Power Rates Possibly Changing For Local Consumers

Idaho Falls Power supplies electricity to its customers at among the lowest rates in the nation. However, prices for this everyday necessity may be going up in two years.

The company gets about 40 percent of its supply from hydroelectric power and the rest from the Bonneville Power Administration.

“Our rates from Bonneville Power Administration — the power supply, are actually fixed through the 2013 time frame,” said Bear Prairie, manager of Idaho Falls Power. “So that’s not a moving number for the next fiscal year.”

For local flower shop Floral Art, power is something they use 24/7.

“Literally as you walk around our shop, you see all of the lights on, the coolers at the front of the store and the huge cooler in the back,” said Marsha Allahar, manager of Floral Art.

For Floral Art, freshness is key. Therefore, keeping flowers in refrigerated spacees is essential. Different flowers need to be kept in different temperatures, so the shop is equipped with more than four coolers which are left on long after the shop closes for the night.

“One aspect is bringing in tropical flowers from Hawaii, and that cooler needs to be maintained at a higher temperature than the others,” said Allahar. “The back cooler needs to be at a different temperature than the four coolers in the front.”

Allahar said the low rates offered by Idaho Falls Power allows the business to sell their products at an affordable price.

“Naturally, when the rates are lower, we can pass the low rates on to our customers, and that’s valuable for everybody,” said Allahar.

Rates for 2014 have yet to be determined.