PG&E wants to lower electricity rates for high-use customers and raise rates for low-use customers

[Newsjock]

Source: Oakland Tribune

PG&E on Friday is expected to file a proposal to dramatically restructure electricity rates for residential users in a way certain to increase the amount low-usage customers pay each month.

The proposal, unveiled Thursday, will be subject to months of debate and hearings before the full five-member state Public Utilities Commission makes a final decision, likely near the end of this year.

Key issues in that debate will be whether the proposed rate structure favors the wealthy and reduces incentives for customers to save electricity.

... PG&E isn't alone in its quest to restructure electricity rates. Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric also are expected to file similar proposals. The new rate proposals are certain to be controversial, since affluent customers could wind up as the beneficiaries.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_25243311/pg-e-wants-lower-electricity-rates-high-use

[upaloopa]

1. As the middle class disappears and people spend less

They have to raise prices to keep the same income.
Why not create more consumers?
What happened to the idea that competition will hold down prices?

[denverbill]

2. So they want to punish people for using less energy.

Really makes me want to get off the grid.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. This pisses me off to no end.

I am one of those who works very, very hard to keep my PG&E costs down in order to help the environment. And now they want to punish me. If I were in a financial situation to go off grid I would in a heartbeat. Fuck PG&E.

[City Lights]

4. Absolutely disgusting!

[jsr]

5. Another example of the new/improved/superlative principle of fairness invented by our ruling class.

[woo me with science]

8. Welcome to corporate neoAmerica.

[bluedigger]

6. Using residential consumers to subsidize industrial consumers.

Bullshit.

[woo me with science]

7. This is evil.

Higher rates for the poor and for those who are environmentally conscious.

Expect to hear more and more stories like this. They are building two societies: one for the Masters and one for the slaves.

Delta Airlines to base Miles Program on ticket price, not miles.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024571288

[KamaAina]

11. PG&E = Pretty Greedy and Evil

One of their poorly maintained gas pipelines blew up and torched a suburban neighborhood a few years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_San_Bruno_pipeline_explosion

The 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion occurred at 6:11 pm PDT on September 9, 2010, in San Bruno, California, a suburb of San Francisco, when a 30-inch (76 cm) diameter steel natural gas pipeline owned by Pacific Gas & Electric exploded in flames in the Crestmoor residential neighborhood 2 mi (3.2 km) west of San Francisco International Airport near Skyline Boulevard and San Bruno Avenue. The loud roar and shaking led some residents of the area, first responders, and news media to initially believe that it was an earthquake or that a large jetliner had crashed. It took crews nearly an hour to determine it was a gas pipeline explosion. As of September 29, 2010, the death toll was eight people. The United States Geological Survey registered the explosion and resulting shock wave as a magnitude 1.1 earthquake. Eyewitnesses reported the initial blast "had a wall of fire more than 1,000 feet high".

[pipi_k]

9. Not just electricity...

My home used propane for hot water and cooking. There was a tank here when we first moved in, and the gas company was charging outrageous rates. When asked why, that was their explanation...we didn't use enough propane, (there are only two of us) so that's why we got charged more.

Well, they were told to take their tank out and not come back. We bought our own tank, and now we can shop around for the best rates, which is a good thing now since switching from oil/wood pellet heat to propane heat last summer.

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. They already do this in TX

[kestrel91316]

12. Reward the wasters and for-profits, punish the conservationists and Little People.

It's definitely The Amurkan Way (TM).

[Phentex]

13. Same thing happens with water...

when we had a drought a few years ago, everyone was encouraged to use gray water, wash less, not water lawns, etc.

It worked so well they raised rates to make up for less usage.

It's CRAZY!