Due to the possibility of inclement weather, the community meeting for the city of Ivanhoe has been moved to Monday, January 27 at 5 p.m.
Over the past several years, Sam Houston Electric Cooperative and its consumer-members have faced an array of challenges: a pandemic, inflation, tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts devastating beloved trees and much more. Despite these challenges and the rising costs of materials, services and labor, the Sam Houston EC Board of Directors has not changed rates since 2018.
Cooperative leadership has worked for consumer-members by keeping prices steady through the pandemic and subsequent shortages of equipment and materials, storms, and other challenges.
While supply chain headlines aren’t leading the news now, the challenges are still impacting the Cooperative. The cost of residential transformers has increased 244% since 2021—unless the home is served by an underground transformer, in which case the cost has gone up 325%. Wire has increased 195% in price, along with all other equipment and materials.
Sam Houston EC has increased our efficiency during this time. The Co-op is operating with nearly the same staff size, while serving an additional 17,000 meters since 2018. Staff is using data to implement system improvement projects as well.
In 2023 and 2024, crews removed 45,000 dead trees from the drought before they fell on power lines and caused outages. By comparison, only 7,000 dead trees are felled in a typical year. These costs are significant.
An independent firm evaluated Sam Houston EC’s rate structure and found that the total monthly cost for the Cooperative to provide and maintain electric service, before any kilowatt-hours are used, is nearly $45 per meter. The current base charge of $19.75 does not equitably recover costs to provide and maintain service to every meter throughout the Co-op’s system.
The Sam Houston EC Board of Directors adopted a resolution October 23, 2024, recognizing the need for, and approving the implementation of, a revised rate structure. Their decision was focused on the financial impact to our members and the well-being of the Cooperative.
The base charge will increase from $19.75 to $31.75 for residential meters. This will ensure the costs of providing service are allocated more appropriately. Only the base charge will change for residential members. Accounts with zero kilowatt-hour consumption will see a difference of $12 on their monthly bill, which is the most any residential bill will increase as a result of this change.
Sam Houston EC will provide public notice to the membership and will hold public meetings during January. The rate adjustment will go into effect March 1, 2025.
Notice of Rate Change
Sam Houston Electric Cooperative, Inc. (the “Cooperative”) is announcing a rate change for some of its rate schedules: Residential Service (R), Small General Service (SGS), General Rate Service (GS), Large Power Service (LP), Large Power High Load Factor (HLF), and Large School Service (LSS).
The proposed changes for each rate schedule are set forth below.
The current rates for these rate schedules have been in effect and unchanged since May 2018, and the rate revisions are necessitated by increases in overall operating costs for the Cooperative. The Cooperative has worked diligently over the years to keep its costs and, therefore, your costs, to a minimum.
The revised rates will become effective for bills rendered on and after March 1, 2025. If you have questions regarding these changes, please give us a call at 1-800-458-0381, and we will be happy to discuss these changes with you. You are also invited to attend a public meeting to discuss these changes on any of the following dates at the locations listed.
Thursday, January 23, 10–11:30 a.m.
Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce
1001 U.S. 59 Loop N., Livingston
Monday, January 27, 5–6:30 p.m.
Ivanhoe Community Center, 870 Charmaine Drive, Woodville
Tuesday, January 28, 2–3:30 p.m.
Cleveland Civic Center, 210 Peach Street, Cleveland
Thursday, January 30, 2–3:30 p.m.
Coldspring Community Center, 101 E. Cedar Ave., Coldspring
Notice of Opportunity To Comment on PURPA Standards
The Cooperative is also requesting feedback from consumer-members about Demand-Response Practices and Electric Vehicle Charging programs, as set forth in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and PURPA 111(d) Standards.
You may learn more about the standards under consideration at samhouston.net/PURPA. Written feedback from members is requested by January 30, 2025, either at the above public meetings or at the following address:
PURPA Hearing Coordinator
Sam Houston Electric Cooperative, Inc.
1157 East Church Street
P.O. Box 1121, Livingston, Texas 77351
Attn: Ryan Brown