PG&E bills to spike in January

Mercury News ^ | 12-30-2005 | Matthai Chakko Kuruvila

[Amerigomag]

PG&E customers are about to get stung with a double whammy on energy prices.

Natural gas bills, whose rates fluctuate monthly, will go up by nearly 44 percent in January. Electric rates are rising to a record high -- more than what they were during the 2000-2001 energy crisis.

Both price spikes are being driven by the growing cost of natural gas, whose supply hasn't fully recovered from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The result is that customers will pay an average of $50 more this January than they did in January 2005.

The price hikes have been anticipated for months. The electric rates are approved by state regulators and set on an annual basis. Natural gas, which fuels most hot-water heaters and furnaces, changes in price each month. PG&E is only allowed to recoup the cost of transmission. But because of the volatility in the nation's natural gas markets, consumers have borne the brunt of the price hike.

[Amerigomag]

The irony is that keeping the gas furnace throttled back and supplementing with portable, electric heat in oft used rooms can present a appreciable savings over gas alone.

The pendulum swings. When electric energy was cheap the all-electric home was king. As generation rates rose the heat exchanger was junked for a gas furnace. Today the portable electric heater is popular again. Will the cycle continue? Will gas furnaces be replaced by heat exchangers as gas rates soar?

[nnn0jeh]

North Carolina (Progress Energy) is asking the state for a 12% price reduction becasue of falling natural gas prices.

[tubebender]

When electric energy was cheap the all-electric home was king.

That's our Eureka home. Built when it looked like Nuclear was going to be King.

I will take another look at gas fired hot water radiator heat again...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I'm on a Budget Plan up here in The Great White North. $155/month for Natural Gas all year 'round, so no spikes for me. Due to my conservation efforts (won't go into details; YAWN) I started the heating season with a $156.00 CREDIT.

Bring it on, LOL! I have no problem with a 65-degree house and extra sweaters and blankets. ;)

[fifedom]

This is the other shoe dropping from the fact that, due to lawsuits and obstruction by the enviro-wackos, only gas-fired electric power plants can be built in California. This is a ridiculous waste of a perfect fuel for heating individual houses. Large plants should be nuclear, but, of course, that's impossible so long as the wackos can keep us from disposing of the very small amount of by-products from the nuclear plants. Sigh, we're living with a bunch of crazy people.

[Amerigomag]

I will take another look at gas fired hot water radiator heat again

I reduced my residential PG&E bill by 35% in Dec 2005 compared to Dec 2004 by turning down the main thermostat to 62° and then supplementing the heating in three principal rooms with 750 watt portables.

An appreciable savings considering that electric rates have risen 7% during the same period.

[tubebender]

I already have electric baseboard heat in all rooms. In the Great room we have installed a gas fired stove vented through the metal fireplace. It's on 60 at night and 70 by day.

We have a wood burning metal fireplace in the master bedroom that we rarely use because we only sleep in that room.

We have a timed electric meter from PG&E. Lower rares from 7pm to noon week days and weekends.