Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Electric Rates: Through the Roof!
self | 06/03/2024 | FWDude

Posted on 06/03/2024 8:13:18 AM PDT by fwdude

My residential electric service contract is up in about a month and just checked the markets for renewal. The rates have SKYROCKETED.

I don't know if this is because of EV usage increase or just the general crappy economy under Biden, but it's about to price me out of home ownership.

Anyone else seeing this?

[Service company is Oncor.]


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: electric; electricity; electricrates; kilowatthour; kwh
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-133 last
To: Dogbert41
Mine more than doubled, both electric and gas. All these server farms by Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and the feds, along with EVs , I the feds shutting down Most types of power plants are a recipe for our total destruction.

What do the server farms have to do with the residential rates? My small community (less than 10,000) has upwards of 30 seperate server farms. Our electric rates just went up from .0472 to .0486 per kWh. That's a whopping $4.00 a month increase! Hydro FTW.
121 posted on 06/03/2024 12:28:35 PM PDT by rickomatic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: BobL
Only for idiots that sign up for variable pricing. No one with a brain does that.

Everyone in my state has variable pricing because the TDSP (delivery component of the fee) is subject to fluctuations which are not controlled by the electrical service contract, even though the provider energy charge may be fixed.

122 posted on 06/03/2024 12:36:18 PM PDT by fwdude ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies]

To: fwdude

Because they lowered my bill for my home by $100 per month, and my business by $200 per month. It’s remained lower all this time. And I don’t have time to research all the pricing so the $10 is worth it to me. They even told me on one switch that I might have to pay a cancellation fee, but that it would more than pay for itself over the life of the contract. They actually negotiated me out of it at no charge.


123 posted on 06/03/2024 12:56:51 PM PDT by BozoTexino (RIP GOP)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 120 | View Replies]

To: Sequoyah101

“You should have at least added an “/s” or told us where such a miracle has taken place.”

I hoped including this whimsical line would be disclaimer enough: “Sometime later this year we expect the power company to start paying consumers to use the surplus electricity; either that or they will have to pour it out on the ground.”


124 posted on 06/03/2024 1:32:16 PM PDT by jeffersondem
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 85 | View Replies]

To: Bobbyvotes

What is the refrigerant in a Windmill model ?


125 posted on 06/03/2024 1:46:46 PM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT back in 2006)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 113 | View Replies]

To: BipolarBob
Hope is not a method but I try to break from attempting to prepare for the worst ALL the time.

Politicians and commoners will only listen to scientists and engineers when they have no other choice. That has been my experience.

126 posted on 06/03/2024 2:07:18 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (The Government that got us in this mess is not the Government that can get us out of it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 94 | View Replies]

To: fwdude

HAVE owned 4 properties.

NEVER had A “CONTRACT” for power.


127 posted on 06/03/2024 2:21:17 PM PDT by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fwdude

later


128 posted on 06/03/2024 4:21:31 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Lethal Force Authorized At Mar-a-Lago!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jeffersondem
Solar is free... Plus the cost of fabrication, installation, copper wiring, transformers, distribution, step down, panel maintenance, and all the admin/support/overhead. Plus surplus power for usage spikes, nighttime, etc. That's where they get ya!


129 posted on 06/03/2024 4:55:29 PM PDT by Svartalfiar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: fwdude

My electric bill dropped 30%.


130 posted on 06/03/2024 5:09:28 PM PDT by sergeantdave (AI training involves stealing content from creators and not paying them a penny)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fwdude

“Everyone in my state has variable pricing because the TDSP”

That bites. The guy I was responding to was in Texas, and as far as I know, they don’t force variable pricing on people, though I can see how people might get pulled-in, since the variable price is likely lower than fixed prices for 90% of the time - but that other 10% can sure sting!


131 posted on 06/03/2024 5:57:09 PM PDT by BobL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]

To: Brian Griffin

About 15 years ago my cost per KWH was a little over $.04. At the time I had incandescent lighting a couple laser printers that loved electricity 3 old refrigerators and a big old freezer. I just didn’t really care how much electricity I used, it was pretty cheap and I could afford it easily enough. Even though I have a pretty large home the electricity was not a major concern.

Then the local utility got purchased by a larger company and our cost nearly doubled. That is when I decided to look at solar. The company has since been purchased by an off shore international company. I installed solar with a large battery backup. While I generally averaged 50 to 60 KWH per day 15 years ago I now generally keep it under 40. TV’s use way less power than they used to, but now all the computers in the house offset that pretty much. The LED lighting had cut over 10 KW out of my electricity budget. I installed a couple mini split heat pumps that suffice most of the year. They are really cheap to run. I try to get by with a heat pump when the two mini splits won’t do it and if it gets really cold I have a natural gas heater (boiler) with radiant heat that is 95% efficient.

Now in the spring and fall I never use more energy than I send into the grid. In the winter and hot summer I use some but my electric bill is not normally more than $100.00 and for 6 months it is usually the minimum of $27.

My wife thought I was crazy when I installed the system but since the government paid for a third of it I just couldn’t resist. I also like reducing monthly outlays in my old age and for my wife to have few expenditures each month after I croak.

I’m pretty pleased with it now. I’m not a tree hugger, I don’t believe in globul warming or at least that it comes from what people do.

I like knowing when the power is out I never even know about it. I like knowing that nobody can turn me off.

I suppose I could disconnect from the grid but now having that huge battery (the grid) is a real blessing so that I don’t have to use up my batteries.

Oh yeah last year our average rate was over $.17 per KWH, thats before a lot of stupid taxes and other charges, oh and my base of $27.00.

So, my cost is a couple hundred dollars most of the year except in air conditioning season when it can easily go to 70KWH which brings me to around $400 or so after taxes etc.

I guess it is easy to say “well, a few thousand dollars out of the budget isn’t a big deal”. Well, you’d be right I guess except that I don’t worry about not having electricity and all the stuff in my friges and freezers going bad. It is a really good feeling to know I can have electricity no matter what.

I didn’t really do solar for the savings of electricity payments, I did it for security. It was a huge expense, to me anyway. After rebates I have about $30k into it. Takes a long time to pay back, although I think I figured I did a couple years ago so that now I’m a few thousand ahead each year.

Solar isn’t for everyone I guess, my house was pointed the right direction, I was able to do nearly all the labor of installation myself and had the cash to buy the stuff.

I have 36 panels which gives me 12KW on the roof and on sunny days I get that for about 5 hours but there are losses in wiring and equipment, oh and yes batteries are only about 90% or so efficient. If I pull 50KW down a day I’m happy.


132 posted on 06/03/2024 10:04:30 PM PDT by JAKraig (my religion is at least as good as yours.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies]

To: George from New England

Sorry for delay in reply. Was on week long vacation.
I bought that windmill A/C coz it looks best and is advertised as very quiet. I agree on both points. I have not bothered to find out which refrigerant they use, but I am happy with the performance of Windmill A/C.


133 posted on 06/13/2024 9:06:03 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (I will be voting for Trump/whoever he picks VP in November. If he loses in 2024, country is toast.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-133 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson