LaGRANGE – Keeping the lights on in LaGrange may be cheaper than in other cities according to a recent report.

City leaders were amped to announce early this week that in a recent ranking, the city of LaGrange’s utility services had received a good rating on Georgia’s Public Service Commission’s Residential Rates Survey for winter 2016. The surveys are conducted biannually on all electric providers in Georgia.

“The most recent PSC residential rate survey for electric ranked LaGrange 10 out of 9 for utilities and low rates,” said City Manager Meg Kelsey. “… We are 17.8 percent below Diverse (Power) and 21.3 percent below Georgia Power.”

The city of LaGrange’s charges were listed at $230.28 for 2,000 kilowatt hours or $.1151 per kilowatt hour. In comparison, Georgia Power Company’s charges were listed at $276.79 for 2,000 kilowatt hours or $.1384 per kilowatt hour. Diverse Power’s charges were listed as $269.00 for 2,000 kilowatt hours or $.1384 per kilowatt hour.

“That is very, very good news for the citizens of LaGrange,” said Mayor Jim Thornton.

The city is a member of a nonprofit public power organization known as the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia which is rated the top 15 of 2000 public power supply companies in terms of annual megawatt hour sales. MEAG Power provides power through two nuclear and two coal fired generating plants that it co-owns and a natural gas combined cycle facility that it has sole ownership of according to MEAG’s website.

LaGrange’s utility rates are set locally, and all profits generated by utility systems are used to fund traditional city services and offset property taxes, according to the city’s website. The city does not charge a property tax.

The city council plans to meet again on Jan. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at 200 Ridley Ave.