COMPARISON of ELECTRICITY PRICES in MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN CITIES Rates in Effect April 1, 2014
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COMPARISON OF ELECTRICITY PRICES IN MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN CITIES Rates in effect April 1, 2014 0,0272 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 METHOD 7 HIGHLIGHTS 9 Residential Customers 9 Small-Power Customers 10 Medium-Power Customers 11 Large-Power Customers 14 DETAILED RESULTS 1 Summary Tables (excluding taxes) 17 2 Summary Tables (including taxes) 23 3 Detailed Tables – Residential 29 4 Detailed Tables – Small-Power 35 5 Detailed Tables – Medium-Power 41 6 Detailed Tables – Large-Power 47 APPENDICES A Rate Adjustments 53 B Time-of-Use Rates Adjustment Clauses 57 C Applicable Taxes 63 D Utilities in the Study 71 1 INTRODUCTION Every year, Hydro-Québec compares the monthly electricity bills of Québec customers in the residential, commercial, institutional and industrial sectors with those of customers of the various utilities serving 21 major North American cities. This report details the principal conclusions of this comparative analysis of prices in effect on April 1, 2014. There are three sections. The first describes the method used to estimate electricity bills. The second examines the highlights of the seven consumption levels analyzed, with the help of charts. Finally, the third section presents the results of the 21 consumption levels for which data were collected and compiled in the form of summary and detailed tables. The most recent rate adjustments, time-of-use rates, adjustment clauses and applicable taxes, as well as a profile of the utilities in the study, appear in separate appendices. 3 MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN CITIES AVERAGE PRICES FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS 1 (IN ¢ /KW H)2 St. John’s, N L: 11.34 Edmonton, A B: 11.88 Vancouver, B C: 9.71 Charlottetown, P E: 15.24 Calgary, A B: 13.41 Moncton, N B: 12.06 Seattle, WA: 10.44 Regina, S K: 13.95 Halifax, N S: 16.03 Winnipeg, M B: 7.89 Montréal, Q C: 7.06 Portland, O R: 11.93 Ottawa, O N: 13.45 Toronto, O N: 13.78 Boston, M A: 20.42 Detroit, M I:16.20 New York, NY: 30.74 Chicago, I L: 11.61 San Francisco, C A: 26.15 Nashville, T N: 12.89 Houston, T X: 12.91 Miami, F L: 10.94 1) For a monthly consumption of 1,000 k W h; rates in effect April 1, 2014. 2) In Canadian dollars. 4 MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN CITIES AVERAGE PRICES FOR LARGE-POWER CUSTOMERS 1 (IN ¢ /KW H)2 St. John’s, N L: 8.42 Edmonton, A B: 8.87 Vancouver, B C: 6.66 Charlottetown, P E: 8.71 Calgary, A B: 7.42 Moncton, N B: 7.34 Seattle, WA: 6.83 Regina, S K: 7.56 Halifax, N S: 9.86 Winnipeg, M B: 4.54 Montréal, Q C: 5.05 Portland, O R: 6.98 Ottawa, O N: 13.31 Toronto, O N: 11.13 Boston, M A: 13.98 Detroit, M I: 8.09 New York, NY: 21.25 Chicago, I L: 9.57 San Francisco, C A: 10.71 Nashville, T N: 10.22 Houston, T X: 8.30 Miami, F L: 7.53 1) For a monthly consumption of 3,060,000 k W h and a power demand of 5,000 kW; rates in effect April 1, 2014. 2) In Canadian dollars. 5 METHOD GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION In addition to Hydro-Québec, this comparative analysis Electricity distributors sometimes offer different rates in of electricity prices across North America includes 22 utilities: the various cities they serve. As well, taxes may vary from 12 serving the principal cities in the nine other Canadian one region to another. This, however, is not the case in provinces, and 10 utilities in American states. The results are Québec, where, with the exception of territories north of based, in part, on a survey to which 14 utilities responded, the 53rd parallel, taxes and rates are applied uniformly. and in part on estimates of bills calculated by Hydro-Québec For the purposes of this study, the bill calculations estimate and confirmed in most cases by the utilities concerned. as closely as possible the actual electricity bills of The results presented here show the total bill for various consumers in each target city, based on rates in effect consumption levels. If the bill is calculated according to on April 1, 2014. an unbundled rate, it includes all components, including supply, transmission and distribution. TIME-OF-USE RATES PERIOD COVERED The rates offered by some utilities vary depending on the season and/or time of day when energy is consumed. Monthly bills have been calculated based on rates in In the United States, for example, a number of utilities set a effect on April 1, 2014. The most recent rate adjustments higher price in summer, when demand for air-conditioning applied by the utilities in the study between April 1, 2013, is stronger. In Québec, on the other hand, demand increases and April 1, 2014, are shown in Appendix A. in winter because of heating requirements. Thus, for some utilities, April 1 may fall within a period in the year when the price is high, whereas for others it falls in a period when the price is low. An annual average price has therefore been CONSUMPTION LEVELS calculated in the case of utilities with time-of-use rates which are listed in Appendix B. Seven consumption levels were selected for analysis. However, data were collected for 21 consumption levels and those results are presented in the Detailed Tables. ADJUSTMENT CLAUSES The rates of some distributors include adjustment clauses TAXES that allow them to adjust their customers’ electricity bills according to changes in different variables. Since these With the exception of the bills presented in Section 2, adjustments may be applied monthly, or over a longer taxes are not included in any of the calculations. period, the electricity bills issued by a given distributor Appendix C lists taxes applicable on April 1, 2014, may have varied between April 1, 2013, and April 1, 2014, by customer category; those which may be partially even though base rates remained the same. Appendix B or fully refundable are also indicated. lists the adjustment clauses taken into account when calculating bills. OPTIONAL PROGRAMS EXCHANGE RATE The bills have been calculated according to base rates. Optional rates or programs offered by some utilities to their The exchange rate used to convert bills in U.S. dollars into residential, commercial, institutional or industrial customers Canadian dollars is $0.9069 (C A $ 1 = U S $ 0.9069), the rate in have not been taken into account since the terms and effect at noon on April 1, 2014. The Canadian dollar had conditions vary considerably from one utility to the next. thus depreciated by 7.8 % relative to the U.S. dollar since April 1, 2013. 7 HIGHLIGHTS The Distribution Tariff–Effective April 1, 2014 sets out RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS Hydro-Québec’s rates, as approved by the Régie de The rate applicable to Hydro-Québec’s residential l’énergie (the Québec energy board) in accordance with customers is among the most advantageous in Decision D-2014-052. Three types of rates are in effect: North America. For customers whose monthly domestic rates for residential customers, industrial rates consumption is 1,000 kW h, Montréal is once again for large-power industrial customers and general rates for in first place. Figure 1 illustrates the results of other customers. General rates are applied according to this comparison. minimum billing demand: small power, medium power and large power. For comparison purposes, the electricity bills of the utilities in the study have been analyzed according to these customer categories. The industrial rate has been used to calculate the bills of large-power customers. FIGURE 1 New York, NY Montréal, QC 100 Comparative Index of Electricity Prices San Francisco, CA Winnipeg, MB 112 Residential Customers Boston, MA Vancouver, BC 138 Detroit, MI Seattle, WA 148 Consumption: 1,000 kWh/month Halifax, NS Miami, FL 155 Charlottetown, PE St. John’s, NL 161 Regina, SK Chicago, IL 165 Toronto, ON Edmonton, AB 168 Ottawa, ON Portland, OR 169 Calgary, AB Moncton, NB 171 Houston, TX Nashville, TN 183 Nashville, TN Houston, TX 183 Moncton, NB Calgary, AB 190 Portland, OR Ottawa, ON 191 Edmonton, AB Toronto, ON 195 Chicago, IL Regina, SK 198 St. John’s, NL Charlottetown, PE 216 Miami, FL Halifax, NS 227 Seattle, WA Detroit, MI 229 Vancouver, BC Boston, MA 289 Winnipeg, MB San Francisco, CA 370 Montréal, Qc New York, NY 435 0 100 200 300 400 500 Hydro-Québec = 100 Monthly bill (excluding tax) Rates in effect April 1, 2014 9 SMALL-POWER CUSTOMERS (LESS THAN 100 KW) The comparison of bills for small-power customers is based on a monthly consumption of 10,000 kW h and a power demand of 40 kW. Montréal is in third place, as was the case last year. Figure 2 shows the comparative index of electricity prices. FIGURE 2 Winnipeg, MB 81 Comparative Index of Electricity Prices Seattle, WA 89 Small-Power Customers Montréal, QC 100 Vancouver, BC 107 Consumption: 10,000 kWh/month Chicago, IL 109 Power demand: 40 kW Calgary, AB 111 Houston, TX 112 Edmonton, AB 117 Portland, OR 118 Miami, FL 118 St. John’s, NL 120 Regina, SK 122 Moncton, NB 134 Toronto, ON 135 Detroit, MI 137 Nashville, TN 138 Ottawa, ON 140 Halifax, NS 162 Charlottetown, PE 167 San Francisco, CA 214 Boston, MA 218 New York, NY 293 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 Hydro-Québec = 100 Monthly bill (excluding tax) Rates in effect April 1, 2014 10 MEDIUM-POWER CUSTOMERS (100 TO 5,000 KW) Three consumption levels were analyzed for medium-power customers.