Georgia Power bills to go up

Georgia Power customers will soon see a rise in their electric bills. The Georgia Public Service Commission approved a 6.2 percent increase in the company's fuel recovery rate Tuesday, Feb. 6, with the rate increase to go into effect in March.

The increase will allow the company to collect an additional $383 million a year from customers. Georgia Power attributes the move to the rising price of natural gas and coal supplies.

The new increase is the largest monthly rate increase since 2005, and the average customer's bill will increase approximately $5.55 per month, an approximate 6 percent increase over the 2006 rate. The increase will put customers paying an average of $17.19 per month more than they paid before 2003 when the rates were raised 73 cents a month.

Georgia Power passes the cost of fuel on to its customers but cannot make a profit on the charges. Should fuel prices drop, the company would have to return any excess funds collected to customers.