NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) —Nashville Electric Service customers will see a rate increase on their bills beginning in October.

The scheduled NES increase will raise the average residential customer’s monthly bill by 3.6%, according to the utility. Commercial customers will experience a monthly bill increase of approximately 3%.

NES said the planned rate increase is a direct result of the utility’s commitment to constantly improve reliability and improve infrastructure. Even with these changes, NES rates are still about 16% lower than the national average, according to NES.

The last NES rate increase was in 2017.

According to a press release, the proposed rates are based on a 2021 cost-of-service study and will better align with the costs of providing service. NES implements rate increases of 3%-5% every three to five years to cover the costs of serving Middle Tennessee.

“Rate increases allow us to honor our commitment to our customers by providing safe, reliable service,” NES President and CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin said. “We understand the burden of scheduled rate increases and want to help those who need additional assistance to make ends meet and keep their lights on.” For more information on bill assistance, customers should visit NEShelps.com or contact customer relations at 615-736-6900.

NES reported tiered service charges were implemented in 2017 to help reduce rate increase impacts to customers with lower energy usage. While there is a new tier for customers who use more than 6,000 kilowatts of energy, the average residential customer still uses less than 1,100 kilowatts of energy per month.

Residential customers who have been at their residence for more than 12 months may also apply for Balanced Billing; the program is designed to average the cost of their home’s energy use over 12 months to better manage seasonal increases. Click here for more.