Georgia Power has filed a plan with the Georgia Public Service Commission to reduce its fuel rates by an additional 15 percent. This new reduction, if approved by the PSC, is expected to lower the total monthly bill of the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month by approximately $4.60, beginning June 1.  The reduction in the company's fuel rate is primarily driven by lower natural gas prices due in part to increased natural gas supplies. When combined with a previous fuel rate reduction which went into effect in January, the same Georgia Power residential customer will pay nearly $10 less in fuel costs each month. 

In addition, last week, Georgia Power announced that its base electric rates will remain flat through 2019. This three-year base rate assurance for all of the company's 2.5 million customers followed a vote by the Georgia PSC on an agreement connected to the pending merger of Southern Company (the parent company of Georgia Power) and AGL Resources.

Due to proactive planning and a continued commitment to developing a diverse and balanced fuel mix, Georgia Power is able to take advantage of lower natural gas prices and pass these savings along to customers. New natural gas generation in place serving customers today includes Plant McDonough-Atkinson and Plant Yates. Additionally, thousands of new solar panels are also being installed across Georgia with carbon-free new nuclear generation at Plant Vogtle scheduled to come online beginning in 2019. 

Georgia Power consistently offers rates that are below the national average. Over the past 26 years, the company's total retail rate has averaged more than 13 percent below the national average. The company's total retail price of 9.22 cents per kilowatt-hour at the end of 2015 was more than 14 percent below the national average. Georgia Power also works every day to help customers save money and energy through a variety of energy efficiency programs and services ranging from easy energy tips and rebates to energy tracking tools such as My Power Usage and in-home energy audits.