HEA Rate Schedule (effective April 1, 2023)
HEA offers four different rates to its members, depending on the classification of the service provided. Our rates are regulated by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.
| Service Type | Monthly Customer Charge (A) | Energy Charge per kWh (H) | System Delivery Charge (B) | Demand Charge per kW (I) | Minimum Demand Charge (C) | Cost of Power Adjustment per kWh (D) | Regulatory Cost Charge (G) |
| Residential | $20.00 | $0.16077 | $24.12 | N/A | N/A | $0.08452 | $0.000893 |
| General Service (E) | $20.00 | $0.16734 | $25.10 | N/A | N/A | $0.08452 | $0.000893 |
| Large General Service (F) | $50.00 | $0.10515 | $0 | $21.63 | $432.60 | $0.08452 | $0.000893 |
| Industrial Service | For more | information | contact | Member | Services. | ||
| Outdoor Lighting | 175 watt lamp: $29.60; 250 watt lamp: $34.95; 360 watt lamp: $42.47; 400 watt lamp: $46.96; 55 watt LED: $28.97; 93 watt LED: $32.31; 160 watt LED: $41.31 per lamp per month | ||||||
Sample Bill
Click HERE to view a sample bill with an explanation of Billing Terms
Explanation of Service Type and Billing Terms
To understand each part of the rate schedule, check the table above for the following lettings in parenthesis:
- Customer Charge: A flat monthly charge that recovers a portion of costs attributable to billing, collections, data processing and meter expenses regardless of the amount of energy used during the billing period.
- System Delivery Charge: This charge recovers expenses associated with building, operating and maintaining transmission and distribution facilities whether or not electric service is used. If energy consumption meets or exceeds 150 kWh within the billing period, no charge applies.
- Minimum Demand Charge: The cost for 20 KW of demand/month. This is the amount needed to recover the costs of standby power required to serve a commercial location whether or not electric service is used. If the minimum demand of 20kW/month is met during the billing period, no minimum demand charge applies.
- Cost of Power Adjustment (COPA): The COPA rate was established to recover the cost of fuel, purchased power and other fuel-related costs. This line reflects the most current COPA rate and is multiplied by the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) used at the location during the billing period. Rate fluctuations may occur on a quarterly basis predominately due to changing costs of fuel.
- General Service (Rate 3). Any class of service which does not qualify for Residential Schedule and where the demand does not exceed 20kW for three consecutive months.
- Large General Service (Rate 4). All general services using more than 20 kW of monthly demand during three consecutive months, but less than 1,000kW of monthly demand.
- A rate that is established by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) The money collected for this charge is passed on to the RCA to defray their operational costs.
- A charge based on the electric energy (kWh) consumed.
- A charge based on the rate at which electric energy is delivered to or by a system at a given instant, or averaged over a designed period, during the billing cycle.
What is a kilowatt-hour?
We usually use the term kilowatts (one kilowatt is 1,000 watts) when speaking of power production or power needs. A power plant makes kilowatts; we sell power in units called kilowatt-hours (kWh). For example, a 100-watt light bulb left on for ten hours uses one kWh of electricity. A typical HEA residential consumer uses 550 kWh per month.
You can find additional information on HEA’s Governance page.
What is the Cost of Power Adjustment (COPA)?
HEA receives many inquiries and comments regarding the COPA rate and its misconceptions. The following should help explain the purpose of this rate and provide you with factual information.
The COPA element of your bill is a direct pass through of HEA’s costs associated with fuel (predominantly natural gas with some hydroelectric power) and electric power purchased from other utilities. It also includes minor costs associated with HEA’s usage of the CINGSA natural gas storage facility and fuel to support emergency generators located on the south side of Kachemak Bay.
COPA is calculated based on two parts. The first is a forward projection of kilowatt hour (kWh) of sales and the expected fuel costs noted previously to support the level of generation. The other component reflects the status of balancing account. Because HEA makes forecasts of sales and associated costs, often the actual amount collected over a quarter will not equal the amount projected. This can be due to weather, level of economic activity, the mix of hydroelectric versus natural gas supplied generation and generation and transmission facility outages to name the most common factors. This under/over collection based on actual costs is incorporated into HEA’s forecast to determine the amount to be collected through COPA. COPA is submitted on a quarterly basis and is reviewed and approved by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.
HEA’s COPA costs generally reflect the price HEA pays to transport and burn natural gas for its generation plants at Nikiski, Soldotna and Bernice Lake. Natural gas is not the same as automotive gas in terms of pricing. Automotive gasoline is derived from oil and fluctuates in price as determined in the global market. Natural gas for HEA and other utilities in the region is sourced locally. Unlike the Lower 48, Alaska does not possess a robust transport and storage system to move natural gas from producing regions to areas of consumption. All of HEA’s natural gas, along with that other utilities in the region, such as Enstar, is sourced solely from Cook Inlet. Cook Inlet prices are higher than in the Lower 48 for multiple reasons and are the primary driver determining the COPA charge. HEA has a multi-year fuel contract with Hilcorp that meets HEA’s needs for natural gas. Fuel contracts are reviewed and approved by the RCA.
The graph shows the fluctuations in COPA beginning in 2018. The range has varied from a low of just over six cents to a peak marginally over eight cents. Low prices experienced at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 reflect the availability of excess hydropower to HEA due to the operational loss of the transmission line north to Anchorage and Fairbanks because of the Swan Lake fire. HEA does not anticipate such a recurrence in the future. One can also see in general that 2018 prices are lower than 2019 and 2020. This is due to natural gas contracts incorporating annual escalators in price.