Anaheim : City Electric Customers Might Not Get Refunds

Anaheim’s 105,000 electric customers may not receive refunds as part of an $11.34-million settlement to the city-owned power plant after the City Council this week recommended scrapping the idea of customer credits in favor of forestalling a rate increase.

Last month, the city officials postponed authorizing distribution of the funds--which stemmed from a rate lawsuit involving Anaheim’s power supplier, Southern California Edison, which supplies the local utility--after the Chamber of Commerce suggested the money be used to offset a 5.5% increase that was scheduled to go into effect Sept. 4.

Anaheim residents already had one electricity rate increase earlier this year, when the average household bill rose from $84.54 to $87.12 for a two-month billing period.

During a joint session with the public utilities board Tuesday, the council members recommended withholding the refund from a settlement between the city and Edison. The issue now goes back to the public utilities board.

Despite city officials’ eventual agreement to use the $11.34 million in refunds to offset this year’s increase, Anaheim residents can expect a rate hike by February, 1987, when Edison rates will be higher than Anaheim’s, said Gordon Hoyt, Anaheim’s public utilities manager.