Feb. 15—WATSONTOWN — The electrical energy charges and mannequin won’t change in Watsontown after a borough resident introduced her issues of excessive utility payments to the council assembly on Monday evening.
Lisa Fox, who bought a house late final 12 months within the borough, mentioned her electrical invoice was almost $1,000 for five,600 kilowatt hours over two months. She lives alone together with her canine in a 1,500-square-foot ranch home.
“I actually did not come to Watsontown to trigger an issue,” mentioned Fox, a U.S. Navy veteran and worker at Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit in Milton. “I simply needed to purchase a home, make my yard fairly, pay my taxes. I had no thought I used to be going to spend $1,000 in two months on a lightweight invoice. I did not finances $6,000 a 12 months for my gentle invoice.”
Fox’s mother and father lived in Watsontown for greater than 25 years and she or he lived simply outdoors the borough for the final 12 years. When the house she rented was offered she determined she needed to purchase her personal home and bought her “dream dwelling.”
Fox mentioned she was not advised she needed to buy electrical energy from the native borough and that what was charged is greater than double the quantity of PPL. She mentioned borough residents ought to be capable of select their electrical energy supplier.
The borough set the electrical energy charges in 2015 at 20.43 cents for the primary 400 kilowatt hours used every month, and 16.12 cents for added kilowatt hours. A $10.66 per thirty days buyer cost is charged. An influence buy adjustment, based mostly on utilization, can be utilized to every month-to-month invoice, in keeping with the borough’s decision.
Fox mentioned her December invoice was $348 and her January invoice was $531.
“I referred to as the borough, I cried, I used to be in a whole panic,” mentioned Fox. “I’ve a 1,500-square-foot home with pure fuel warmth and pure fuel scorching water. How can I probably have used 1,920 kilowatt hours (in a single month).”
Fox mentioned she began changing home equipment. She mentioned she has an electrician coming to the home to assessment it.
The charges are increased than PPL, however the property taxes are additionally saved decrease, having not been raised since 2014, borough council officers mentioned.
There are finances plans and any county resident has entry to the Low Revenue Dwelling Vitality Help Program (LIHEAP) if they’ve hassle paying biills, borough officers mentioned.
Councilman Dennis Confer advised Fox she ought to have carried out extra analysis.
“You did not do your homework earlier than to procure your own home,” mentioned Confer. “For those who stay in Delaware Township, these individuals know that Watsontown sells electrical energy to their residents.”
President Greg Miller mentioned there can be no change within the killowat charge when requested by Fox.
“Not right this moment,” he mentioned. “I lived right here since 1976. I had no hassle with the electrical invoice. My electrical invoice is constant month after month after month.”