The GEUS board is scheduled to meet beginning at 6 p.m. in the Electric Consumer Service Center at 6000 Joe Ramsey Boulevard. According to a summary of the report, the number of kilowatt hours of electricity used by local residents rose 9 percent when compared to April of last year and is up 15 percent when compared to electric usage through the end of April in 2000. The utility had projected residential kilowatt hours to increase 14 percent during the same time frame. However, GEUS's residential customers paid 28 percent more for electricity last month than they did in April one year ago and have paid 34 percent more for electricity through the end of April 2001 than through the end of April 2000. The utility had projected an increase of 20 percent in residential retail sales for the first four months of this year.
Commercial sales are another story.
Small commercial customers have used 5 percent more electricity so far this year than last, while large commercial operations have used three percent less. Overall, commercial kilowatt hours are down 7 percent when compared to April of 2000 and 3 percent for the year to date. GEUS had projected a 3 percent increase in sales through the end of April of this year. Even though the commercial customers are using less electricity, it doesn't mean they aren't also experiencing higher electric bills. Commercial sales of electricity were up 23 percent in April, when compared to the same month last year and are up 28 percent for the year to date.