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Council liaison clarifies Seaford gets power through DEMEC, not Delmarva Power; cites 2024 rate increase
Summary
Councilman Mike Bradley told the council Seaford purchases power through Delaware Municipal Electric Cooperative (DEMEC) rather than Delmarva Power, described a citywide 6% increase in 2024 and said recent cold weather has raised local usage.
Councilman Mike Bradley used his liaison report on Feb. 18 to clarify that the City of Seaford buys electricity through the Delaware Municipal Electric Cooperative (DEMEC) and not from Delmarva Power.
Bradley said complaints about higher bills after a Delmarva rate increase had led some residents to assume Seaford purchases power from Delmarva Power. He said the city is a DEMEC member and that the membership allows municipalities to purchase power at lower cost than retail suppliers. “We do not purchase electricity from Delmarva Power,” Bradley said.
Bradley said the city experienced a 6% increase in 2024, implemented across two months (reported as August and September), and that cold weather in January had increased municipal usage: he reported a 32% increase in kilowatt usage at his own property compared with the previous January. Bradley also recounted a brief power interruption that he said damaged his fire‑panel equipment.
City Manager Charles Anderson was referenced as serving on DEMEC’s board; Bradley thanked the city manager and staff for working to keep rates affordable and said he planned to continue visiting the electric department. The remarks were part of a routine liaison report and the council took no formal action on the matter at the Feb. 18 meeting.
