Reno City Council offers solutions to NV Energy over plan to increase basic service charge [Video]

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) –Reno City Council voted to make recommendations to NV Energy regarding a proposal to increase the basic service charge.

NV Energy is proposing to increase the monthly fixed rate and decrease the variable rate paid for each unit of energy a customer consumes:

“The basic charge is how much people need to pay before they even turn on a light switch,” says Olivia Tanager, executive director of the Toiyabe Chapter for the Sierra Club.

The basic service charge helps maintain the wires, poles and equipment (like meters on homes) to deliver energy to homes and businesses.

Ryan Bellows, the vice president for Government and External Relations at NV Energy, says, “The application has two components to increase the base rate but decrease the use rate so overall bills should remain the same.”

Bellows also says they have taken the customer’s concern into account.

“One of the concerns that was expressed by council members and people here is that …