Delmarva Power to Implement Electric Delivery Rate Increase in Delaware

Delmarva Power today announced that it will implement its electric delivery rate increase request, effective April 19, 2010, which will be subject to refund, with interest, following Delaware Public Service Commission’s review.

Delmarva Power has not increased its electric delivery rates for 15 years. The last electric delivery rate increase occurred in 1995. The monthly bill impact of the rate increase on a residential customer with average usage is about $4.96, or 3.3 percent. The impact on larger commercial and industrial customers will vary by usage.

Delmarva Power filed for the electric delivery rate increase in September 2009. According to Delaware law, a utility is permitted to put the requested rate increase into effect seven months following its filing date. This rate increase is subject to refund to customers, with interest, if the Commission’s final approval of electric delivery rates is less than the rates implemented by Delmarva Power.

The delivery rates, which represent about 25 percent of a customer’s bill, are separate from the supply rate, which makes up about 75 percent of the total bill. Delivery rates reflect the costs of providing the infrastructure (such as poles, wires and equipment), system, employees and services necessary to move electricity through the wires to customers. The company said its additional revenue request reflects rising capital investment costs required to continue to provide its Delaware customers with safe and reliable electric service. Delmarva Power delivers electricity to approximately 300,000 homes and businesses in Delaware.

Delmarva Power, a public utility owned by Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), provides safe and reliable energy to more than 500,000 electric delivery customers in Delaware and Maryland and over 121,000 natural gas delivery customers in northern Delaware.