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The cost of everyday items has risen dramatically over the years. That's no secret. Filling up at the pump or loading a cart full of groceries is all it takes to understand the rising cost of most consumer goods.

But what about electricity? As one of our most important resources, it powers every aspect of our homes and lives. It's abundant. It's reliable. We depend on it for just about everything.

It also happens to be one of the most affordable resources you can buy, as electric prices have remained relatively low and stable compared to most consumer goods.

Let's look at breakfast, for example. Some of the common morning staples are coffee, eggs and bacon. Over a little more than the last decade (since October 2010), those same items have all increased in price. Ground coffee rose from an average of $3.91 per pound to roughly $4.40. Eggs went from $1.46 per dozen to $1.84. And bacon? It rose from $4.11 per pound to a staggering $7.20.

Here are a few other common resources that have shown similar increases to their average costs in that time span, compared to electric costs.

Consumer Goods Oct. 2010-Oct. 2021	Utilities/Services Oct. 2010-Oct. 2021	Electricity (per kWh) Oct. 2010-Oct. 2021
White bread (per pound) $1.41 to $1.58	Cable (per month $75 to $116	$0.12 to $0.13
Ground beef (per pound) $2.98 to $4.79	Cell phone (per month) $54 to $127
Gasoline (per gallon) $2.80 to $3.27

Yes - electricity is such an affordable and abundant resource that your cost per kilowatt hour (kWh), as a West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) member, has risen just one cent since October 2010.

But why has electricity remained such a good value, especially compared to others? Those other resources have risen in cost due to a number of factors, including inflation and supply and demand. When demand for certain goods and the cost to produce those goods increases at the same time, the cost to the consumer goes up.

Electricity, too, operates under the law of supply and demand and features production costs (the "fixed
costs" required to maintain infrastructure and generate power). However, your energy experts at WFEC employ strategies that help manage peak demand. Coupled with an increased reliance on cheap natural gas, an abundant resource that has been available at low costs for several years, these strategies help keep rates stable.

Equally as impressive, electric cooperatives maintain more miles of power lines per member than other electric utilities. Even though co-ops power fewer members per miles of line compared to other utilities, WFEC will always go the extra mile for the members we proudly serve. It is impressive that cooperatives in the United States only serve an average of 8 members per miles of line while other utilities serve an average of 32 consumers per mile of line. And while electric rates have gone up slightly over the years, WFEC's rates remain comparable to other utilities in the area.

At WFEC, it's our mission to provide you, the member, with reliable and affordable power. We know you depend on us to meet that need. We'll always be here for you, making decisions to serve you and keep affordable power flowing to your home or business.