Expect a Jolt When Opening The Electric Bill

[flashl]

Rates Jump in Many States As Utilities Pass On Surges In Costs of Coal, Natural Gas

Surging fuel costs are about to inflict more pain on consumers, this time in the form of rapidly rising electricity bills.

Power prices are being pushed up across the U.S., with increases sometimes soaring into double digits, due to costlier coal and natural gas, the fuels used to make 70% of the nation's electricity.

...

Proposed electricity-rate increases are cropping up all over the country. Potomac Edison Co., a unit of Allegheny Energy Inc., is asking Virginia regulators for permission to raise rates in July by 29%. In its rate request, the utility cited higher fuel and purchased-power costs.

...

The impact of higher fossil fuel prices is felt beyond just the price of electricity. It is also provoking states to explore expansion of nuclear power plants and renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, to break the grip of fossil fuels.

Last week, Ohio became the latest state to take a tentative step away from fossil fuels. Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland signed legislation requiring electric utilities to satisfy one quarter of their customers' energy needs, by 2025, through such means as renewable energy, new nuclear reactors and energy efficiency measures.

WSJ

[marmar]

1. How much more pain can consumers bear?

n/t

[DemocratInSoCal]

2. But My Rebate Only Will Cover The Cost Of The New TV, Not The Electricity

How will I pay the higher electric bill to power my new TV that I'm buying with my $600 Government Bribe.....errrrrr.....I mean, Rebate.

[nichomachus]

3. We're kind of lucky

Here in CA, we're paying rates dictated by the fraudulent Enron contracts. The rates are artificially high because of the bogus "shortage," when utilities agreed to pay exorbitant amounts for energy on long-term contracts.

After it was discovered that Enron had defrauded the state, the Bush energy commission ruled that the utilities had to abide by the fraudulent contracts.

So, when our utilities revert to true market rates, our bills could go down -- even with the higher price of oil.

Note: I am not holding my breath. They will find some way to screw us.

[Nay]

4. Just today in the Richmond, VA paper, Dominion Power announced

it was seeking an 18.3% rate increase. Wow. No one can keep the lights on as it is. This oughta be a sight.

[JDPriestly]

5. Wow! This is a great excuse for Americans to wean themselves

from Momma TV. The best way to deal with this is to cut down on our consumption. We have replaced all the lights in our house with bulbs that consume very little energy. Our main vices are our computers. We watch less than five or six hours of DVDs per week and no TV whatsoever. (No antenna. No cable. And our rabbit ears don't work very well.) We have our trusty library cards, and that's all we need.