The average household will see their utility rates increase by $1.07 per month after Red Deer City Council approved the rate change.
The rate changes, effective March 1, affect water, wastewater and garbage and recycling rates. Residents will see the rate changes on their April utility bills.
“Water conservation can play an important role in your overall utility bill,” said Tim Ainscough, Red Deer Environmental Services Manager. “For example, a household that uses 5 cubic metres will see a decrease of 3.7 per cent this year, while a household that uses 17 cubic metres of water will see an increase of 0.3 per cent.”
The city reviews utility rates every year and adjusts them to meet budget needs. Inflation, growth and the services provided impact the amount of revenue the city needs to generate from the utility rates, Ainscough said.
For water, the variable cost per cubic metre will increase to $1.47 from $1.40 a year ago. Based on a typical 17,000 litres of water used by a household this means an increase to $41.04 from $39.85 in 2016, a three per cent increase.
The wastewater variable cost will also increase to $1.47, but from $1.35 in 2016. However, this increase is offset by the fixed fee, which drops to $18.35 from $21.10, a 2.2 per cent decrease.
The garbage and yard waste pick-up fee will increase by 3.4 per cent to $13.35 while the single family recycling fee increases by 5.2 per cent to $7.05 and the multi-family recycling fee increases by five per cent to $4.20.