And Utility Companies can add surcharges if use goes down

[leftyladyfrommo]

That is what I read this morning here in Kansas City. If people do things that will cut their utility use the utility can just make up for it in surcharges.

Next they will just charge on the basis of the size of the structure you live in. Say 1200 sq. ft from the tax roll means a monthly bill of $600 - no matter what you actually use.

I will try to find the article. The concept was astounding.

[adarling]

1. that should be against the law

there is noway to fight these assholes

[SoCalDem]

2. Our water company did this to us a few years back

We got a notice with our bill, stating that unless water usage was severely curtailed, we would see rate increases and surcharges.(the drought, ya know)..

A few months pass and another notice arrves with our bill.

This notice said that due to the extreme conservation of water by customers, they were not making enough money to sustain the service, so they were raising rates and implementing surcharges anyway..


It's all just a grand scam:(

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. Same thing here with utilities

I couldn't find the site numbers but it is at the Kansas City Star.com site. And the article is in the paper today. It is a bill that is making its way through Missouri Congress.

[SoCalDem]

7. TGhe thing that pissed us off, was that ALL families were expected

to cut usage, and for us it was very hard. We could not stop watering a yard or filling a spa or pool, because we never DID those things to start with..We still managed to cut usage as much as they wanted us to, and then they still penalized us (and everyone else too)..

[SoCalDem]

11. Carrot v stick

they offer you the carrot..you take the carrot..then they beat you to death with the stick for taking the carrot :grr:

[TheBaldyMan]

3. K&R'd n/t

[CatWoman]

4. can you supply us with a link, please?

[leftyladyfrommo]

6. I tried to find one but all that comes up is the actual article

but its on the Kansas City Star.com link.

It is under local news: Heating Bill Advances.

[CatWoman]

8. on edit, here it is

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/13614221.htm

[0007]

15. Thanks sweetheart, I can always depend on YOU

The utilities companies and big corporations are fucking us to death. All we get is junior's smirk.

[SoCalDem]

9. perhaps these articles? links

Commerce agency chief needs Senate OK
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/savvyconsumer/story/8CDF0304907BC215862570F50037A398?OpenDocument


St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - 10 hours ago
... of the legislation that would allow surcharges for "conservation." Some utility companies are ... I decide to watch less, the cable company can charge ...
...........................................

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/savvyconsumer/story/DEB2F106C8570216862570EE001D1ED3?OpenDocument


St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Jan 5, 2006
... legislation was written by the utility companies and ... for Ameren, the state's largest electric company. ... the companies want to implement surcharges to recover ...

[NYC]

10. That happened here.

Con Edison went on a big campaign to convince people to use less electricity (several years ago). After a few months, I received a bill with a surcharge on it, explaining that people had used less electricity, so Con Ed now needed more money.

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. So where are our representatives?

If they weren't all being paid off by the big money companies the rest of us might have some kind of chance.

[NYC]

14. They are at the auction.

Selling us to the highest bidders.

[0rganism]

13. This is why ALL UTILITIES NEED TO BE PUBLICLY OWNED

For-profit utilities SUCK ASS, because they take a natural monopoly and run it to maximize shareholder take with little or no direct accountability to the actual communities they serve.