Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Corporation (SLEMCO) Rate Selection Guide
Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Corporation (SLEMCO) is a member-owned electric cooperative serving roughly 117,000 members across the Acadiana region of South Louisiana. Members access billing and usage data through the NISC SmartHub portal and app; SLEMCO is mid-rollout of Honeywell AMI smart meters that will broaden 15-minute interval data availability.
Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Corporation (SLEMCO) Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Commercial (Rate 11) | Commercial | Customer charge + per-kWh energy (no demand); ~12.15 c/kWh avg commercial (reported) | Small commercial accounts |
| Large Commercial (Rate 12) | Commercial | Customer + per-kWh energy + per-kW demand (LPSC tariff figures) | Demand-metered commercial loads |
| Industrial / Large Power | Industrial | Three-part demand rate; ~9.43 c/kWh avg industrial (reported) | High load-factor industrial sites |
Market Overview
SLEMCO is a member-owned cooperative whose rates are approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Louisiana cooperative members have no retail supplier choice; SLEMCO provides bundled service and purchases all wholesale power, passing through power and fuel costs via the Power Cost Adjustment.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Corporation (SLEMCO) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
SLEMCO's rate schedules are filed with and approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC). Commercial members are served under Rate 10/11/12 classes; larger commercial and industrial loads take demand-metered service that combines an energy charge, a per-kW demand charge, and a fixed customer charge. A Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) and Base Energy Rate Adjustment (BEA) pass through wholesale power and fuel costs on all schedules. Per-component dollar figures for C&I schedules are not published on SLEMCO's website; the verified averages below come from the most recent reported data, and exact rates should be confirmed in the LPSC tariff. SLEMCO owns no generation and buys all power wholesale.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Commercial (Rate 11) | commercial | Residential and small commercial customers with at least a 12-month billing history of normal consumption at the present location. | Energy-only structure: fixed customer/service charge plus a per-kWh energy charge, with PCA and BEA adjustments. No demand charge. Per-kWh figures are set in the LPSC-approved tariff; SLEMCO's average commercial rate is approximately 12.15 cents/kWh (reported). | — |
| General / Commercial Service (Rate 10) | commercial | General commercial accounts not qualifying for small-commercial or large demand-metered service. | Customer charge plus per-kWh energy charge; larger accounts may carry a per-kW demand component. PCA and BEA adjustments apply. Exact per-component rates are in the LPSC tariff. | — |
| Large Commercial / Power Service (Rate 12) | commercial | Larger commercial accounts above small-commercial thresholds; demand-metered service. | Three-part structure: fixed customer charge, per-kWh energy charge, and a per-kW billing-demand charge based on measured peak demand. PCA and BEA pass-through apply. Dollar figures are set in the LPSC tariff. | — |
| Industrial / Large Power Service | industrial | Industrial members with large connected load; service available upon request / by contract. | Demand-metered three-part rate (customer + energy + demand), typically with the lowest per-kWh energy of any class reflecting high load factor; SLEMCO's average industrial rate is approximately 9.43 cents/kWh (reported). PCA and BEA apply. Exact rates per the LPSC tariff and individual contract. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial account
Energy-only small commercial service (Rate 11) suits low-demand businesses with at least a year of history.
No demand charge means total cost is driven by kWh and the PCA/BEA, so the main lever is usage reduction.
- Confirm eligibility (12-month history) with SLEMCO
- Watch the PCA/BEA line items for variability
- Use SmartHub analytics to find waste
Demand-metered commercial (Rate 12)
Larger commercial accounts on demand-metered service should prioritize peak management.
A per-kW demand charge is added once accounts are demand-metered, so shaving the monthly peak yields the largest savings.
- Request interval/AMI data to identify peaks
- Stagger equipment startups and shift load off peaks
- Confirm the per-kW demand rate in the LPSC tariff
Industrial / large power site
High load-factor industrial sites benefit most from demand-rate economics and load-factor improvement.
SLEMCO's industrial average (~9.43 c/kWh) reflects favorable demand-rate economics for steady, high-utilization loads.
- Maximize load factor to lower blended c/kWh
- Negotiate contract terms with SLEMCO for large loads
- Combine peak management with on-site generation where viable
Member evaluating solar / DG
Net metering lets members offset consumption with on-site generation; interval data supports sizing.
Offsetting peak-period consumption with solar reduces both energy and (on demand-metered accounts) demand charges.
- Pull interval data to size the system to load
- Review SLEMCO interconnection requirements
- Model net-metering credits against the applicable rate
Historical Rate Trends
SLEMCO's rates change through LPSC-approved adjustments, with the Power Cost Adjustment and Base Energy Rate Adjustment varying month to month with wholesale power and fuel costs. SLEMCO has communicated recent rate changes (the 'New Rates' announcement and fuel cost rate increases) to members.
January 1, 2025
SLEMCO announced new rates and fuel-cost-driven adjustments affecting member bills.
n/aOverall trend: Recent rate changes communicated to members; PCA/BEA fluctuate with wholesale power and fuel markets.
Next expected change: Adjustments occur via LPSC-approved filings and periodic PCA/BEA updates; confirm current rates with SLEMCO or the LPSC tariff.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For SLEMCO C&I members, the largest levers are managing peak demand on demand-metered schedules and minimizing exposure to the variable PCA/BEA. Verifying the correct rate class and load factor is the first step.
Reduce peak demand (kW)
For: Demand-metered commercial and industrial
On demand-metered schedules (Rate 12 / industrial), the per-kW billing-demand charge is set by the monthly peak. Load-shifting, peak shaving, and staggering equipment startups lower the demand charge.
Improve load factor
For: Demand-metered C&I
Spreading consumption more evenly raises load factor and lowers the effective per-kWh cost on demand-metered rates - a key reason SLEMCO's industrial average (~9.43 c/kWh) is below the commercial average (~12.15 c/kWh).
Confirm correct rate class
For: All C&I accounts
Ensure the account is on the most economical schedule for its size and usage pattern (e.g., small-commercial energy-only vs. demand-metered). Request a rate review from SLEMCO Commercial Services.
Track PCA/BEA pass-through
For: All members
The Power Cost Adjustment and Base Energy Rate Adjustment move with wholesale and fuel costs. Monitoring these helps time discretionary load and budget accurately.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Corporation (SLEMCO) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a commercial or industrial member get interval (15-minute) data from SLEMCO?▾
Members with Honeywell AMI meters can view usage in SmartHub; finer interval data is expanding as the rollout completes. For historical 15-minute or hourly data, submit an authorized request to customer.service@slemco.com or call 337-896-5200; SLEMCO delivers via CSV/XML through its meter data management system, typically in 5-15 business days.
Does SLEMCO offer Green Button or an API for third-party energy managers?▾
Green Button Download My Data is emerging on SLEMCO's NISC SmartHub platform but is not formally advertised; Green Button Connect My Data (automated API) has not launched. There is no public developer API. The supported third-party path is a customer Letter of Authorization request, or contacting NISC about SmartHub partner access.
How are SLEMCO commercial and industrial rates structured?▾
SLEMCO rate schedules are filed with and approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Commercial service uses Rate 10/11/12 classes; larger commercial and industrial accounts move to demand-metered schedules combining an energy charge, a per-kW demand charge, and a customer charge. A Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) and Base Energy Rate Adjustment (BEA) pass through wholesale power and fuel costs. Exact per-component figures are in the LPSC tariff; consult SLEMCO or the LPSC filing for current rates.
What does SLEMCO charge commercial and industrial members on average?▾
Based on the most recent reported data, SLEMCO's average commercial rate is about 12.15 cents/kWh and the average industrial rate is about 9.43 cents/kWh, with roughly 9,100 commercial and 25 industrial accounts. Actual billed rates depend on the assigned schedule, demand, and the monthly PCA/BEA adjustments.
Can a third party access data without the member's login credentials?▾
Yes. The recommended path is a signed Letter of Authorization or Power of Attorney submitted to SLEMCO Customer Service, after which SLEMCO delivers the data directly. When Green Button Download is available, a member can also download and share their own ESPI file. Credential sharing is discouraged.
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