The Lincoln City Council approved a systemwide rate increase of 3.3% for Lincoln Electric System (LES) customers at their weekly-meeting on Monday night.
The council unanimously approved the increase, which will take effect on January 1, 2025.
According to LES, the average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month would see their monthly bill rise by about $3.50. But depending on the customer category, rate increases can range from 2.1% to 10%.
This is the third year in a row where LES has increased their rates, after a 5-year pause on rate increases ended after 2022.
While Councilwoman Sandra Washington voted to approve the measure, she did a concern that LES is moving towards a fixed cost structure, saying this leaves no incentive for customers to be more eco-conscious — i.e. turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, etc.
“I really encourage LES to incentivize customers to lower their electric use,” said Washington. “I don’t see that as possible right now with the rate structure were going to see come January 1st.”
Washington maintained that LES is a high-quality public utility. LES customers do enjoy some of the lowest rates on average when compared to other nearby municipalities such as Omaha, Des Monies, and Denver.