10,000+? For how long?

[merrylander]

Power generation should never be left to private industry. I just bought a bigger emergency generator because of all the power failures we have here with BG&E and their parent Constipation Energy. When I lived in Quebec (Hydro Quebec) and Ontario (Ontario Hydro) power failures were such a rarity that anyone there selling emergency generators would go broke. The rates are also half what they are here.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Power generation should never be left to private industry.

No component of critical infrastructure should be in private hands. That means health care too.

I just bought a bigger emergency generator because of all the power failures we have here with BG&E and their parent Constipation Energy. When I lived in Quebec (Hydro Quebec) and Ontario (Ontario Hydro) power failures were such a rarity that anyone there selling emergency generators would go broke. The rates are also half what they are here.

Hydro Quebec & Ontario Hydro are run by their respective provinces? Like their health care? Hmmmmm.

When I was a BG&E customer, up until 10 years ago, power outages were rare and when they occurred, they were addressed quickly. On the other hand, where I live now PG&E is a real PITA. Some places in California, Sacramento and San Diego, have MUDs, or Municipal Utility Departments. They're much better than PG&E. Rates are lower and service is better. I think Sacramento's MUD even gives you water for free, though in the drought plagued semi-desert that is most of California I have to wonder how smart that is.

John

[hillbilly]

Well they claim rates are dropping 15% this winter, but last years rates were totaly insane. I don't care how they look at it, we didn't suck 537.00 worth of juice without a furnace. Like I said, 130 in the winter ' using the furnace ' was a norm, and in the spring when no a/c was needed our bill would be around 60.00.

Our climate control went out year before last, so we spent a summer without a/c and our bill on the hottest month was 330.00. I raised hell with the power company and the first thing they told me was it was a hot month and it's to be expected when you run the a/c. I was real quik to tell them our a/c was not in service, and had not been since the fall before. But it didn't help, it was either pay the bills we were getting fucked on, or cancel service. What I find rather odd is that after fixing the a/c and using it all summer this year, our bill is under 200.00 again, getting slowly back to normal.

Last fall, our furnace failed and I couldn't afford the part to fix it for a while. But, we got this insane bill for 537.00 when we were having to burn a non electric kerosene heater to stay warm til we could fix the electric furnace. Middle TN electric blamed record cold temps as the blame for pissed off customers high electric bills. It's a good thing our furnace was not in use, if it had been, we'd probly gotton an electric bill even higher. This couple had to sell their house and move in with one of their children because their house payment was under 500 a month, but their electric bill jumped to nearly 900 dollars. The figures that the electric co gave people were not true, could not have been.

They did get one part right though, and that is the 'normal' bill should be around 120-130's. But for them to say they only raised the rates 15% ' for whatever reason ' is totaly bullshit. Peoples bills showed otherwise, and in our case hot days and cold days shouldn't have mattered since the unit was down and all power was shut off to it until I was able to buy parts.
.................................................. ................................................
Middle Tennessee Electric says bills will go down following TVA rate drop
Mitchell Kline • The Tennessean • November 19, 2009

It should cost less to light the Christmas tree than it did last year.
Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corp. officials said the average electric bill this November will be more than 15 percent lower than last year.
That’s because the Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides power to MTEMC and most of the state, has decreased its charges.
In Oct. 2008, the TVA raised its rates to a 30-year high, pushing the average electric bill in November to $153.88, according to Middle Tennessee. A customer who uses 1,500 kwh per month would pay $129.67 this month, according to MTEMC officials.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20...+TVA+rate+drop

.................................................. ...............................................

When customers shocked by skyrocketing power bills question Bristol Virginia Utilities or Bristol Tennessee Essential Services, the answer often received is it’s been colder than usual.

It’s an answer that is unsatisfying to a growing number of frustrated customers – who’ve seen record-breaking amounts due on their December and January bills.

“My electric bill for January is $886.51 – it’s the highest I’ve ever seen it,” Dorcas Blaylock, a 70-year-old BTES customer, said Monday. “Me and my husband, Donald, live on Social Security payments, and our house payment is only $498. He took that money down to BTES today [Monday] to help pay the bill. But he was told our bill right now is already as high as this bill.”

The Blaylocks made the choice to sell their home and move in with their daughter just minutes after the news.

“We’re going to put our house up for sale,” Dorcas Blaylock said. “I just don’t understand it. How in the world can it be that high? There must be something more to this.”

And, there is. But it doesn’t hurt to begin the search by looking closely at the most obvious reason: the weather.

“It’s very important for folks to understand – temperatures drive consumption, both in the winter and summer,” said Gil Francis, a spokesman for the Tennessee Valley Authority, which supplies power to both BTES and BVU.

“This spring, the bills will drop,” Francis said. “But one day it will be 70 degrees, and then it will jump to 90 and the consumption becomes a huge part of the equation again.”

Record-breaking cold

November 2008 was the eighth-coldest November on record for the Tri-Cities area, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Climatic Data Center.

December turned out to be a month of extreme highs and lows, while January’s temperatures were closer to normal. But neither were anywhere near as cold as November.
For most customers, the billing cycle that produced the record-breaking December power bills included a few weeks of November.

“November was extremely cold, and that period was included in December bills,” BTES Executive Director Michael Browder said at the utility’s mid-January board meeting during a discussion on the higher-than-normal electric bills and the rash of complaints that followed.

“But we had more degree days in December than in November,” Browder said.

http://www2.tricities.com/tri/news/l...so_high/20786/

[Fast_Eddie]

I'm not sure what you're saying. See, utilities operate for profit and so should be allowed to run their business as they see fit. Capitalism unfetterd and pure. If allowed to do this they will always "self regulate" and operate in the best interest of their customers, especially if they are a monopoly. I know this is true because Reagan said so.

You seem to be implying that some other authority should exist to look out for the needs of citizens and regulate industry to make sure they aren't taking advantage of their customers.

Socialist.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

“It’s very important for folks to understand – temperatures drive consumption, both in the winter and summer,” said Gil Francis, a spokesman for the Tennessee Valley Authority, which supplies power to both BTES and BVU.

See, here's a big part of the problem. We've got the TVA which generates all the power in the state of Tennessee - all of it - but do they sell that power to consumers? Nope! they sell it, at a profit, of course, to "utility companies" that generate no power. They're just middle men who add their own profit to the price of power and sell it to the consumers.

John

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

You seem to be implying that some other authority should exist to look out for the needs of citizens and regulate industry to make sure they aren't taking advantage of their customers.

Socialist.

Why, that's just crazy!

John

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

I'm not sure what you're saying. See, utilities operate for profit and so should be allowed to run their business as they see fit. Capitalism unfetterd and pure. If allowed to do this they will always "self regulate" and operate in the best interest of their customers, especially if they are a monopoly. I know this is true because Reagan said so.

You seem to be implying that some other authority should exist to look out for the needs of citizens and regulate industry to make sure they aren't taking advantage of their customers.

Socialist.

lmao, great post.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Hydro Quebec & Ontario Hydro are run by their respective provinces? Like their health care? Hmmmmm.

When I was a BG&E customer, up until 10 years ago, power outages were rare and when they occurred, they were addressed quickly.
John

Yep, both owned and operated by the provincial governments, as a side not if it was not for Hydro Quebec's efficiency large parts of the northeast would be freezing in the dark.

BG&E has now become the the worst defacer of trees, well ahead of hurricanes and ice storms. Constellation nergy (not what I call them) got a 72% increase last year and recently sold off its nuclear plant to the French. Funny thing is the French government will not allow foreign firms to buy up French companies.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Constellation nergy (not what I call them) got a 72% increase last year and recently sold off its nuclear plant to the French. Funny thing is the French government will not allow foreign firms to buy up French companies.

Yeah, after your earlier post I looked up Constellation Energy. I saw that about the French firm buying around 50% of Constellation's stock & assets. Crazy! Not only is critical infrastructure in private hands. It's in foreign hands! Indiana sold the Indiana Toll Road to a Spanish/Australian consortium too.

Freakin' nuts!

John

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Yeah, after your earlier post I looked up Constellation Energy. I saw that about the French firm buying around 50% of Constellation's stock & assets. Crazy! Not only is critical infrastructure in private hands. It's in foreign hands! Indiana sold the Indiana Toll Road to a Spanish/Australian consortium too.

Freakin' nuts!

John

I have to thank the green emphasis for my current circumstances - which energy-wise have improved significantly. We had put off and put off replacing our 30+ year old furnace and AC, until the furnace belched and caught the basement on fire a couple of years ago. We bought a heat pump and a two-stage gas furnace. As an incentive to buy the heat pump, the electric Co. gives us a 50% discount on the electric rate from October through May (as long as we own the home). We also use much less gas, because the gas heat doesn't kick in until the air temp is too low for the heat pump to work - about 35 degrees. We also use a gas stove, which is considerably more energy efficient than an electric stove. It took a little while to see the difference, since we are on average pay, but now our bills are down by over 40% and both utilities owe us money on our average pay plan. It feels good to take a little bit of advantage of the utilities, but I'm sure they get tax credits for the rebate program.

Regards,

D-Ray