How fucking fair is this!!!

[warrior1]

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/31/3291103/new-year-brings-new-pge-electricity.html

New year brings new PG&E electricity rates
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The Associated Press
Published: Friday, Dec. 31, 2010 - 11:23 am
Last Modified: Friday, Dec. 31, 2010 - 1:35 pm

SAN FRANCISCO -- Electricity bills for some Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers will climb slightly in the new year while others will see their rates decline.

PG&E said Thursday residential customers who use relatively little power will experience a 3 percent increase in rates starting Jan. 1.

Those who draw large amounts of electricity, on the other hand, will get a 2.6 percent rate cut.

That will help people with big homes and those in the Central Valley, where summer heat waves are common and lead to large electricity bills.

PG&E spokeswoman Christine Cordner tells the San Francisco Chronicle neither set of customers will see dramatic changes in their monthly bills.

Homeowners who use the most power will still pay a far higher electricity rate than homeowners who use far less.


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/31/3291103/new-year-brings-new-pge-electricity.html#ixzz19jJ1Cohl

[valerief]

1. The poorer support the richer. Always. nt

[merh]

2. That is insane.

You get punished for conserving energy.

I think someone needs to file a complaint with the feds, this is just wrong.

[freshwest]

3. It's disgusting!

[neverforget]

4. Subsidize the power hogs, it's the American way

:puke:

[badtoworse]

5. There is not enough information to draw a conclusion.

It is possible that the fixed monthly charge was increased and the variable (based on how much energy you use) charge was reduced. If that happened, customers who use little energy would not save enough on the variable charge to offset the increase in the fixed charge. That would result in an increase in the monthly bill. A large user could concievably save enough on energy to more than offset the increase in the fixed charge. In that case, his monthly bill would drop. Both customers are paying the same rates, but are affected differently because of their consumption patterns. It sounds unfair, but it is not. We need to know the details

Virtually all electric tariffs are structured with fixed and variable charges because they cover different costs.

[jberryhill]

6. " Homeowners who use the most power will still pay a far higher electricity rate"

Did you miss that line?

[badtoworse]

12. I believe you meant to respond to my post

I did not miss that statement in the article, but I do not believe it is accurate. That's why I said we don't have enough information. It would be very unusual to structure a residential tariff with rates discounted for higher consumption. I've been in the business for 27 years and I've never seen a tariff set up that way.

Based on what I know of the California market, I can't believe the California Energy Commission would approve such a tariff.

[jberryhill]

20. It's not

The article, carefully read, suggests they are cutting a bit at the top end, and raising a bit at the lower end, but that rates for high consumers remain higher than for low consumers.

That's how I read it, anyway.

[Luminous Animal]

7. Yep. Change all your light bulbs, hang your clothes to dry, turn off power strips,

wash only large loads, do everything you can do reduce and conserve and they'll raise your rates.

Assholes.

[Rex]

8. They are following along in a great American tradition.

Hurt the 'have nots', help out the 'haves'.

[Lorien]

25. And punish those who try to do the right thing by reducing consumption

of a natural resource which is swiftly being depleted and destroying the planet we live on. Only the greedy, selfish and gluttonous get the rewards in the US of A.

[Overseas]

9. Sad K&R. //nt

[-..__...]

10. Dealers/sellers who grow marijuana in their attics/basements...

will be thrilled with this news.

Think they'll pass the savings on to their consumers?... Not likely. :smoke:

[walldude]

15. Pass the savings on to consumers?

Yeah as soon as the "consumers" take the risk of harvesting illegal crops that could land you in jail for years, then the consumer can bitch about the price of weed.

[Mojeoux]

28. Growing Medical Marijuana in SF is legal

Growing so much that you eliminate your PGE bill is NOT.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

11. As with everything else in life... there are usually bulk-discounts.

Buy in bulk, get a discount.

[BalancedGoat]

22. No discount.

"Homeowners who use the most power will still pay a far higher electricity rate than homeowners who use far less."

[Taverner]

13. Sounds like a Hippie Punching Bill if there ever was

Kind of like the GOP's attempt to asess a huge tax on Priuses and other Eco-Friendly cars to make up for the gas taxes they avoid

[Lorien]

24. Yep. It's about as transparent as it gets.

[MilesColtrane]

14. The rich get a little more everywhere.

Most investing and brokerage firms have a different class of shares for big money investors that yield more than the kinds of shares that you and I can buy.

[BlueJazz]

16. Also....People who use a Tremendous amount of Electricity will be charged nothing....

...kinda' like the American Tax system. :)

[littlewolf]

17. this is insane ..... so if you are careful and conserve .. you pay more ...

must be a only in CA thing ....

[NutmegYankee]

18. I wish! Conn did this with Yankee Gas.

The gas company requested a rate increase a few years ago because it's customers were using less gas during the winter and the state agreed. So basically, I get to live in a cooler house and still pay the same.

[littlewolf]

23. This happened with water also .... use less water and the rates went up ... crazy ...

[joneschick]

19. it's happening to our water rates here

due to decreased useage. that would be those of us trying to conserve...according to a recent article, "The final rate comes to less than 50 cents a day for water for a single-family home." umm, when I multiplied that out it's kinda pricey. http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/112077264.html

:hi:

[lonestarnot]

21. Somebody has to pay for the neighborhood they blew up, just easiest to stick the poor, they don't

fight back.

[Angry Dragon]

26. Class action lawsuit is called for

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

29. On what grounds?

LOL, class action lawsuit.

[Kablooie]

27. Comes from the same place as tax the poor, don't tax the rich.

It's the new philosophy of the U.S.
Reward people for being rich, punish them for being poor.