Electricity
Laurens CPW Electricity Utility
Laurens Commission of Public Works began providing electricity in the 1920s. Our service territory is primarily inside the city limits of Laurens and the Wattsville area. In the 1970s, the CPW joined with other municipal power companies to create the Piedmont Municipal Power Agency (PMPA). PMPA purchased 25 percent of a nuclear generator at the Catawba Nuclear Power Plant in York, SC. Nuclear energy from the plant is Laurens CPW's current primary power supply, meaning that over 90% of the power generated is carbon free.
Electric Rates
A customer’s electricity rate is determined by the size and type of service required. We have residential, commercial, and industrial electric rates. Laurens CPW also uses a Purchased Power Adjustment (PPA). The PPA is a way to recover costs and protects both Laurens CPW and our customers from fluctuations in the cost of energy. The PPA may result in a charge or a credit, depending on the cost of energy. Instead of adjusting our rates each month, we maintain the same base rate and use the PPA to reflect changes in the cost of energy. Our Green Grid Rewards rate is the lowest residential rate available. For all current rates, fees, and other charges, please contact a customer service representative at 864-681-4300.
How to Read Your Electric Meter
Your electric meter measures the amount of electricity you consume and it is read monthly. The electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The standard billable unit of electricity is a kilowatt, which is equivalent to 1,000 watts of energy. A kilowatt-hour equals 1,000 watts used for a period of one hour. For example, a 100-watt light bulb, burning for 10 hours, would consume one kilowatt.
Your monthly bill is based on this consumption. The reading for the current month is subtracted from the previous month’s reading to determine how much electricity you have used.
For most of our electric customers, a digital meter is supplied to measure the electricity that used each month. The digital reading on the display is read left to right.
In the photo above, the current reading is 74,491 kilowatt-hours. To calculate the monthly usage, subtract the current reading from the previous months reading displayed on your bill. If your previous reading was 73,491 for example, 1,000 kilowatt-hours were used between monthly meter readings. This usage is then applied to the applicable rate to determine the cost of your monthly bill.
Purchased Power Adjustment Charge (PPAC)
The PPAC is a separate line item on each Laurens CPW electric bill statement which reflects the increases/decreases in Lauren CPW’s cost of power purchased wholesale from Piedmont Municipal Power Agency. The fluctuation in the Power Cost Adjustment is largely caused by fluctuations in fuel costs for generation.
The PPAC on an electric bill statement is computed by multiplying the amount charged or credited by the number of kilowatt hours used. For example, if the amount charged is $0.015, and 1000 kWh was used during the billing period, the PPAC would be a charge of $15.00.