Heads Up, Monroe: Key Utility Rate Changes Coming in Feb 2026

A breakdown of the new City of Monroe utility notice and what it means for your monthly bills.

If you live in the City of Monroe, you likely received a notice recently regarding utility rate adjustments taking effect with bills due in February 2026.

Nobody loves a rate hike, but as we look at the local real estate and living landscape, it’s important to know exactly where those pennies are going. The City has cited rising costs for materials, system upgrades, and general inflation as the drivers behind these changes.

Here is the "plain English" breakdown of the changes so you can plan your 2026 budget accordingly.

⚡ Electric Service

There is a mix of increases and decreases here depending on how much power you use.

• Base Rate: The residential base rate is increasing by $2.50/month.

• The Good News (PCA Drop): The Power Cost Adjustment (PCA)—a variable fee often tied to fuel costs—is decreasing by nearly 94% (from .016 to .001). This helps offset some of the other hikes.

• Usage Rates:

• Summer: If you are a high user (>2000 kWh), your rate actually decreases slightly (-1.4%). Lower usage tiers see an increase between 3% and 7.6%.

• Winter: Rates are increasing across the board, ranging from roughly 3% to 7.6% depending on usage.

Perspective: Even with these changes, the City’s data shows that Monroe’s electric rates remain significantly lower than comparable 2025 GA Power rates.

💧 Water, Gas & Sewer

• Usage Fees: Expect a 1.5% increase for Natural Gas, Water, and Sewer consumption.

• Why? The notice points to the rising cost of chemicals, treatment, and infrastructure repair.

🗑️ Solid Waste / Garbage

• The Hike: All rates are increasing by 5%.

• The Numbers:

• Residential In-City: $35.67/month (+$1.70 increase)

• Residential Out-of-City: $37.75/month (+$1.79 increase)

• Why? This is driven by a 4% hike in landfill fees and higher hauling costs.

🌐 Residential Fiber Internet

• The Hike: Packages will increase by $5/month.

• Why? Increased bandwidth requirements for the system.

📊 The Big Picture (Budget)

For the analytically minded, the City’s overall Operating Budget is increasing by 2.1% (to ~$86M), but the Capital Budget (large projects/infrastructure) is actually decreasing by 20.7%.

What to Do Next?

These rates go into effect for bills due in February 2026. If you have specific questions about your usage tier or want to see the full commercial rate tables, you can visit www.monroega.com.

As always, if you have questions about how local infrastructure changes impact our property values or the real estate market in Walton County, just reply to this email or shoot me a text.