It doesn't pay to conserve

[iheartmaytag]

Our city is nudging close to an increase of $2 for base rate plus a 5% usage increase in city water rates. WHY? Get this. "The move comes as water usage has declined, largely because of exceptionally wet years where many people didn't irrigate as much as years before."

So in the end, we are going to have to pay more because we didn't use enough. There just seems to be something wrong with this.

 

[thomasortega]

Hahahahhaha
Sorry, but i had to laugh!

This is completelly insane!

 

[qsd-dan]

Sounds like the same instance that happened here in the early 90's. During our drought years from 1986-1992, everybody conserved water to the point that the the sewer company claimed that a flushing was needed. After several years of much effort, the entire sewer system was flushed with over 800 million gallons of water. So much for effort......

 

[jbuscemi]

Don't feel bad..our electric company in Vermont told us a similar story years back saying that fixed costs had to be covered ( which I understand) and that we had done too good of a job in conserving energy. I does cause one to pause and think about the ratiionale about SOME of this stuff.

 

[bugsyjones]

Oh, Wichita...

Hehe...

It kind of makes me glad I have a well.

~Tim

 

[iheartmaytag]

Stop that giggling Tim

Andover isn't that far that you can't be annexed.

 

[petek]

We have the exact same happening here with our water rates. People stopped watering their lawns totally last summer (well a huge huge percentage anyways) and because of that our water rates are going up too. Same story.
You have to wonder though, here we are sitting on the shore of Lake Huron so what doesn't evaporate goes backd own the drains or soil and back into the lake anyways..

I've often wondered about that...I mean all the water you use does eventually get back to water somehow doesn't it.. It evaporates and eventually builds up into a cloud and rains down again.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Over-conservation

I've often thought that trying to reduce consumption of water for certain appliances is asking for trouble.

Take flushable toilets for example, some of the new ones can barely shift the toilet paper, let alone anything else!

 

[andrewinorlando]

Utilities do this all the time, for decades, to recoup their losses due to demand side management (conservation) programs. It's built into their rate bases. Supposedly less than having to add capacity.

 

[toggleswitch2]

The same exact thing is going to happen to electrical rates as everyone is forced to change over to CFL (compact fluorescents).

The fixed overhead costs of running and maintinng the grid get distributed over a smaller number of consumed units meaning the cost per unit GOES UP!

 

[qsd-dan]

"Take flushable toilets for example, some of the new ones can barely shift the toilet paper, let alone anything else!"

Don't EVEN get me started on that topic, LOL!!

I just snagged a mint 1969 American Standard toilet for upstairs, free. Nothing like 5 gallons of water flushing down the worst bowl movement ever with immense ease.

 

[qsd-dan]

"The fixed overhead costs of running and maintinng the grid get distributed over a smaller number of consumed units meaning the cost per unit GOES UP!"

That's me theory of what Hybrids have done to the somewhat recent cost of gas. These greedy bastards are NOT in business to save money, help conserve, or save the planet. It's all about $$$$

 

[sudsmaster]

Ditto here (and I'm surprised Dan didn't mention it). The Eastbay Municipal Utility District, which supplies water to most of the East Bay area, has just hiked water rates significantly. Their excuse is that since they mandated that people conserve water last year, they didn't get enough in fees to cover their fixed costs. And they predict rates will go up the same amount each of the next few years.

Now, I'm a big fan of publicly owned water companies, but I really have to wonder if maybe EBMUD should be doing more to cut their fixed costs. I'm sure they give rather fat salaries and top benefits to all their employees... maybe with less water to deliver, they could cut back on the payroll through attrition and voluntary early retirements.

 

[ronhic]

'That's me theory of what Hybrids have done to the somewhat recent cost of gas.'

...and here I was thinking that the increase in the cost of petrol and diesel was more to do with increased demand from other countries - more specifically China, India and much of Asia - where there is a growing middle class of people now able to afford their first cars (good for them - share the love I say), restricted supply from some nations and a reluctance to inctrease production along with the increased cost of both locating and extracting the oil....

I think the idea of collusion between manufacturers of hybrids and big oil regarding the increase in fuel costs is complete nonsense....but if you can prove it or get a Senator or 3 to back you and get an investigation started, well I'll eat my hat!

'These greedy bastards are NOT in business to save money, help conserve, or save the planet. It's all about $$$$'

Firstly. They are in the business to save money - their own. That it may help the consumer too is a bonus they capitalise on.

Secondly. They are also in the business to help conserve. The US governments' CAFE standards force them to, to some degree AND...the longer oil lasts, the longer they can use current technology for. When oil runs out, how much do you think the newer technology is going to cost us (whatever it may be)?

Finally. I tend to agree....

 

[qsd-dan]

(and I'm surprised Dan didn't mention it)

I'm on "Zone 7" water. No price hike yet, but give them time [(but not any ideas ]

I wish we were on EBMUD water supply. Zone 7 water taste like dirty well water gone bad, and it's loaded with hard water deposits

 

[sudsman]

City of Ft Worth Water Dept

"Did the Exact same thing here last year and now this year are Increasing fees beacuse volume is down again. Duhhh I thought This is what we are ment to do. What did this old man miss ??? Heres how it breaks down for a ave household
customer service fee 10.00 (just beacuse you are their customer) like we have a choice.
A Water district fee 10.00 Garbage pick up fee 25.00
Animal Shelter Fee 10.00 Sewer Fee 20.00 + water which is always around 50.00 most avg bills run @ 125 per mo.

 

[qsd-dan]

"...and here I was thinking that the increase in the cost of petrol and diesel was more to do with increased demand from other countries - more specifically China, India and much of Asia - where there is a growing middle class of people now able to afford their first cars (good for them - share the love I say), restricted supply from some nations and a reluctance to inctrease production along with the increased cost of both locating and extracting the oil...."

I have family in Texas and the government is paying them NOT to pump oil out of their 100% filled oil wells. What do you think this does to the price of oil? Remember, the government takes 75% of the oil companies profits in taxes. Win- win situation all around when the price of oil goes up, with the exception of the consumer.

 

[ronhic]

Lucky buggers that they get to have their cake and keep it too...

That may well be the case in parts of the US, but I would suggest that it isn't the case in most of the world.

The biggest driver of fuel prices tend to be:

- increased consumption through developing nations buying/needing/using more
- restricted supply (OPEC, Nigeria??)

The US government is not about driving up the price of oil for its' citizens...of all the countries in the world that would revolt over high fuel prices, it will be the US...but you better get ready for it.

Our exchange rate is about US80c to our $1.00...and we pay around $1.35 per litre...which works out to be US$4.20 per gallon....in the UK it is about GBP1.02...which is about US$1.60...so a gallon is about USD$6.25....

Until you have paid those prices, particularly those that the Brits and Europeans pay, many would consider that you've had it easy....so next time you fill your car/truck/SUV...work out what it would have cost a Brit or Australian for the same fuel...you may get a shock.

So while you may think that fuel is expensive, and it is compared to a few years ago, the US goverment could...just could be trying to ensure that it actually has some oil on its' own shores to reduce the reliance on O/S oil in the time of a crisis....

 

[qsd-dan]

"- increased consumption through developing nations buying/needing/using more"

I see this noted everywhere on TV and the internet, and I bet there's definitely some truth in it, but I think it's just an excuse for high prices, or to jack up prices.

"- restricted supply (OPEC, Nigeria??)"

100% agreement there!!!