An electricity billing error has cost Kingfisher an estimated $65,000 in lost revenue, but City Manager Dave Slezickey said utility customers won’t be asked to pay the difference.

“We have been billing for winter rates for April, May, June and July usage,” he said. “Residents using over 800 kilowatt hours paid a penny less per kWh than they should have. Commercial customers using over 3,000 kWh paid a penny and a half less.”

As temperatures rise and electric consumption increases, the city pays more for its power and usually passes that additional cost on to customers in the form of higher rates in the spring and summer.

“We thought that the changes were made this year and possibly they were and just did not get saved in the billing software program, and in the madness of COVID and learning a new way to operate and function daily, it wasn’t realized until today,” Slezickey said Monday.

“Due to COVID’s impact on the economy, we do not feel right requesting back pay from our customers for an error that they had no control over and that was our fault.”

Slezickey said to prevent future problems, two staff members have been assigned to independently verify correct rates have been applied before bills are printed each month.

“We are also looking at the possibility of an annual flat rate for the entire year as we are in the process of a rate study to recommend adjustments to our rates that have not changed since 2015,” he said.