Electric rates

Bassic83 · #1 07-19-2008, 07:34 PM

What are you paying per kilowatt hour?

Rates in Texas have been rising almost as fast as gas prices. I had (until my REP shut down) a rate of $.119 kwh. Then I got a letter from my REP that they had a "material change" and my rate would be $.153 kwh. That's a BIG step up, and one I wasn't wanting to pay, as I was on a 16-month contract at the $.119 kwh rate...Well, I canceled my contract as it said I could do, and got in on a deal with another REP for the same rate ($.119 kwh) as I had before. The problem was that my changeover happened between meter reads. My REP was investigated by the PUC, and got shut down, effectively stranding thousands of their customers. The contract I had with them at 11.9 cents was null and void as soon as I saw the rate-increase letter, and the offer to let me out of the contract.

All of the first REP's customers got moved to the POLR (Provider Of Last Resort), even if they signed up with another company. The POLR rate was even higher, at $.26 kwh. That means for every 1000 kw you use (our normal bill runs about $240/mo at the 11.9 rate), you're getting charged $260, plus taxes and fees!

I opened my mail the other day and found that my bill for a two-week period was $250!!!

I neither asked for this rate, nor was I consulted about it. I have retained legal counsel on this matter, but I won't go into that here. Suffice to say, I may not be liable for that bill (although I may have to pay the last month's bill with the REP that is no longer in business). The original REP failed to properly hedge against price increases on the spot market, and got burned, which they conveniently tried to recoup by jacking our rates.

So what are you paying for electricity? My current rate is locked in at 11.9 cents, but when I went out and looked, the cheapest rates I could find were 15.3, the most expensive was $.29 kwh! That would be $290 for 1000 kwh usage in a month, which would likely be for a studio apartment. Double it for a house, more if you have a big family and electric appliances.

So now I sit in a hot, dark house most of the time, dripping with sweat. I have nearly stopped watching TV, and have turned the fridge up to where the milk only lasts 4 days, and is nearly warm...I'm getting really sick of this energy crap. I will be turning OFF my A/C except for a couple hours when I first get home from work. The animals are provided with water, and plenty of it.

I personally know some people who cannot afford lights now, and have to make a choice between gas for work, and food for the kids. I'm glad I'm not that bad off, but many people are getting hit hard by the sudden energy surge (not just gasoline and diesel any more, either). I was talking to a neighbor that I ran into, she's panicked over her light bill since they raised her rates 40%. Now she literally can't afford to eat. I gave her some food we had at the house, she works two jobs- not the best paying, but she's trying- and her car is going to be repo'd. She eats every third day to make sure that her kids have two meals a day. Once her car gets taken, she'll only be able to work one job, as the other is too far.

I just love this new economy.

gold_member_321 · #2 07-19-2008, 07:45 PM

I've never payed below 200. It's usually between 200 and 350.

But I run a ton of electronics plus four 9000 btu air conditioners.

Bassic83 · #3 07-19-2008, 07:48 PM

I've reduced my electronics usage as much as possible. We have a 2.5-ton central AC, but shut it off most of the time now. My bill should be about $250 in the summer, but now it's going to be about $400. So no more AC. We'll just sweat a lot and be mean and stinky. Let everything mold...

Atoz · #4 07-19-2008, 07:49 PM

Here in Utah, I pay either $.07584 or .08553 per kwh, depending on which time of the day I'm using electricity. My last monthly electricity bill was about $48.

Bassic83 · #5 07-19-2008, 07:50 PM

Those are some great rates!

gold_member_321 · #6 07-19-2008, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atoz

Here in Utah, I pay either $.07584 or .08553 per kwh, depending on which time of the day I'm using electricity. My last monthly electricity bill was about $48.

Holy **** .. Only in my dreams around here.

Atoz · #7 07-19-2008, 08:18 PM

We're kind of lucky here, as we generate a surplus of electricity; which we sell to other power companies.

I hear a rate increase is in the works, but I haven't seen it yet.

Indiana Mike · #8 07-19-2008, 09:12 PM

I'm at .123 cents per kw

m0nst3r · #9 07-20-2008, 01:01 AM

In CA I'm paying $0.11559 per Kwh. We're pretty good about not wasting a lot of electricity, so our bill usually comes to about $35 - 55 a month. It sucks that my family doesn't turn the A/C on, but there's hardly anyone home, so it's not really worth turning on. Also, we changed nearly all of the bulbs in our house to those weird looking energy efficient ones, so that helps a little.

Bassic83 · #10 07-20-2008, 09:31 AM

I switched all my bulbs (except one reading lamp that has a halogen bulb) over. We don't use the dishwasher, I don't think it works anymore anyway. With only my wife and I, we don't have a lot of dishes to do anyway, and it's quicker and more thorough to do them by hand.

All my "vampire boxes" (wall warts and other electronic devices that draw current when off) are connected to power strips, the only thing I leave plugged in is the satellite box. The thermostat is set on 90. I'm looking into attic foil radiant barrier. We have a 5000 btu window unit in the master bedroom that we use to cool just our room for sleeping. I'm hoping that the chest freezer keeps things cool, I've turned it up all the way. The fridge is turned up almost all the way, it's running at about 48 degrees. We buy small quantities of food, and try to eat leftovers within a day. We have solar powered walkway lights, so no drain there. I'm doing whatever I can to keep the electric bills from being such a shock. But it is threatening my household budget, and I'm positive it is bankrupting several houses in our neighborhood.

I'm trying to get with the people it is hurting the most to help them cut back- our next step is to install a clothesline to dry our clothes. They'll never really get dry in this humidity, but a 220V dryer sucks a lot of juice even doing three loads a week. So it's getting the lock-out/tag-out treatment.

Another thing I have considered is firing up my generator. Might piss off the neighbors, but it's my money. I will have to get an inter-tie breaker box installed to handle that, and that's not in the budget right now. If I can run the TV, the satellite box, the little AC, the fridge off of it, I'd be happy. Plus, it would be good to know for sure what will work after a hurricane (I'm 11 miles in from the coast).

I've thought about solar panels, batteries, and an inverter or three for most of the house, as an auxiliary feed, but it's very expensive to implement. It does bear further consideration, though. I'd have to do it myself, as a 5.5 kw system is about $35000 installed. I can shave half of that or more if I make it a DIY project come fall.

But if the rates in Texas keep rising, and I have every reason to believe they will (I work in a power plant), I'm going to have to consider some drastic options, up to, and including, moving in with Atoz...