Electricity Price Increases

[Larry Caldwell]

So the question of the hour...we have a 15 year old freezer and a 2 year old freezer.

Does anyone know of a reliable measurement device that can be used to verify the actual watts used by each for a comparison?

Buy a kill-a-watt meter.

 

[BackRoad]

Our combined power generation and distribution is just under 16¢ per kWh.

Our ceiling lights are all 6" - 12w Dimmable LEDs, so if my math is right, that is 12 watt-hours of usage, operating say, 8 hours per day would be 96 watt-hours, or .096 kWh per light.

At 15.793 cents per kWh, that's 1.58 cents per day for each light left on for 8 hours. A room with 4 overhead lights would cost just over 6 cents if left on all night.

It seems hardly worth disquieting a 50 year relationship over 6 cents...

So having grown up in the same house with my "Great Depression" Grandparents, I quietly turn off the unneeded lights that I find, and just go on my way without saying anything.

...Pick your battles wisely...

 

[lman]

Our combined power generation and distribution is just under 16¢ per kWh.

Our ceiling lights are all 6" - 12w Dimmable LEDs, so if my math is right, that is 12 watt-hours of usage, operating say, 8 hours per day would be 96 watt-hours, or .096 kWh per light.

At 15.793 cents per kWh, that's 1.58 cents per day for each light left on for 8 hours. A room with 4 overhead lights would cost just over 6 cents if left on all night.

It seems hardly worth disquieting a 50 year relationship over 6 cents...

So growing up in the same house with my "Great Depression" Grandparents, I quietly turn off the unneeded lights that I find, and just go on my way without saying anything.

...Pick your battles wisely...

That's $576.70/year. It adds up.

 

[ultrarunner]

I think most utilities have an inexpensive base rate and prices go up as your usage increases.

This is typical for residential but large and medium commercial will often get a break and flat rate for high users as they are good customers…

 

[BackRoad]

That's $576.70/year. It adds up.

I turn 'em off when I find them, although I think 6 cents per night is just under $22 for a year...but my math could be wrong.

 

[EscapedSuburbia]

That's $576.70/year. It adds up.

No, 6 cents a day is $21.90 per year.

 

[WinterDeere]

I think most utilities have an inexpensive base rate and prices go up as your usage increases.

I'll have to take a look at our billing tonight, as my wife manages that one now. But back when I used to do all the bills myself, our rate was fixed, independent of usage.

 

[kenmbz]

I think most utilities have an inexpensive base rate and prices go up as your usage increases.

My bill went up though usage went down.
PECO base rate up to 9.6cents, was 7 cents 2 years ago.
Dist rate I got back down to 6.9cents.
More monthly fees and taxes too.

So we went from about 10cents total before the pandemic

 

[WinterDeere]

...went from about 10cents total before the pandemic

10 cents total?!? How were you getting that rate?

I was on PPL from 1998 - 2011, but have been back on PECO since then, and I can only ever remember it being 16 to 19 cents per kWh, all-in. And that was the same back when I was single, and my bills were only $35 - $45 per month!

 

[kenmbz]

10 cents total?!? How were you getting that rate?

I was on PPL from 1998 - 2011, but have been back on PECO since then, and I can only ever remember it being 16 to 19 cents per kWh, all-in. And that was the same back when I was single, and my bills were only $35 - $45 per month!

Lots of work looking at the marketplace.

Which itself is a scam as they double the initial rate when the time frame is up, and charge you if you try to change early. I just got a $174 reimbursal after a fight with the last place. Had to bring in the PUC (Pennsylvania Utilities Commission) which is supposed to monitor these companies so you know when your rate is going to change.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

My bill went up though usage went down.
PECO base rate up to 9.6cents, was 7 cents 2 years ago.
Dist rate I got back down to 6.9cents.
More monthly fees and taxes too.

So we went from about 10cents total before the pandemic

We are using more and making less. Expect electricity rates to exceed inflation for at least the next decade. By 2035 we'll be paying 50% more for electricity.

 

[ultrarunner]

One thing is the price often quoted is new math.

For nearly 100 years the price was product including delivery to the user.

Now I read price per kWh and say no way but electricity and delivery are now separate line items as is the daily meter fee, decommissioning, demand, taxes, etc.

I’m responsible for submeters and the way I arrive at cost per kWh is take the entire billed amount and divide by the total kWH used and then enclose a copy of the master meter bill and show my calculations..

 

[mrmikey]

Now I read price per kWh and say no way but electricity and delivery are now separate line items....

They always were here. Year ago the rates went up I think it was 8%± people raised he77. I got my bill and the service fee had gone up 80%, no one said a word.

 

[WinterDeere]

One thing is the price often quoted is new math.

For nearly 100 years the price was product including delivery to the user.

Now I read price per kWh and say no way but electricity and delivery are now separate line items as is the daily meter fee, decommissioning, demand, taxes, etc.

If you guys just made that change, you're about 25 years behind the rest of us! The "price to compare" often quoted for the generation-only component began with power generation deregulation, which happened more than 20 years ago, here. Essentially, someone decided there needed to be a way to compare the costs of competing power generation options, as folks were able to go choosing the generation plant or company they favored.

And if you think about it, it does make sense on some level. It's hard for an independent generator to tell the average stupid consumer that they're saving them 20% over the utility's own generation plants, when their price is buried by delivery and maintenance fees, so they all started quoting generation as "the price to compare".

In any case, these costs were always itemized on our bills, as far back as I can remember. The only thing that changed for us was the highlighting of the generation component as "the price to compare".

 

[NoTrespassing]

I believe CUB of Illinois had its place back in 1983 when it was formed. Now I think they're just pushing "clean" energy. I don't know where they stand on Nuclear. They're probably doing more harm than good now.

About | Citizens Utility Board

www.citizensutilityboard.org

The Illinois General Assembly created the Citizens Utility Board in 1983 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers throughout the Land of Lincoln. The legislature created CUB as a membership-based organization. An initial $100,000 loan of “seed money” provided by the state was repaid by CUB on time and with interest.

CUB has two arms:

• The Citizens Utility Board (CUB), was established as a 501(c)(4) organization. Because CUB works for legislation that benefits ratepayers, contributions to this arm are not tax deductible.
• CUB’s Consumer Education and Research Fund – or CUB CERF, was established as a 501 (c)(3) organization to help educate consumers on energy efficiency, clean energy and lowering utility bills. Contributions to this arm, including most digital donations, are tax-deductible.

CUB obtains its funding from:

• Grassroots donations: CUB is funded by Illinois consumers through donations of as little as $10 a year.
• Grants: CUB regularly applies for grants to continue its consumer education and clean energy work.

(Note: CUB also is permitted by state law to include membership inserts in mass mailings from state agencies. CUB pays for the printing of the inserts and for any additional costs incurred by the agencies when they mail the flyers. The content of the inserts must be approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission.)

 

[kenmbz]

We have it split for generation and distribution to help us pick our own distribution.
In reality it's a nightmare and I hear complaints from people who are not good with computers getting stung when the initial "intro" price doubles without warning.

 

[WinterDeere]

In reality it's a nightmare and I hear complaints from people who are not good with computers getting stung when the initial "intro" price doubles without warning.

Honestly, the same thing happens with telephone bills and vehicle purchases. I can understand some young and naive kid being surprised by this, their first year out of the nest, that probably happened to most of us to some degree. But for any adult to be legitimately surprised by things like delivery surcharges, fees, and taxes without having asked... that's on them. Idiocy and Ignorance are not a protected disability classes.

 

[Jstpssng]

Honestly, the same thing happens with telephone bills and vehicle purchases. I can understand some young and naive kid being surprised by this, their first year out of the nest, that probably happened to most of us to some degree. But for any adult to be legitimately surprised by things like delivery surcharges, fees, and taxes without having asked... that's on them. Idiocy and Ignorance are not a protected disability classes.

Not only this, but how mamy people buy into the " promo rate", "no interest for 15 months", or "first month free?"
I often wonder how many people sign up for autopay without realizing it, and just keep paying their CC every month without realizing there are things on there which they don't even use. Many peolle don't even get reciepts so how do they balance their accounts?
I once had my CC hacked and they bought a $90 gift card for Macy's, which was spent before I noticed the charge the following morning. Yet if I hadn't picked up on it, how many purchases would they have made? It's a lot easier to sneak in (12) $90 purchases over the course of a year than (1) $900 purchase.

 

[WinterDeere]

Not only this, but how mamy people buy into the " promo rate", "no interest for 15 months", or "first month free?"

We may have more social safety nets today, than our cavemen ancestors, but survival of the fittest must still apply at some level.

 

[kenmbz]

Honestly, the same thing happens with telephone bills and vehicle purchases. I can understand some young and naive kid being surprised by this, their first year out of the nest, that probably happened to most of us to some degree. But for any adult to be legitimately surprised by things like delivery surcharges, fees, and taxes without having asked... that's on them. Idiocy and Ignorance are not a protected disability classes.

This is short term contracts that by law need a notification of end.
They don't send it, so surprise your rate has doubled.
I put a complaint to the PA utilities board, but as long as the company shows they asked their third party to send it, no way to prove the third party did not send it (they didn't)

The PA board says I can take them to court, but there is nothing they can do, Tracking multiple 6 month contracts is hard for older people and they are the ones who get hit with this.
I get refunds and then sign up for another contract from a different dist company, it's a pain in the but t
It does not save money for consumers, it just gets these dist companies more money .

All my other contracts are 1 year and the company sends me an email to either make changes or it will continue on and gives the new rate, which is incremental, not double.