It’s a challenging time for our industry.  With the costs of fuel skyrocketing, a sluggish economy, and an unusually tough winter season, many utilities like DPU have seen a rise in their electricity rates.  This is due to a number of factors.

1. Cost of Wholesale Purchases
   The cost our customers pay for electricity reflects the price that DPU pays for the electricity we provide.  As a not-for profit public power utility, we work to keep costs as low as possible and put all  earnings back into the community we serve. 

 

2. Cost of Fuels
   The cost of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil) used to generate electricity has increased significantly in the last few years and in turn has led to an increase in the cost of generating electricity.

 

3. Demand is Rising
   Our country’s demand for electricity is at an all-time high. Population growth and greater use of computers, electronic products, and home entertainment items will contribute to rising demand in the coming years.  To deal with forecasted demand increases, many utilities are finding it necessary to increase investment in transmission and generating facilities to bring the power to customers.

 

What DPU is doing?

DPU is working diligently to keep prices down and help our customers save on their electricity bills.  We are also working closely with our national trade association, the American Public Power Association, to ensure policies that put customers first and ensure a stable supply of electricity while protecting the environment. Since DPU is part of two-thirds of public power systems that do not generate their own electricity, and instead buy it on the wholesale market for distribution to their customers, securing competitively priced and reliable wholesale power is our priority. We ask for your continued patience and support as we try to keep prices as low as possible while providing reliable power to our customers.

 

What you can do to help lower your bills?

You can help keep your bills as low as possible by conserving electricity and making your home more efficient.  Some easy ways to save money include turning lights, appliances, and electronics off when not in use, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, installing a programmable thermostat and weatherizing your home with weather-stripping and caulking.  More tips are available at www.orbgdpu.com, or the American Public Power Association’s Web site at www.EERCnet.org.]

 

The Department of Public Utilities, City of Orangeburg is the largest municipal electric utility in the state of South Carolina. DPU owns and operates 22 electric substations, with service available at 115KV; 46KV; 25KV ;8.3KV; and 480V for large customers.

 

A modern dispatch center monitors and controls the electric system 24 hours a day through a state of the art fiber optic network. Serving a geographic area of approximately 340 square miles, DPU offers a multi-utility approach. Virtually a one stop shop for utilities.

 

DPU provides Electric, Natural Gas, Water, and Waste Water services. Our residential customers consistently enjoy the lowest electric rates in South Carolina, averaging over 30% below the national average for like service.  Our commercial and industrial customers enjoy very competitive rates, which, combined with the convenience of dealing with a single utility company, has many advantages. Our staff of engineers and customer representatives are at your service.