NATCHITOCHES, La. — As Natchitoches residents see potentially higher utility bills during the hot summer months, city leaders say local rates remain among the lowest in the state.
During a recent city council meeting Tuesday, officials addressed how local electric and water rates are calculated and answered questions regarding why major industrial plants receive lower volume rates.
Large facilities pay extra facility charges that residential customers do not pay. Furthermore, high-volume usage from large companies is completely removed from the equation before residential bills are calculated, meaning those commercial discounts do not cost homeowners anything.
Officials also clarified that the city only controls the base rate used to run the local utility department. The variable charge appearing on customer bills comes directly from the state power supplier, LEPA.