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First rate increase in 10 years for Tidewater customers.

Tidewater Utilities

Tidewater Utilities’ customers will see an increase in their base rates for the first time in 10 years.

Tidewater filed for the increase last year asking for a 25% rate increase, amounting to another $10.3 million in revenue.

Delaware Public Advocate Jameson Tweedie says customers will not bear the full brunt of that increase

“Over a series of negotiations, we resulted in a final settlement that reduced that final request of roughly 25% down to an increase of 13%” Tweedie told DPM.

The Delaware Division of the Public Advocate says that for an average residential customer this will mean an increase of roughly $8 per month.

Part of the negotiations includes a refund of $1.1 million from Tidewater to its customers after a 2017 tax code alteration that resulted in excess deferred income tax to be held by the company.

“Through an expert that the Public Service Commission staff had, we worked very hard to make sure that the appropriate amount of that excess withholding was getting back to ratepayers” Tweedie said.

Rate changes were given an effective date of July 3rd, but customers may have already seen some increases after Tidewater introduced them on an interim basis on October 30th of last year.

Tidewater serves about 60,000 customers in Delaware, largely in Southern Delaware.

Isreal joined Delaware Public Media in July 2025.