Corruption is Driving Up Your Electricity Bill - More Perfect Union

[TexasTowelie]

A massive bribery and corruption scheme is fueling skyrocketing electric bills in Appalachia. Rates in West Virginia have gone up 90% in the last 15 years. First Energy—one of the largest investor-owned utilities—is to blame.

[Oopsie Daisy]

1. Our rates here in Maryland seem to be rather steady. Increases at about the rate of inflation *

* nothing sudden or drastic.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. When FE switched from mechanical to digital meters

my bill dropped about 15% a month. This was after they sent a technician out (not requested by me, I had no idea what was going on) to "recalibrate" the new meter. So I figure the old meter cost an extra $8-10 a month for decades. Nothing can be done about it.

[The Bopper]

4. About

10 years ago, our local power company came by my house and told me my meter was under reporting and sent me a bill for the last 12 months difference. You’d think they would do that for you in the opposite direction.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Ha! Best laugh of the week!

They're too busy bribing Ohio legislators.

[peppertree]

3. Shades of the Irvine Water District scandal of 2000

The board was made up of about a dozen incompetent do-nothings - each with a large staff, full of everything from ne'er-do-well relatives to mistresses.

So a group of customers organized, and in 2000 won the almost unthinkable: a binding vote forcing the IWD to shed half its board, along with much of their "staff" and other perks.

Well, faster than you can say nepotism, a large pump station overlooking Aliso Beach (a highly-scenic and über-expensive area later featured in the Bush-era reality show Laguna Beach) leaked thousands gallons of raw sewage.

The stench would be felt for miles, and for days (and this was in summer). Numerous swimmers and surfers were hospitalized - including a man who permanently lost his senses of taste and smell.

The causes were never "determined." And the board reforms were quietly dropped.

This - if generalized enough, for long enough - is how nations descend into third-world status.

[MagaSmash]

6. A Good programmable thermostat can be helpful. No need for much heat at 3am.

[2naSalit]

7. Is for me!

That's when old people get up to pee, if it's chilly, things can get dicey.

[2naSalit]

8. Same shit, different state here...

We have a while town that is a coal mine and power generation plant for much of the state and then some. They've raised the rates three times in the past 18 months and are fighting every opportunity to get out from under them.

Our magat gov and legislature are all in on the scheme.