Naperville unanimously approves utility rate hike

Naperville residents will see an increase in their utility bill starting in January.

Despite concerns about the financial impact on seniors and low-income residents, the Naperville City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved higher electric, water and sewer rates for the next three years to help pay for infrastructure projects.

For the average homeowner paying $188.55 a month for utilities, the rate hike will add $4 to $5 to their monthly bill in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The increase is smaller next year because the electric rate hike won't take effect until 2023.

Former councilman Dick Furstenau spoke at Tuesday's meeting about the hardship that will be felt by residents who live in all-electric homes and rely on electric heating, cooling and cooking.

"There were a lot of all-electric buildings built in this town, a lot of apartment buildings," Furstenau said. "They use a lot of electricity on the furnaces, and that gets to be expensive in the wintertime. Most of the people who rent those units are low-income people. They pay the rent, but it's difficult."

Councilman Benjamin White suggested that the city staff look into ways to help residents who will struggle with the rate increase, an idea backed by other council members.

"We've had a few emails that have come across, especially from some of our seniors that are concerned about the rates going up for them," White said. "Granted, it may not seem like a lot for many of us, but many of our seniors are on fixed incomes."

Councilman Paul Leong defended the increase, saying the residents on the public utility board unanimously supported it. He also said Naperville's rates remain competitive compared to surrounding suburbs, and an underused assistance program already exists for residents.

Darrell Blenniss, the city's director of the water utility, said at a previous city council meeting that even with the rate increase, Naperville residents still will pay less than residents in Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Plainfield, Wheaton, Winfield, Woodridge and unincorporated DuPage County.

"The idea of our rates being high is exaggerated," Leong said. "I think we have some of the lowest rates in the area, certainly amongst our peers. I'd like to move forward in terms of making this long-term capital investment to improve the system."

According to Brian Groth, director of the city's electric utility, money from the electric rate increase will help pay for upgrades at a substation along the Reagan Tollway. Blenniss said the water and sewer rate increase will fund an additional three miles of water main replacements a year and help upgrade the Springbrook Water Reclamation Center.