The Delta independent., 1918-03-15
UTILITIES COMMISSION HANDS
DOWN DECISION ON LIGHT RATE

The public utilities commission on
Tuesday issued it's order in Cast No
So, known as the Public Utilities Com
mission VS.. The Western Colorado
Power company. The case was insti-
tuted by the commission upon its
own motion, following receipt of a
resolution by the Uncompahgre Val
ley Water Users association re-
questing an investigation of the rates
and charges for electric service in
the Uncompahgre valley. Tie COM
missions investigation, which has
resulted in one of the most exhaust
i've inquiries conducted since the pub
lie utilities act became effective in
Colorado, included not only an in
vestigation into rates. but also nto
the service and rules, regulations dnd
practices surrounding the fu fishing
of electric service in Montrose, Delta
and Olathe territory. The cities of
Montrose and Delta interviewed.
New rate schedules appli; ,hle to
the entire territory involved are set
out in the commissions order. The
Western Colorado Power company is
directed to make these new rates ard
! charges effective April 1.
An adjustment of rates, in keeping
with the spirit of the public utilities
law, is one of the principal features of
of the order. This is involved in the
action of the commission in reducing
the minimum monthly guarantees
which will benefit all residence and
commercial consumers. In Delta the
decrease is from S1.5O per month net.
to SIPS per month net, for all con-
sumers having residences of five ac-
tive rooms or less. and for CONNER
cial consumers where connect loa5s
are 1000 watts or less. In Montrose
and Olathe the reduction is from
$40 per month net to $125 per
month net. For consumers having
residences of more than five active
rooms and for commercial constGm-
ers having connected loads in excess
of 1000 watts, the minimum rlopthly
guarantees are based, respectively
upon the number of rooms and unon
connected loads.
In addition to providing for a de-
crease in the minimum for residence
| lighting, the order provides a rate of
- SShts POl hIloWdtl nOuT IOT all
monthly consumption in excess of
kilowatt hours per- active roc.l per
month. This rate is what is known
as room rate" and is designed to
encourage the use of domestic appli-
ances and electric cooking, on the
other hand permitting a large mum Der
or domestic consumers to purchase
portion of their lighting service at s
cents per kilowatt hour. and in a few
cases portion Of such service as
low as three cents per kilowatt hour.
The actual difference in the old and
new commercial lighting rates in
Montrose and Olathe is shown ~ the
following table:
First 10 hours use present rates.
l5c: proposed rates, 15c.
Next 40 hours use, present rates,
lSc: proposed rates, 12c.
Next 100 hours use. present rates.
Sc; proposed rates Sc.
Next 100 hours use, present rates,
Sc; proposed rates. Sc
All in excess of $50 hours use.
present rates, Sc: proposed rates 21hc.
Such great variety of rates for
commercial power were in effect in
the territory involved that it was
found necessary to establish one gem
eral power rate with suitable provi-
sions for the different classes of SER
vice to apply to the entire territory.
The new power rate will slightly in
crease the cost of this form of SER
vice.
No change has been made in street
lighting rates. in the rate for domest-
ic fuel or in the rates for sigr and
display lighting, window lighting and
outside lighting
The question of a fair valuation of
the company's property for rate-mak-
ing purposes presented one of the big
problems of the case. To reach a con-
clusion upon this important point re-
quired long and careful study by the
commissioners engineering and sta
tistical departments. At the hearings
upon the question of valuation it be-
came apparent that a decided differ
ence of opinion existed between the
commissions representatives and
those for the company. A New YORK
firm of consulting engineers. which
had charge of the valuation work for
the company. presented figures in
support of the contention that the val
uation of the property should be fixed
at $3.50. 900. The commission how
ever. fixed the valuation at $3.50, 900