City Electrical Rate Increase

We are fortunate here in Bardstown and all of Kentucky to have some of the lowest electric rates in the country. This is due to the coal fired electric generating plants owned and operated by Kentucky Utilities and our location nearby these plants.

Kentucky Utilities, which is owned by E.ON US, is the wholesale electric power provider for the City of Bardstown electric utility. The City purchases electricity from Kentucky Utilities - E.ON US and distributes it to our customers here in Bardstown. Some Bardstown residents are customers of Salt River Rural Electric Cooperative.

Kentucky Utilities - E.ON US has not had a rate increase in over 20 years. However, the Kentucky Public Service Commission has recently given them approval for a 12% rate increase. The main reason for the rate increase is the expansion of their facilities to meet the growing electrical needs in the area, and in order to put in place much needed environmental safeguards. The City will also have to increase electric rates beginning on July 1, 2009.

Fully two thirds of your electric bill goes to pay for wholesale power from Kentucky Utilities - E.ON US. For that reason, and in order to cover operating costs and working capital requirements, the City of Bardstown will also need to raise its rates by 12% to all of our customers.

Below is a link to a video by Kentucky Utilities - E.ON US that explains what they are doing to keep supplying Bardstown and other Kentucky cities with reliable electric power.

This video, "Investing in Our Future," is an overview of more than a dozen major construction projects currently under way at E.ON U.S. The video demonstrates our employees' unwavering commitment to the concept of "Customers first. Energy that lasts."