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Daily news for Seattle's Ballard neighborhood |
Ballardemician
offlineMember
McGinn is backing an additional 30% (more or less) phased over the next six years for electricity.
My take is that most media is burying the lead -- stories are about adding infrastructure, but half of City Light's worker will retire in the next 5 years and pensions + new workers is going to be a strain.
It feels like rates are pretty high already? I thought we ran off fairly plentiful hydro-electric? But maybe I'm wrong ....
great idea
offlineMember
it seems to be contested most by big business interests.
I will pay thirty-five bucks more a year so I'm fine with it.
i am curious,
What is the going rate per Kwh for residential?
(my electric is hidden in my slip rental so I have no clue)
D
GAM
offlineMember
Glad you asked! From my last bill:
.0476 / .0987 per KWH
pennygirl
offlineMember
Who cares about $35 per year. It's a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things.
BuffaloHawk
offlineMember
PG.. I will be by later to sell you a prescription for The Stranger $35.00 a year>
Gam,
I guess that seems pretty low to me. I assume the two numbers you quote are off peak and peak? Or below a given threshold for use and above that threshold?
My rate in HI was about .38.
Saipan was .58. And the assumption there was it was climbing for a variety of reasons, all bad.
Not sure what American Samoa and Guam were.
GAM
offlineMember
The second version. The lower rate is for the first KWH used, then, once you pass a threshold the rate goes up. A way to encourage conservation. Puzzlingly, while they list separate summer and winter rates, they are the same (???) The thresholds differ, so I guess that's the distinction.
Yes, we have cheap power. We will still have cheap power after this increase. I agree with pennygirl to a large extent, as the extra dollars I personally have to pay won't be that much.
But - I thought we made bank selling electricity to other places. I'm having a hard time comprehending why the increase has to be so much. Was someone asleep at the wheel and screwed up at something we're now having to pay for? Is it really all going to retirement benefits??? I can't help thinking there's a piece still missing.
I am just guessing, but I could see retirements/medical being part of it if their pension investments nose dived. But I would also guess infrastructure is getting old and needs updating if the system is to stay efficient and reliable.
D
Thanks for posting the rates by the way GAM!! Appreciated.
Ballardemician
offlineMember
SO if the rate hike is 30%, we are talking another $35 on average monthly? Or are most of you paying $100 a year for electricity? If so need to go shut some lights off ...
Ballardemician,
The house we are closing on soon used about $500 last year in electric or about $40/mo. Neighbors indicated it was lit up big time when the 2 occupants were home.
The 30% rate hike you mentioned would eventually raise that to $675.
Having gone through the house I can see lots of places to save kw with little effort so I am sure I can knock that down considerably. For what that is worth.
The boat was runs me about $20/mo in electric. And I heated with electric most of the heating season except the coldest periods. That is going to be a hard transition.
And for comparison, our house in HI ran between $150 and $200/mo electric with no heating, no Air Conditioning. Electric Fridge, stove and cooktop. Electric washer and dryer doing between 2 and 4 loads a week. Dishwasher doing 1 to 2 loads a week.
Impressive.
D
RichY
offlineMember
Here are the ideas presented - the docs are in word.
http://seattle.gov/light/strategic-plan/
the higest plan would impact an average customer $38.90 per year (it is 5% for 6 years)
The average usage is $65 /M or $130 / bill cycle
Mondoman
offlineMember
gi and pg, the total would go up $35 per year for 6 years, so $35 higher year 1, $70 higher year 2, $105 higher year 3, finishing with $210 higher in year 6.
Seattle City Light was very poorly managed in the early 2000s, and had a longtime head who made sure to ingratiate himself with the mayors. That head was forced out over Mayor Nickel's objections and we got Carrasco, the current head, who seems to be quite capable and competent. However, he is hamstrung to some degree by Seattle City Light's moderate featherbedding labor contracts, and to a smaller degree by the mayor and City Council's tendency to use City Light as a piggy bank to fund their pet projects/initiatives when they can't do it in the City budget itself (ever notice the ugly little lighted tower "sculptures" lining the Ballard Bridge's overpass at Leary Way -- that's one way your ratepayer dollars were thrown away). That's one big reason they need to raise prices.
Reason 2 is that in the drought/mismanagement of the early 2000s, the City had City Light borrow a lot of money instead of raising rates. That borrowing now has to be paid for, so prices would have to be raised significantly just for that.
Reason 3 is the stupidly-worded state initiative we passed a few years back that forces electricity companies to use "renewable" energy, but doesn't count hydro power as renewable! Thus, City Light has to pay tens of millions of dollars to buy "renewable" rights every year, even though its power is already almost all hydro. Rates need to be raised to pay for that.
ds - congrats on the new house!
SaturdayNightSpecialGranny
offlineMember
Everyone always wants more money. It's been that way for forever.
Mondoman!
Featherbedding? I have not heard that term in a long long time! Where did you grow up? Midwest or East Coast? Was your Dad or Grandfather a Wobbly or a Bull in their day?? <grin>
You triggered a little memory synapse somewhere deep in the bowls of my pea brain. The resulting earworm was a little ditty I read in Mad Magazine as a kid. It even applies to your use of the term! I find it incredibly scary that this poem popped up intact on just hearing that term. I am lucky I can remember my cell number anymore yet intact doggerel from my youth is bubbling up to the surface!!!! Aghhhhhhh! <grin>
You shovel up the coal that gives our railroad trains their power.
For this your union sees that you get 9 bucks an hour.
So why do people say that you're are a featherbedding weasel?
Because you know as well as we the whole darn railroad's diesel!
D
RichY
offlineMember
However, he is hamstrung to some degree by Seattle City Light's moderate featherbedding labor contracts, and to a smaller degree by the mayor and City Council's tendency to use City Light as a piggy bank to fund their pet projects/initiatives when they can't do it in the City budget itself (ever notice the ugly little lighted tower "sculptures" lining the Ballard Bridge's overpass at Leary Way -- that's one way your ratepayer dollars were thrown away). That's one big reason they need to raise prices.
Seattle $.04 - $.06 /KWH
San Francisco $.13 - $.34 /KWH
We still have (one of)the lowest power rates in the US
Mondoman
offlineMember
Rich, the rates should be substantially lower (or at least not going up 30+%). California has totally screwed-up pricing, so SF isn't a good comparison. Here are Boise's rates (even with a non-city-owned electric company, which makes things more expensive!):
(using current rates)
Seattle (30 day month, winter rates):
32 kWh/day: $73.80
48 kWh/day: $121.18
Boise (30 day month, winter rates):
32 kWh/day: $71.78
48 kWh/day: $108.20
The main difference is that Boise doesn't provide a drastically lower teaser/lifeline rate for the first 16kWh/day as Seattle does. The "full" winter rate is $0.0987 per kWh in Seattle, $0.084662 per kWh in Boise.
Mondoman
offlineMember
ds, I think I'll not reveal where I grew up since it may tend to incriminate me (it certainly wouldn't be anywhere near the origin of rolfing, nope, no way!). I really like your song, but I'm guessing that the fb term came from reading rather than hearing it. I do love terms with character -- hunky-dory is another great one.
great idea
offlineMember
Idaho had the lowest electricity rates in the nation with all the federal dams.
not sure if that was a fair comparison!
I personally like the 'teaser' rate and strive for it as difficult as it may be.
onederfullone
offlineMember
I use the teaser rate.
Featherbedding is a good term, imo. Good news, it will launch the next evolution of all green featherbedding.
RichY
offlineMember
Mondoman
Here is Idaho powers comp
http://www.idahopower.com/AboutUs/RatesRegulatory/Rankings/default.cfm
Bosie comes out to $.083 /KWH
I do not know where you got the local rate - my bill says Winter rate $.0476/KWH
Mondoman
offlineMember
Rich, your number for Boise is quite close to the one I found. I notice they didn't include Seattle in their comparison list! The monthly amounts include things like the flat monthly service fee and the lower-tier rates for the first X kWh. The residential rate tariff document http://www.idahopower.com/AboutUs/RatesRegulatory/Tariffs/tariffPDF.cfm?id=156 is what I used for my Boise calculations.
The winter rate of $0.0476 on your bill is the first-tier (lifeline/teaser) rate good for the first 16kWh per day. One of the benefits of the city-owned electric utility is that we are all given a low subsidized rate for our initial use; presumably those who use more than that pay back the subsidy with the higher $0.0987 rate.
In a better world, price is determined by supply and demand, not by politicians playing monopoly.
onederfullone
offlineMember
Walt for President.
...wait a sec...do you believe in magic? ;-P
I have often thought my electric bill was out of whack - I live in a two bedroom apartment that is less than 500 square feet. My electric bill with City Light is currently in the $200 every-two-months range - sometimes quite a bit more, sometimes a little less. Used to be summer bills were lower but that hasn't been the case lately.
Does this seem unreasonably high to you guys? It sounds like it does. Maybe I'm paying for the whole floor? or the laundry room is hooked up to my meter?
RichY
offlineMember
scarebaby, Yes! call city light and have them do a free energy audit - My bill is less than that and I have a 3800 sf + lots of elctronics and electric heat in many rooms.
Alferd Packer
offlineMember
scarebaby, RichY's advice is excellent. When we were just young things, we lived in an apartment (North Dakota), and we discovered fairly early one winter that our neighbor's electric heat was connected to our meter. We proved it to the landlord and power company by turning off/unplugging everything in our apartment, then observing our electric meter still spinning rapidly. Wiring mistakes do happen, and in your case I suspect something like this or a jointly used clothes dryer on your meter.
edit: just pawed through the last year's worth of bills, and our maximum 2-month bill was $124 for a 1400 square foot house built in 1916. So something is not right with your bill.
aha! thanks for the good advice. I'll call the bastards tomorrow.
lakreitz
offlineMember
Scarebaby - do you have access to the buildings meters? Look at the written notes on them. Make sure there is a meter for each apartment and at least one more for the house. Doesn't guarantee the wiring is done properly, but it is a good place to start. When you test your meter as Alferd suggested, shut off the power at your panel. Ask your neighbors what they pay.
I think you are paying too much. I manage several small apartment buildings. Prospective tenants usually ask what to expect for power bills. Apts like yours, with baseboard heating, newer windows, but no dishwashers are paying roughly $50/mo.
The City just began an Energy Bench Marking project for all commercial buildings in the city, apt buildings with 5 or more units are included. You may be able to find out more about the usage of other units in your building from this program.
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