City of Seaford Adopts Customer Charge in Electric Rates


The City of Seaford is adopting a Customer Charge in its electric rates. This action will remove a corresponding dollar amount from the energy rates to create this Customer Charge. As a result virtually all of the City's electric customers will see no difference in the current amount of their electric bills. The Customer Charge is also being introduced at the same time the City's Power Cost Adjustment Clause rate is going down, so all customers will see a reduction in their monthly electric bills.

The Customer Charge is an industry standard charge to collect some of the fixed cost of electric services. These fixed costs may include some of the cost of administration services, monthly billing and meter reading, tree trimming, and some of the carrying costs for transformers, wires, poles, meters and other infrastructure used to provide the customer electrical service.

In the past the City of Seaford has charged for all its infrastructure, administration and billing services in the energy charge within its electric rates. However with a changing industry there is the need to lower electric energy charges and to collect some of the fixed costs in a separate Customer Charge. The use of a Customer Charge will provide a stable source of revenues to provide for the supply of electricity to all customers. This change will allow the City of Seaford to sustain our distribution system and continues to provide reliable electric service.

Currently nine (9) of the eleven (11) Delaware electric utilities have implemented a Customer Charge. The Customer Charge implemented by the City will be the lowest Customer Charges currently in place by any of the nine (9) Delaware electric utilities. For example Delmarva Power currently has a $9.35/month Customer Charge and Delaware Electric Cooperative has a $7.95/month Customer Charge.

City of Seaford Announces 2013 Earth Day Tree Raffle Winner


The City of Seaford congratulates Austin Kraft for winning the City of Seaford 2013 Earth Day Tree raffle!

Austin won a free Sycamore Tree and has chosen to donate the tree to the City of Seaford. In his words "This is great! I am very excited to win and donate the tree." The Sycamore Tree is a Delaware native that provides welcome shade on hot days. These trees, when planted to shade homes and businesses, can help customers realize an energy savings by naturally blocking the sun to reduce summer cooling costs. Sycamores perform well in a variety of soil and growing conditions making them an excellent addition to almost any location. This long lived tree also absorbs atmospheric carbon which is a greenhouse gas. Reducing atmospheric carbon is just one step towards mitigating global warming and while this single tree will not solve the problem one more helper doesn't hurt.

The 2013 Earth Day Tree raffle is part of the City of Seaford Earth Day Education campaign to teach its citizens more about energy efficiency and conservation. The City of Seaford provided a display at town hall for the public to learn more about this year's overall message: Think Locally, Act Locally, and Buy Locally.

Thinking Locally - Means asking ourselves to think about:
  • "The uniqueness of our community,
  • "How we sometimes waste our limited resources, and
  • "How to use resources more sustainably to retain the natural beauty of the local environment

Acting Locally - Means taking action to help ourselves and our community:
  • "Save money on electricity costs through simple low and no cost energy efficiency measures,
  • "Relate energy efficiency and conservation as a means to reduce local carbon emissions, and
  • "Take direct personal action by entering a raffle to win a tree that not only absorbs carbon but also reduces summer cooling costs through free shading

Buying Locally - Means we should seek local resources first because:
  1. Imported food typically travels farther and requires more fuel to get from field to plate,
  2. Local trips can sometimes be handled on foot or bike which reduces vehicle miles traveled and saves energy, and
  3. Reducing the amount of congestion on the roads can improve local air quality

To learn more about how to save energy, visit the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC) website www.demecinc.net

DEMEC was formed in 1979 as a public corporation constituted as a Joint Action Agency and a wholesale electric utility. DEMEC represents and serves the nine municipal electric distribution utilities located in the State of Delaware.

Members of DEMEC are the cities and towns of Clayton, Dover, Lewes, Middletown, Milford, New Castle, Newark, Seaford and Smyrna. Collectively, they serve over 100,000 residents and businesses in their respective communities. In total DEMEC's Members have a peak load over 450 Megawatts. DEMEC is a generation owner and the PJM Load Serving Entity ("LSE") for eight of these municipal utilities (except Dover) and provides 100% of their wholesale power supply requirements.

Applications Are Now Being Accepted For The Mayor's Right Choice Award

The City of Seaford is proud to announce that applications for the Mayor's Right Choice Award are now being accepted. This award is given to a high school senior who resides in the Seaford School District and has made the right choices in life, exhibited a positive influence on the Seaford Community and maintained a drug free lifestyle. This award will be presented at the regular meeting of Mayor and Council on May 28, 2013. The winner will receive an engraved plaque and $500.

Applications can be picked up at City Hall, 414 High Street, Monday through Friday (8:00 a.m. - 5 p.m.), or from the guidance offices of Seaford High School, Seaford Christian Academy, Sussex Technical High School and Delmarva Christian High School or from the link below. The deadline for submitting completed applications is May 10, 2013. They may be submitted by mail (P.O. Box 1100, Seaford, DE 19973) or by fax (629-9307) to the attention of Trisha Newcomer. Questions should also be directed to Mrs. Newcomer at 629-9173.

Click here for Mayor's Right Choice Application

Seaford Historical Society Seeks New Members

The Seaford Historical Society is looking for new memebers to help preserve, protect and present the history of the Seaford area.

Members receive free admission to the Seaford Museum and the Ross Mansion. Annual membership fees for an individual are $20/yr. or for a familiy $35/yr. Lifetime membership fees are $300/Individual and $600/Family.

For more information contact Pat Shannon at 302-629-4972 or visit the Seaford Museum Thursday - Sunday 1-4 pm or by calling the Museum at 302-628-9828.

Notice to all Commercial and Industrial Customers:

The City of Seaford is pleased to announce that we will be offering commercial and industrial class customers the opportunity to participate in the PJM Demand Response Program. Qualifying customers with the ability to reduce their electric loads by a minimum of 100 kilo-watts within 2 hours advance notice will receive direct payments for participation in the program. Other conditions also apply. Registration for the Demand Response Program must be provided by a Curtailment Service Provider (CSP) registered with PJM and authorized by the City of Seaford. As of this date, the only CSP authorized by the City of Seaford is Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC). If you are approached by anyone other than DEMEC or the City of Seaford with regard to the Demand Response Program, or if you are interested in participating in the Demand Response Program, contact Rick Garner, Director of Power at 629-9173.