Rates & Fees - Painesville, OH

Electric Rates

Electric bills are based on a customer's rate class and the amount of electricity consumed. Every electric bill is broken down into three categories:

Customer Charge is a fixed fee charged to all customers for using Painesville power, regardless of usage.

	Residential Within City Limits	Residential Outside City Limits
2023	$12.50 / month	$14.25 / month
2024	$15.00 / month	$16.95 / month

KWH Charge is the actual number of kilowatt hours that you consume multiplied by the rate per kWh. The City of Painesville has a progressive rate structure, so as the number of kilowatt hours you use increases, the rate per kilowatt hour decreases. A detailed explanation of our rates can be found in Section 929 of City Ordinances.

	Residential Within City Limits	Residential Outside City Limits
2023	10.030 cents / kWh	11.434 cents / kWh
2024	10.015 cents / kWh	11.317 cents / kWh

Power Cost Factor is based on our actual cost to produce or buy the electricity that we deliver to you. The Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) occurs on a monthly basis and can change due to the market or major events effecting the wholesale power supply. Once the power cost factor is established it is multiplied by the total number of kilowatt hours that you use.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
2022	0.018560	0.019131	0.019867	0.019170	0.019201	0.019219	0.019463	0.019703	0.017048	0.015858	0.015545	0.014446
2023	0.012605	0.014037	0.014939	0.016613	0.016464	0.016365	0.017520	0.019240	0.020534	0.022183	0.022073	0.022863
2024	0.022733	0.024171	0.025273	0.024799	0.024895	0.023626	0.023060	0.022472	0.022171	0.021647

Commercial and industrial rate tables can be found in Section 929 of City Ordinances

Water Rates

The City of Painesville charges for water by the cubic foot, not the gallon. One cubic foot of water = 7.48 gallons. We bill in units of 100 cubic feet of water, so each unit of billed water = 748 gallons of water.

Water Improvement Fee is a monthly uniform fee for all customers. It is used for system maintenance: to repair and replace water lines, maintain the water plant and make general improvements to deliver the safest quality water.

Meter Size	5/8"	1"	1 1/4"	1 1/2"	2"	3"	4"	6"+
2022	$13.00	$14.62	$81.25	$121.88	$162.50	$195.00	$243.76	$284.38
2023	$13.50	$15.18	$84.37	$126.57	$168.75	$202.50	$253.13	$295.32
2024	$14.00	$15.75	$87.50	$131.25	$175.00	$210.00	$262.50	$306.25

Current Water Rate is billed per 100 cubic feet of water in accordance with Section 933.19 of City Ordinances.

Effective Date:	Within City Limits:	Outside City Limits:
January 1, 2022	$3.01	$4.48
January 1, 2023	$3.16	$4.70
January 1, 2024	$3.31	$4.93

Monthly Minimum Charge is the minimum charge you are billed no matter your consumption. Most residential customers are serviced with a 5/8” water meter. Some residential and business customers who have a greater demand for water volume (like irrigation systems) have 1” water meters. Larger businesses have water meters up to 6” in size with much higher minimum charges.

Meter Size	5/8"	1"	1 1/4"	1 1/2"	2"	3"	4"	6"	8"
Minimum Charge	4 units	9 units	12 units	16 units	24 units	40 units	80 units	140 units	200 units

Sewer Rates

Sewer charges are based on actual water consumption. We arrive at your monthly sewer charge by multiplying the total number of units of water used by the sewer rate. The minimum charges for sewer billing are 4 units for a 5/8” water meter and 9 units for a 1” water meter.

Effective Date:	Per 100 Cubic Foot
January 1, 2022	$5.57
January 1, 2023	$5.74
January 1, 2024	$5.91

Fees & Penalties

Utility Deposits: When a customer sets up service for a residential property, a deposit is required by the City of Painesville at the time of set up. If the occupant has a prior outstanding balance with the City from a previous residence, a new service cannot be placed in their name until that balance has been paid in full. Commercial and industrial customers should call the Utilities Billing Office at 440-392-5797 for more information.

For residential electric service, $100 deposit is required
For residential water, a 5/8" meter requires a $75 deposit and a 1" meter requires a $85 deposit

Late Fee: Utility bills are due every month as stated on your bill. After a seven (7) day grace period, a 5% penalty fee will be assessed for the unpaid amount of the bill for the current billing period. Mark that calendar and avoid late fees! For those who are able, auto pay is a great way to avoid late fees.

Returned Check Fee: Any payments returned by the bank will automatically be redeposited if applicable and a $10 returned fee will be incurred. If the payment is returned again (a second time), regardless of reason, charges will be applied back to the account and a $10 returned payment fee will be incurred. The returned payment is immediately considered past due and will be eligible for disconnect in the next shut off period.

Utility Rates FAQ

We get it, utility rates can be confusing. That's why we are committed to being as transparent as possible on what it costs to get every customer their service. That's just one of the benefits of being a public utility provider, we are community-owned and not driven by profits.

Q: Why is there a rate difference between city residents and outside city residents?

A: We focus on what it costs to provide a service to each customer and each customer is charged according to that cost. The difference in rate is a reflection on the increased costs (moving further away from the city) for us to provide utility infrastructure like poles, pipes, transformers, wires, etc. Homes and businesses are more spread out in the surrounding townships and communities than in the city center and we have to maintain that increased infrastructure. In addition, there is a higher risk associated with township customers because these customers are outside city corporation limits and therefore can leave the system. Any costs already incurred by us would then go unrecovered.

Q: Why do the rates of First Energy or a discount supplier look different than Painesville Electric?

A: Painesville Electric is a public power, not-for-profit utility. Municipal electric systems are locally-owned and governed. Our processes and procedures are made at public meetings and we are subject to freedom of information requests that allow us to be transparent and honest with our customers on where their money is being spent. As a public power utility, we are not motivated by profit. In contrast, First Energy is a for-profit, investor-owned utility (IOU). Their business model focuses on shareholder returns, prioritizing profit. They are a business that pays executives and leaders millions in salaries every year. Because they are profit-driven, they can lower and raise their rates as a business decision. Public power systems use a rate structure that is true to what it actually costs to supply power, not on a profit margin.

Q: Where does Painesville power come from?

For over 125 years, Painesville generated all the power its customers needed at the coal-fired plant located off Richmond Street. As the system expanded and the customer base grew, it became necessary to supplement the electric plant with outside power from the energy market. The market purchases were handled through Painesville’s membership with American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP), who served as the City’s power broker. AMP is a non-profit, member-based organization serving more than 135 communities in nine states. Today, the City buys all its base and intermediate power needs through energy market agreements and participation in power projects. Our portfolio is becoming more diverse to allow for a sustainable source of power for our customers. We still run our coal plant for peaking and demand response needs in the summer to keep costs down for our customers, following all EPA regulations.

Q: Where does Painesville water comer from?

Painesville water comes from beautiful Lake Erie. Our water plant sits adjacent to Mentor Headlands State Park and the Mentor Marsh, with an intake pipe running 4,000 feet into Lake Erie for our raw fresh water supply. Established in 1896, the Painesville Water plant has the capacity to pump up to 7.5 million gallons of water per a day and services over 128 miles of water mains.

Q: Where does storm and sewer water go?

The Painesville Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) is located on the Grand River off of N State Street by the city limits near Fairport Harbor. WPCP effectively treats the wastewater from homes, businesses, industries, schools, and land agencies which equates to more than 20,000 people. Wastewater and stormwater coming into the plant undergo a series of treatments including preliminary treatment, primary treatment, secondary treatment, tertiary treatment and disinfection before being discharged as cleaned water back to the Grand River,