HU adjusts rates for water, sewer and natural gas services

By Staff Reports  

Customers of Hartselle Utilities will see higher rates for water, sewer and natural gas services on their bills beginning next month as rates were adjusted at a board meeting held June 10. The rate change will become effective July 1.  

The water customer charge will increase by one dollar. Additionally, there will be an incremental increase of $0.0486 per 1,000 gallons of water consumed. For the average residential user, this adjustment will result in an estimated increase of $1.20 in their monthly water bill.  

Nationwide, electricity prices rose 3.6% over the last 12 months, outstripping the broader inflation rate of 3.2%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in March.  

HU general manager Bob Sittason said rate increase is due to inflation. 

“ We have gradually increased our rates over several years instead of increasing them all at once several years ago,” Sittason said. “This allows for a minimum financial impact to our customers and provides Hartselle Utilities with the necessary resources to operate each utility.” 

Sewer  

The sewer Customer Charge is set to rise by $2, with an additional $0.1118 per 1,000 gallons. This means the average residential sewer bill will see an increase of approximately $2.40 per month.  

Natural Gas  

For natural gas customers, the customer charge will go up by a dollar, with volumetric charges increasing by $0.0192 per CCF. Residents who use natural gas for heating will experience an average monthly increase of $2.27 during the heating season. It’s important to note that Hartselle Utilities also applies a Cost of Gas Adjustment (COGA) each month, which fluctuates based on the commodity price of natural gas.  

For more information or to discuss how these changes might affect your bill, residents are encouraged to contact Hartselle Utilities directly.