Proposed Changes to Electric Bills in Wisconsin Would Raise Costs for Families with Low Incomes

[riversedge]

Wed Oct 08, 2014 at 07:09 AM PDT

Proposed Changes to Electric Bills in Wisconsin Would Raise Costs for Families with Low Incomes


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/08/1335134/-Proposed-Changes-to-Electric-Bills-in-Wisconsin-Would-Raise-Costs-for-Families-with-Low-Incomes


by WI Budget ProjectFollow


Three Wisconsin electric utilities have proposed billing changes that would raise energy costs for people with low incomes.

We Energies, Madison Gas & Electric, and Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS) have asked the state’s Public Service Commission for permission to change how the utilities bill for electric service. This request has gotten a great deal of news coverage (see here and here) focusing on how the change would make it less cost-effective for customers to install solar systems that generate electricity, and would reduce incentives to be energy efficient.

Mostly missing from the news coverage has been the fact that the changes would shift costs to customers with low incomes. The utilities want to increase the fixed monthly fee charged to customers, while reducing the usage-based kilowatt-hour charge. The result would be higher costs for people who use little electricity, and lower costs for customers who use a lot of electricity. People with low incomes tend to use less electricity than other residents, and would see their overall bills go up if this proposal was approved – while higher-income customers, who use more electricity, would save money. Wisconsin households with low incomes (defined as at or below 150% of the poverty level) use 9.8% less electricity than households that are better off, according to testimony on this issue by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC).

Households with low incomes aren’t the only ones who would be paying higher electric bills. Elderly households use 15.5% less electricity than other households, according to NCLC testimony, and would likely see their electric costs rise.................

[dembotoz]

1. shocked i tell you shocked

[Scuba]

2. Walker fail ...

http://www.conservationvoters.org/walkerfail