Co-op to raise rates for members

Flathead Electric Cooperative Inc. members on average will see a 3.25 percent rate increase on their electric power bills effective June 1.

According to the Co-op, the increase is less than the increase the electric company saw last October for wholesale power it purchases from the Bonneville Power Administration. The Co-op’s board of trustees decided to adjust rates for its members incrementally over time to help customers who are struggling to pay power bills during the current recession.

The 3.25 percent increase is an average over the year and will be implemented across all rate classes. The increase will affect members’ basic charge and the charge for energy use. The monthly power bill for a home that uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month, for example, will increase from $76.75 to $80.14.