Is Your Electric Bill Going Up?
Robert Baird/Tricities.com
Are you shocked over your most-recent utility bills?
Are you struggling with ways to compensate for soaring power costs?
If you’re willing to share your bills and plans with the Bristol Herald Courier, please give us a call.
We’re planning a series of stories on how Bristolians are coping with an ever-increasing cost of living.
Please contact Gary Gray at or (276) 645-2512; or David McGee at or (276) 645-2532.
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Reader Reactions
But, megr, what have your actions actually accomplished. Have you helped the problem any? I mean, I am educated and we all read why but knowing why does not make it any easier to accept nor does it make it any easier to come up with that extra money. Knowing why does not solve anything. Have your actions changed anything? I would bet your answer would have to be no, I have called BTES, TVA and anyone else…does that change the fact that I still have an electric bill that is questionable? Is anyone going to do anything about it? Yeah, I’m gonna do something…I’m gonna pay it so my family continues to have lights and heat, that is our option….
reply to evaningstar. I in no way mean to belittle anyone. I am simply frustrated that people take out their frustration on blogs but rarely do more. As for what I do. I read, I investigate, I question all my elected officials through phone calls and emails, I take the time to investigate the answers they give me, I also try to educate people in my community that I have daily contact with on issues of importance. I used to be one of those people who was so involed in his own lillte world but in the last couple of years I have opened my eyes. Thank you
This is a place to post your opinion, that is the purpose of it. Don’t belittle people for making their opinions known.
And what exactly have you…megr done about the whole fiasco?
I agree with the post that stated it is the fault of the people who keep taking this crap and do nothing. You people who continue to vote for the same people and expect different results need to spend a little time getting educated and activated. It is the same theory as the bully in the school yard. Until you stand up to him and stop it he will keep bullying you. If you are upset about energy prices now I suggest you start you education with the joke called global warming or climate control. It will be used by the governmet to increase your fuel bills, which will increase the price of most everything, and to control almost every aspect of your life. If you are not willing to do something then do not bother to post.
Surcharge. Subtract normal cost of coal to produce 1 kw of Electric from the actual cost to produce 1kw today with inflated prices of coal. Take that difference and divivde it by the nymver of customers equals the surcharge plus what you feel you can get away with and not have customers breaking down the doors.
Once upon a time (and I’m not sure of the year) the government (once again, not sure if it was state or federal specifically) mandated that all new construction utilize a heat pump with a SEER rating of 13 or better, if electric heat and air were to be the climate control source. The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient your unit is with cooling and heating.
With that being said, all the newer constructed homes “inadvertently” began using less electricity and became more efficient….hence reduced consumption of KW, and the reduced revenues of the power companies.
People naturally became more energy conscious in the last couple of years by utilizing CF bulbs, higher R value insulation, better windows, adjustments on thermostat settings, alternative heat sources, etc. And yes, the power companies seen even more of a drop in revenues due to such.
Cost of coal goes up, cost of crude goes up, therefore contributing to a smaller profit margin for folks such as TVA and AEP. Soooo….they pass this cost on to BTES, who sees a shrink in their profit margin, who then passes this cost on to you and I. In a nutshell, we, the end user pay the price right on up the chain and end up making all the “adjustments” to try and live.
What really gets in your crawl is when you drive by the “Speedway in Lights” program (which indeed is for a great cause, I believe) after it is closed for the season, and you see half the lights on….burning up that “donated” power from TVA. It also gets you when you drive by BTES and see their offices and trees finely decorated and lit up like the Manhattan skyline at night…..after business hours.
You see your prices of gas, electric, food, etc., skyrocket much much faster due to “surcharges”....but do we see that “surcharge” disappear, gas prices come down, or other prices drop as fast as they went up….especially when crude oil is now at an all time low…??
The answer is NO….and you won’t. Why…? Supply, demand, greed and stupidity. And I suppose it’s all legal…??
Can someone explain to me what is a fuel consumption surcharge and what is an energy surcharge? I notice a lot of “surcharges” on all my utility bills and I don’t think I understand what these are for. Is there a book out there to help me better understand my electricity bill this month?
Almost everyone I talk with has seen an increased bill averaging $100 or more. For some mathmatical fun, get on your community websites to see what the count of homes are - then multiply that by $100….Someone is getting a great “retention” bonus this year!
Instead of jacking up the consumers bill. They need to work with inside the company such as CEO cut there pay and upper management.. They don’t do sh*t….
I have tracked my KW useage since my last bill, everyday, every 12 hours, by looking at my meter. I’m anxious to see what next month’s bill lists as the usage amount. If their numbers are way off in comparison to mine, I think I will have to go visit the office.
It’s a pain, but I encourage everyone to do it, and let’s see just how accurate the bill really is…
Wow, BTES goes up and all the people come out. This is the second story on here in 2 weeks about the increase and hardship on local people. Where has the media and all the angry people been for the past 2 years when us customers of BVU have been getting ripped off. This is nothing new for the Virinia side of town, we are used to it. I would LOVE to have a $175 or $200 electric bill in the winter. Last winter my bills (single person, gas water heater, 2 yr old heat pump, 1 yr old windows, 1 yr old fresh insulation blown in the attic less than 1200 sq ft house, temp at 68, and those new lowe energy lightbulbs all in place) ran $350-400 a month. Wasn’t just me, I checkd with neighbors, we all suffered the same crunch. So BTESers just wait it out, you (unforutnatly) will get used to it just like we did.
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