Rate Change Discussions Continue

As announced previously, the Victory Electric Board of Trustees has proposed a rate change. Victory Electric is a not-for-profit electric cooperative owned by the members we serve. We do not make routine rate adjustments and have not changed our base rates since 2017. Rate changes are recommended only when necessary to meet our financial obligations and keep pace with rising costs, inflation and other pressures.

The board has proposed a three-part rate structure, which would add a demand component to bills. The three parts are as follows: 

1. The Service Availability Charge is the minimum cost to stay connected to Victory’s lines. 
2. The Energy Charge, measured in kilowatt-hours, is the cost of the total amount of energy a member uses during the billing period.
3. The Demand Charge, measured in kilowatts, is based on the intensity at which energy is used at one time during the billing period.

For Victory’s residential members, the new rate would increase the Service Availability Charge by $6 or $10, depending on the service address. The proposed rate would also add a $3-per-kilowatt charge for demand. But the Energy Charge would decrease from 11.178 cents to 9.994 cents per kilowatt-hour in the winter and from 12.178 cents to 10.994 cents per kilowatt-hour in the summer. 

The impact of the changes on members’ bills would vary by rate class and other factors, but the lower energy usage rate would help offset the added charge for demand and service availability. In October, we further explained the changes and answered questions at member listening sessions in Copeland, Ingalls, Bucklin, Dodge City and Spearville.

Demand Charges

Most of us are familiar with an energy charge because it’s what we’ve always been billed on. Energy is the total amount of electricity you use during the month. Demand is how quickly you are using electricity at a specific moment in time. 

A simple way to think about it is to look at the dashboard of your vehicle. Your energy usage is like an odometer, tracking the energy you've used over time. Demand is like a speedometer, showing how much power you’re using at a given time. If you use a lot of power at once, your “speedometer” might spike.

Running multiple large appliances at the same time may cause your demand to spike. But spreading out the use of large appliances when possible lowers your demand, much like driving more slowly can save gas. Instead of combining your household chores and doing them all at the same time, consider ways you can balance your energy load and spread out tasks. 

Try running the dishwasher and washing clothes at different times from when you use the oven, range or TV. If your appliances have delayed-start settings, you can schedule dishes or laundry for later in the evening or overnight.

Your monthly demand amount already appears on your bill at the top of the second page, and under our current rate structure there is no charge associated with it. Read more on our Proposed Rate Change and Understanding Demand Charges web pages for more information. You may also use the online bill calculator to estimate how the new demand charge and other rate changes might affect you. 

What’s Next?

Trustees will vote on the proposed changes at a public meeting at the Victory Electric office at 3230 N. 14^th Ave. in Dodge City on Dec. 18 at 8:30 a.m. If approved, the changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and appear on bills mailed in February.

If you have questions or concerns, please call our office at 620-227-2139. We’re happy to help!