How close are these electric rates?

[DADoES]

Jeff, I'm in TX (as you know!) and my rate (currently) is on-par with what yours was in VA. And note what the theater pays! I don't consider sales taxes to be part of the cost/KWH being as it's calculated as an add-on percentage of the billed amount.

Both my house and the theater are served by the local rural cooperative, which opted not to join in the retail competition scheme. It's my understanding that only one electric cooperative (Nueces?) in the state opted-in.

My grandmother's latest bill for 967 KWH clocked-in at a base rate of $0.168! There were some one-time adjustments that brought it down to $0.116, and then *another* one-time credit that further reduced it to $0.08. An insert advises that the "Price to Beat" program is ending and the average for 1000 KWH usage will be $0.152.

 

[blackstone]

Just finished paying electric bills for last month. The rate is above 11 cents/kWh, plus $8.50 monthly charge. Same rate for electricity in the store, but the monthly charge is $32.00, even though it's in the same building. Average bill in the summer, with 3 air conditioners running, goes over $100.

When I work on the walls and ceilings of my old house, I still see the old gas lines that were used for lighting, long ago. Gas prices are relatively cheap this winter; too bad I couldn't also use it for lighting.

 

[washoholic]

Bob, I have Austin Energy, and in VA I had Dominion VA Power. The rates aren’t really that much higher in TX. The bills are because we have to run the A/C more, but I’m not complaining.

Glenn, I’m saying to compare what everyone is paying, it’s simpler to divide the total bill by the KWH usage. That’s how much we actually pay per unit when it’s all said and done. It appears that Austin Energy would like me to believe I’m paying .03634 per KWH, but by the time they add on 2 more charges per KWH, fuel charge sales tax, customer charge, anti-litter, comprehensive drainage, and transportation use; the price per unit is really $.1014.

I’m sure the power companies would like for people in different areas to look only at the price per KWH that they have provided when comparing bills, but I think dividing the KWH usage by the total bill really put it all into prospective.

Dominion VA Power bill break down
5/24/06 to 6/23/06 ¢/kWh
Jun-Sep 7.04 ¢
Oct-May 5.96 ¢
Annual Average 6.59 ¢
Total consumption kWh 1588
Distribution Service 34.79
Electricity Supply Svc 110.29
Sales and Use Surcharge 0.37
State/Local Consumption Tax 2.35
VIRGINIA BEACH Utility Tax 3.00
Total Current Charges 150.80
My calculated price per unit $.0949

Austin Energy bill break down
10/26/06 to 11/28/2006
Total consumption KWH 1527
500.00 @ $.0355 per KWH $17.75
1027.00@ $.0602 per KWH $61.83
1527.00 @ $.03634 per KWH $55.49
Fuel charge sales tax $1.41
Customer charge $6.00
Anti-Litter residential charges $2.60
Comprehensive drainage fee $7.15
Transportation user Fee $2.75
Total Current Activity $154.98
My calculated price per unit $.1014

Note that the VA bill is a “Summer Bill” and the TX bill is a “Winter Bill.”

My goodness Glenn, where does your grandmother live, those numbers seem very high?

 

[DADoES]

LOL, my grandmother lives a couple miles down the road from me, but is on a different retail provider.

 

[appnut]

Just wait until I get my 14.x cents per kilowatt bill this week!!!!

 

[washoholic]

Bob, your bills should be going down since you got the FL.

Glenn, from what you said earlier, it sounds like we’re all going to be paying more in TX.

 

[appnut]

I sur hope so Jeff. And with the "Price to Beat" going away, it made quite a bit of headlines last weekend. We shall see what we shall see. Yes it baffles my mind a load of sweats is dried in 37 minutes total. Towels are 42 to 47 minutes, depending on load makeup. Button down dress shirts 23-26 minutes total.

 

[geoff]

OHH I think I've got you beat..

As of January 1st all of United Illuminating's customers rates have been increased by 50%.. Oil is now cheaper than electricity. Thank God cause my heating and hot water are all oil. The only thing electric is the dryer.. Last electric bill was over $200. My projected electric bill for this upcoming summer is over $700. At least I don't live on Candlewood Lake, last September my stylists electric bill was $1200...'Nuff said

 

[DADoES]

My provider is raising base rates by a small amount, claimed to be their first increase in 6 or 9 years (I forget which). However, they also claim the effective rate won't go up due to reductions on other parameters, and it may even be lower. Remains to be seen what are the end results.

 

[washoholic]

Well, Glenn, you should be set for the winter anyway with that nice “heat pump.” I’ll bet that saves a lot of electricity. And it has those cool defrost cycles, too, where the steam is just rolling off the unit.

 

[washoholic]

Welcome to the world of front loaders, Bob. How does it feel to know that you’ll never be waiting on the dryer again?

 

[appnut]

I had no bog downs at all doing 10 loads today and that included hanging up PP shirts too!! I was able to fold and put awaay towel loads as the next load wasghed and still dind't miss any of the balance routines/spins thereafter. Each load is like a snowflake, each one is different due to balancing and stuff. (I know, I'm sick!!). I enjoy my laundry channel lol.

 

[appnut]

I got my bill today. It was $123.32 for 847 kwh. Last yeaer it was $129.05 for 890 kwh. Maybe the new washer IS helping, given I've been keeping the heat at 68 at night rather than off-setting it down.

 

[washoholic]

I just got mine today, too. It was $214.32 for 2202 kWh, and last year in VA it was $80.66 for 860 kWh. It’s so close per unit that it’s almost the same. I keep my heat (Electric heat, no heat pump) on 72F for an hour and a half in the morning when I get up, 62F while I’m at work, 72F when I get home, and 62F when I go to bed. My condo is all electric.

In VA my range, heat, fireplace, water heater, and dryer were gas; hence the lower kWh usage.

Jeff

 

[sudsmaster]

OK, I took another look at my latest energy bill and got out the trusty calculator.

Total use for month of Nov 7-Dec 7: 521 Kwh. Total charges including taxes: 66.78.

Average cost per Kwh: 12.8 cents. That's a lot lower than I estimated, so this was a worthwhile endeavor.

Actual electricity tiers for my area are:

Baseline, 391 KWh (last year it was 330): .1143/Kwh
101-130% of baseline: .12989/Kwh
131-200% of Baseline: .22986/Kwh

From PG&E's rate book:

201-300% of baseline: .32146/Kwh
Over 300% of baseline: .36969/Kwh

Back in '97, before I made some changes to consumption, the monthly electric use was about 1,000 Kwh/month. Using the above rates, my November bill would have been another $130, or a total of 196.88 (not including additional taxes).

What is kind of vexing about these tiered rates is the double-talk on the part of the utility company. They give lower rates to business customers, saying that business customers are cheaper to serve per Kwh because they use more energy. So, if using more energy makes it cheaper per Kwh to provide the service, then charging three times as much to residential users for using more electricity per month is counter-intuitive. I realize that conservation is important, but I think business as well as residential customers should be encouraged to conserve via increasing tiered rates, as well. Instead, medium business customers are charged a flat rate per Kwh. OK, end of rate rant ;-)