Pocahontas County electric rate to decrease five percent

Marlinton, W.Va. –
Pocahontas County electric customers will ring in the new year with lower electric rates. Mon Power customers will get a decrease of about five-percent, due to a Public Service Commission order. The PSC ordered Mon Power to lower West Virginia rates effective January 1. The electric company asked the commission to leave rates alone, but the PSC said it was in the public interest to lower rates as soon as possible in light of challenging economic circumstances and lower coal and purchased power prices.

As a strong cold front approaches Pocahontas County, here is a cost comparison of home heating options, at December 20 prices.

The price of firewood varies, but at $150 per cord, hardwood is the cheapest method to heat your home, at 89 cents per 100,000 BTU.

At $1.89 per gallon, propane is currently the second-cheapest option, at $1.76 per 100,000 BTUs.

Third cheapest is wood pellets. At today’s price of $216 per ton, it cost $1.87 to produce 100,000 BTU with pellets.

#2 oil, kerosene and electricity are much more expensive than the first three options.

#2 oil is currently $3.75 per gallon and will cost $3.30 to produce 100,000 BTU.

Electricity, currently 11.2 cents per kilowatt hour is second-most expensive at $3.46 per 100,000 BTU.

This year’s most expensive heating option is kerosene. At 4.10 per gallon, it will cost $3.80 to produce 100,000 BTU of heat.

All of these calculations are based on typical heating appliance efficiencies, as follows: electricity: 95-percent; propane: 85-percent; kerosene and heating oil: 80-percent, and; wood and pellets, 70-percent.

Until the end of March, low income households could qualify for help with their energy bills. Call the Pocahontas County Family Resource Network at 304-799-6847 for more information.