COOL SUMMER PROVES TO BE A MONEY-SAVER FOR UE CUSTOMERS

The fifth coolest summer in 47 years in Cape Girardeau proved to be a real cost saver for electric customers of Union Electric Co.

And UE customers may get another break early next year, if a proposed reduction in electric rates is approved.

The utility reported its third quarter (July-September) operating revenues suffered from a five percent drop in kilowatt-hour sales because of the cool summer weather.

UE residential electric customers, including those in its Southeast Missouri region, used 13 percent fewer kilo-watt hours during July, August and September than they did last year.

Unusually cool temperatures most of the summer reduced the need for home air conditioning.

The utility said kilowatt-hour sales to its commercial customers decreased less than one percent from last year's third quarter, and industrial sales rose five percent during the same period.

According to Al Robertson, climatologist and professor of earth science at Southeast Missouri State University, the average temperature for the 92-day period (June 1-Aug. 31) was 75.7 degrees, down nearly two (1.9) degrees from the long-term average of 77.6 degrees.

Robertson said August, normally one of the warmest months of summer, was particularly cool this year. The average monthly temperature of 73.6 degrees was down nearly four (3.8) degrees from the long-term average, making it the third coolest August here on record.

Robertson said there were only 24 days during the summer period when the afternoon high was at or above 90 degrees. The hottest day so far this year was 95 degrees, on June 17.

To illustrate in another way, Robertson said the number of cooling degree days (CDDs) in Cape Girardeau for the 92-day period was down 8.5 percent.

A cooling degree day is defined as the difference, plus or minus, the actual daily average temperature from the base temperature of 65 degrees. Robertson said 65 degrees is considered the ideal temperature for most people, when neither air conditioning nor heating is needed in the home.

During June, the number of CDDs dropped 22 percent, followed by a slight, two percent increase in July. However, Robertson said the number of CDDs plunged over 30 percent in August, reflecting the unseasonably cool temperatures that month.

William E. Cornelius, chairman and chief executive officer of the company, said the cool summer and lower demand for electricity offset gains that were made in reduced operating and interest costs.

"Expense reductions and lower interest charges offset a sharp, weather-related decline in electric revenues," said Cornelius.

Union Electric reported third quarter earnings of $163 million, or $1.60 per share, were identical to results UE posted for the year-earlier quarter.

The unusually mild summer and early fall weather coupled with expenses for refueling the company's Callaway nuclear power plant earlier this year, caused the decline in year-to-date (Sept. 30) earnings. Callaway, which is routinely refueled every 18 months, continues to operate at over 90 percent capacity, excluding refueling time.

Union Electric serves more than 1.1 million customers in a 25,000-square-mile territory that covers most of eastern Missouri and small portions of Illinois and Iowa. The company recently announced a proposed 2.5 percent electric rate reduction in Missouri, beginning in January 1993.