Welcome!  Thank you for your interest in learning more about the WPCA - what it is and how it impacts your Sawnee EMC power bill each month. We are your trusted energy partner and part of that role is to educate you about the various aspects of your bill, as well as inform you when we need to make impactful modifications.  Our staff has assembled this page to address a few questions and offer a place for you to ask more.

What is the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA)?

The WPCA is a component of our retail rate that we are able to adjust when needed; to account for changes in purchased power and other costs. The WPCA on each member’s electric bill can be an addition or subtraction, dependent upon Sawnee’s cost for generation capacity, the fuels that are used to generate our power and other costs.  Basically, when items increase to a level that is more than what has been budgeted and more than what we are able to recover through the normal retail rate blocks, the WPCA is adjusted to make up the difference.

Is the WPCA something new?

No. The WPCA has been included in Sawnee’s rates for many years. It is used to adjust the rates charged to members when  Sawnee EMC’s cost goes up or down over time. Even when there are increases in WPCA, history of this billing factor also shows that there are times it has been lowered, even to the point of $0.00/kWh.  Other utilities may refer to this charge as “Fuel” or “Fuel Adjustment” – but it is a necessary component that is used by electric utilities for the reasons mentioned above.

What else do I need to know regarding WPCA?

  • Sawnee EMC is a Cooperative and we must generate enough revenue to cover all expenses 
  • The WPCA is a mechanism that can increase and decrease month to month as needed to keep the budget on track.  Think of it like your home budget, the year starts out at a certain level, with certain assumptions, and if those do not come to fruition…. You have to make adjustments
  • Prices of certain materials like transformers, wire, security lights, breakers, etc. have increased 
  • In July, we had one of the worst storms in our 85-year history and the cost to make repairs and restore service afterwards was in the millions 
  • We strive to keep rates as low as possible; because everything over and above operating costs goes back to the members through patronage capital
  • Even with fluctuations in the WPCA, Sawnee EMC rates remain among the best in Georgia and our reliability is one of the best in the industry 

What measures can I take to reduce my bill?

Conserve energy!  Things you can do…Set your thermostat to settings recommended by Sawnee EMC’s Energy Services Team – 78 in the summer and 68 in the winter, insulate your water heater; repair leaking hot water faucets; turn off lights, etc... There are many other things you can do to conserve energy. We also offer a level bill program called “budget billing” that spreads the cost of your monthly bill out over a long period of time and, when you need to wait and pay your bill late, we offer payment arrangements. Other energy saving links include:

Questions:

Questions and comments can be directed to our Customer Call Center at 770-887-2363, text 678-999-8124, or email at customerservice@sawnee.com.

As your cooperative, we are committed to minimizing the impact of increasing power costs on your household. We are proud to be your energy provider and are proud to serve your electric energy needs.