News

CPU cares about the impact rising costs have on customers

Dear CPU Customers:

Rising costs are everywhere. From the grocery to the gas pump to the price you pay for household necessities, everything is more expensive in today’s economy. That is why Clarksdale Public Utilities is working hard to minimize the impact of current economic conditions on what customers pay for utility services.

The price for a kilowatt has doubled since 2020 due to significant increases in fuel and transmission charges—factors that are outside of CPU’s control.

In June, the fuel charge billed by CPU’s main electricity supplier was 371% higher than we were billed in June 2020. The same fuel charge for July 2022 was 77% higher than last month’s charge. CPU is verifying that these charges are accurate; in the meantime, we are required to pay the supplier. Likewise, CPU’s transmission charges have more than doubled over the last two years and increased by 71% over the June 2022 charge. None of these fuel and transmission charges are marked up or retained by CPU; we pay them directly to our suppliers.

At CPU, we understand that these high charges are hard on our customers, especially those on fixed incomes. Be assured that we are doing all we can to keep our prices for electricity as low as possible by procuring multiple generation sources, continually improving reliability, and supporting economic development in our region.

We are also offering customers more control to improve efficiency and lower bills via a variety of payment options and tips on our website at https://www.cdpu.net/residential/save_money.phtml.

At CPU, we are your family, friends and neighbors, and we care about the impact rising costs have on our customers. If you are struggling to pay your utility bill in these difficult times, give us a call to work out a payment plan.

Sincerely,

Curtis D. Boschert
General Manager