Electrical bills on Oahu drop amid decline in fuel prices

Hawaiian Electric Co. gifted Oahu households roughly $1 on their electrical bills this month, continuing the downward trend after November marked the lowest price in more than five years.

The bill for a typical household using 500 kilowatt-hours on Oahu is $131.47 — 85 cents less than what customers paid in November. It is less than 1 percent lower than the typical bill in November when Oahu customers’ costs declined $4.63 on average from October prices to $132.32.

The decrease is largely due to lower fuel prices, according to HECO, the state’s largest utility provider with service to Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii island.

“Changes are due to fuel and purchased energy costs,” HECO spokesman Peter Rosegg said. “As noted last month, these remain the lowest levels in more than five years for Oahu and Maui and in more than six years for Hawaii island.”

The price per kilowatt-hour on Oahu decreased to 24.2 cents this month from 24.4 cents in November. But despite the consecutive five-year low, Hawaii still has the highest electrical rates in the nation due in part to the state’s dependence on imported oil for most of its power.

Hawaii’s price of electricity is more than double the national average, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Isle residents paid an average of 28.2 cents a kilowatt-hour in October while the national average was 12.7 cents in the same month.

In 2014, oil made up roughly 71.3 percent of the energy mix of HECO and its subsidiaries. HECO imports oil mainly from Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Other states use natural gas, hydro­electric power, coal or nuclear power, which keep costs low. Currently, 22 percent of the electricity needs of HECO’s customers are coming from renewable energy, such as wind farms and solar.

The residential rate for Hawaii Electric Light Co. customers on the Big Island decreased to 30.1 cents a kilowatt-hour from 30.3 cents in November, when the average bill was $163.20. The December bill for a household using 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity is $162.59.

Maui Electric Co. customers will see a slight increase in rates to 26.4 cents per kilowatt-hour from 26.3 cents in November. A household using 500 kilowatt-hours will pay $142.07, up from $141.57 last month.

The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative dropped its rate to 31.1 cents a kilowatt-hour in December, from 31.8 cents a kilowatt-hour in November. The bill for a household using 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity, including a $10.58 customer base charge, is $166.13, down from $169.33.

Average monthly usage varies by island. The typical bill of 500 kilowatt-hours is used to make comparisons. Monthly bills include the cost according to the kilowatt-hours used plus other charges.

The typical customer bill on Lanai and Molokai is measured with electrical use at 400 kilowatt-hours due to lower energy use, HECO said.

Maui Electric Co. customers on Molokai using 400 kilowatt-hours of electricity will pay an average of $134.63 with effective rates of 31.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, up from 30.7 cents per kilowatt-hour in November, when the typical bill was $132.73.

Customers on Lanai using 400 kilowatt-hours of electricity will pay 33.1 cents per kilowatt-hour, up from 32.2 cents per kilowatt-hour in November. Lanai residents will pay $142.35 in December, compared with $138.86 in November.