CARIBOU, Maine – The Maine Public Utilities Commission has approved an overall 1.48-percent increase in water rates for Caribou Utilities District customers.
District General Manager Jon Helstrom announced the rate approval during a district board of trustees meeting Wednesday.
This fall, the district proposed the increase to align with the Maine PUC’s new streamlined process that allows utility districts to raise water rates by no more than 1.5 percent total every year to avoid leaving customers with larger rate hikes.
“We want to make things easier for customers by doing a small increase rather than a full-blown 20 to 25-percent increase,” Helstrom said in October.
As of Dec. 1, rates will go up by 1.37 percent for residential customers, 1.69 percent for commercial, 2.29 percent for industrial, 1.42 percent for government agencies, 1.54 percent for fire hydrant fees that the city pays and 1.56 percent for non-public entities with sprinkler systems on their properties.
That means the average Caribou customer would see their bill increase by less than one dollar per month, Helstrom said. For example, a homeowner with a ⅜–inch meter would pay $22.50 per month instead of $22.30 per month for 300 cubic feet of usage.
