitowoc to $4.55 in Beloit, Fond du Lac, Janesville, LaCrosse and Sheboygan —all five of which are served by the Wisconsin Power and Light Co...
...Most fortunate Wisconsin residential users of electricity are those in the city of Manitowoc, which operates its own electric and water plant...
...Even more dramatic as a contrast between the community benefits of public ownership as evidenced by low electric bills and the bills charged by private power companies is the example of the city of Columbus...
...4.20 New Holslein ____3.40 Gillett...
...Manitowoc and Two Rivers, both served by municipally owned utilities, have far the lowest rates in the above group...
...3.35 Wisconsin Rapids . 2.73 Burlington...
...The Two Rivers residential user pays $2.75 a month for 100 kwh compared to the Wausau (served by the Wisconsin Public Service Corp...
...The Wide Range in Utility Rates [AN EDITORIAL] TTOUSEWlVES and businessmen in Wisconsin communities served by publicly owned utilities pay substantially lower electric bills every month than their neighbors in communities served by private power companies, a 1940 survey of residential and commercial light bills by the federal power commission reveals...
...Next lowest commercial bills are those of Madison businessmen, who pay $8.25 for 375 kwh a month and $19.50 a month for 750 kwh...
...Of heartening encouragement to public ownership advocates are the rate schedules of 16 of these municipally owned plants, which lead the entire group of 56 communities...
...Residential users of electricity in the 23 Wisconsin communities of 10.000-50,-000 population pay widely varying rates, the federal power commission study discloses...
...2.85 Fort Atkinson ____ 3.85 3.00 Port Washington . 3.85 3.00 West Bend...
...4.23 Fennimore...
...A comparison of the 16 lowest municipal and private bills in the group follows: Municipal Bill for Private Bi...
...Madison is served by the Madison Gas and Electric Co...
...14.69 26.88 Merrill Wis...
...Adams, it will be remembered, was choked by the private power company last year when it was on the threshold of attaining municipal ownership...
...Housewives m Princeton pay $3.90 for 100 kwh of electricity a month, in New Holstein $3.40, in New Glarus $4.00—bills far lower than those paid by Adams users, and bills from municipally owned plants of communities the same size as Adams...
...This figure is exclusive of the $49,761 profit of Manitowoc's water plant lor 1939...
...2.80 ri Kiel...
...2.85 '• Saint Francis "> Black River Falls . 3.10 '{ ____ 3.13 H Brodhead...
...3.10 4.20 3.10 Chippewa Falls .. 4.27 Sheboygan Falls . 3.10 4.27 Sturgeon Bay ____ 3.10 Platteville...
...18.75 33.50 Platteville Interst...
...user's bill of $3.99 and the Green Bay (served by the same private company) users bill Of $4.45...
...In Racine the householder pays $3.73 for this amount and in Kenosha $3.85...
...Racine commercial light users pay $14.00 for 375 kwh and $25.63 for 750 kwh...
...THE federal power commission study lists 56 Wisconsin communities in the population range of 2.500-10.000...
...3.85 Shawano...
...Rapids 'Municipal riant 8.88 16.38 Menasha "Municipal plant 10.23 . 17.85 Ft...
...Manitowoc housewives pay $1.25 for 40 kwh of electricity a month, $1.68 for 60 kwh, $2.03 for 80 kwh, and $2.38 for 100 kwh...
...Commercial light customers in Kenosha pay $14.69 for 375 kwh and $26.88 for 750 kwh...
...and of Beloit, tond du Lac, Janesville and Sheboygan, served by the Wisconsin Power and Light Co., of $17.75 and $32.50 for 375 kwh and 750 kwh...
...The Columbus householder pays a monthly bill of $3 for 100 kwh...
...3.85 3.00 3 85 S.00 Me'i ill...
...Milwaukee commercial light customers pay $12.75 for 375 kwh a month and $24.38 for 750 kwh...
...Corp...
...2.80 ; 1 New Richmond...
...4.27 3.10 4.27 4.27 Rice Lake...
...While the Madison housewife pays $2.60 a month for 100 kwh, the Milwaukee householder pays $3.35 for the same amount of electric current...
Vol. 10 • May 1940 • No. 20
