U.S. sees 9.8% spike in '09 electric bills

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CNN

Americans may face dramatically higher electric bills next year, according to a government report released Tuesday.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast that electricity prices will climb an average of 9.8% in 2009. Only a month ago, the agency was forecasting a 3.6% increase for next year.

The new forecast projects that electricity prices will climb 5.2% in 2008, an increase of nearly 1.5 times the projected 3.7% increase that was forecast in June.

"Within the past few weeks, a number of utilities have requested permission from state regulators to raise electricity rates in response to rapidly increasing delivered fuel costs for power generation," EIA wrote. "It is likely that most other utilities will soon need to pass through these increased costs to retail customers as well."



Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/08/news/economy/electricity_prices/index.htm?cnn=yes

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Bend over - here it comes.

Dumb ? of the day. I've been wondering when they have a lot of us switched to electric cars will we really save money? I'm thinking then the electric companies who are probably run by many of the same characters as the oil industry will just jack their rates.

Remember Enron?

[Indenturedebtor]

1. And that ladies and germs is why electricity should be owned by teh state

Though I think this recent spike in prices can be traced directly back to the oil speculators who have made transporting the coal and whatnot more expensive.

[kestrel91316]

7. Heh heh. Here in Lost Angeles we have a city-owned power and water

utility. How fortuitous.

[Doremus]

8. Cleveland does too, thanks to Dennis Kucinich.

Too bad I live in the suburbs and can't take advantage of it. :(

But bless his heart, he fought the "fat cats" and won and has been living with the fallout ever since.

Thank you, Dennis!


My little suburb has its own water dept. UNfortunately, they mismanaged it for years and their prices are 3x as high as Cleveland water. That one I wish they'd give back!

[Psephos]

11. There is a case to be made for local government ownership, but this isn't it

I saw that headline and wondered how, with oil and natural gas up over 40% just in 2008 alone, electricity is going up "only" 10%.

I live in a city that owns its electricity and water utilities, and it's a very good idea. But not because they are somehow immune to the rising cost of fuels. They aren't, and electricity will be be going up here by 8 or 9 percent next year, too.

[Indenturedebtor]

13. Who said anything about local?

With nationalisation of energy we wouldn't be hostage to speculators and the corruption of no bid contracts etc.

[Psephos]

14. Maybe we could get the T.S.A. to run it

cuz they've certainly proved how effective nationalized security can be

[kcass1954]

2. Not in Florida. Our lovely, consumer-oriented Public Service Commission just approved a

16% increase for FPL, due to rising fuel costs. This is on top of the 20% increase they got early last year to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed by Hurricane Wilma.

[1monster]

4. And wasn't that after the PSC approved a surcharge on our bills for "damage" done to

the infrastructure during the four hurricanes in 2005?

For "damage" done to the infrastructure, read: getting the the FPL customers to pay again, over and above what they already pay, for routine maintenance.

I thought it was a 14% hike, but it probably was 16% knowing FPL.

What I can't understand is why the rate increase when, according to my bill, I'm already paying separately for fuel and another charge for all other FPL "services."

[kcass1954]

12. Well crap - I forgot about that one.

16% - 8 in August and 8 in January.

http://www.local10.com/news/16766708/detail.html#

If only our pay was increasing at the same rate...

I flip off lights and fans and TVs. We got a new roof after Wilma - light gray nearly-white shingles, at my insistence. We have an energy efficient a/c, and blew more insulation into the attic when it was installed. We don't have high ceilings, the house isn't particularly large (1500 square feet), the windows are new-ish and tinted, we use CFC bulbs, we planted trees in the backyard to block the sun from the 3 sets of sliding doors that face west, and have a programmable thermostat - 77 when we're home, 78 at night, and 81 during the day on weekdays. I will admit to turning it down to the 72-74 range in the morning while I'm getting ready for work - my attempt to head off the 8:20 hot flash (don't laugh - you can literally tell time by my temp - it's accurate to within 5 minutes).

I just don't know what else we can do.

[1monster]

3. Is that on top of the 14% hike FPL announced last month? I've pushed my A/C up to

85-90 degrees when DH isn't home. He pushes it down to 75 (and I push it up to 80 when he is home).

I can't go entirely without A/C. One year our A/C broke down and needed a new outside unit that it took a week and a half for the A/C company to get and install.

Leather belts and shoes, as well as other things in the house had green mold on them by the time the A/C was woring again...

Otherwise, I'd turn the damned thing off and use palm frond fans.

[rcsl1998]

5. National Grid In RI 'Requesting' Over 21% Rate Hike (nt)

[kestrel91316]

6. McMansions will become rooming houses. Insulation will become scarcer than

hens' teeth.

The upside is, the electrical demand destruction that the increases WILL lead to will make it less likely we will have a power failure during the worst hot weather like we did a couple weeks ago (I hope).

[Phred42]

9. Of Course! For the same reason a dog licks it's crotch

[Phred42]

10. The trick to this is to use decentralized sources of power and

to Nationalize all Energy Companies.

It's a matter of National Security.