My electric co-op keeps sending me stuff wanting me to buy municipal sewer line maintenance coverage from a subsidiary of theirs. Me and everybody within eight miles are on septic systems.
My utility sent me a nasty letter
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jdp1152
Minister of Fire
Ok...great. My neighbor spends 100 bucks a month on electric + 800 on oil whereas I spend 150-300 on electric. I got a similar comparison letter. You'd think they would have some idea of what was going on since they're paying the interest on a 25k loan used to produce that savings.
firebroad
Minister of Fire
Here's a good one--
Last night some fellow calls me, greets me by name, identifies himself and asks if I had received my last months BGE bill. Uh oh, I think, maybe they didn't get their payment? I am wracking my brain trying to remember when I sent the check out as I tell him, yes, I did receive it.
He asks, "May I ask if you are still using natural gas?"
Huh? We have never had gas lines out here, and not likely to get them.
"What?"
"Do you still use natural gas for heating?"
I am wondering if this guy did say he worked for Baltimore Gas & Electric. "Are you nuts? We don't have gas out here, don't you people know that?!"
The gentleman's tone becomes very indignant. (Maybe shouldn't have asked if he were nuts) "No, I do not know that; that is what I was asking you! Good bye." and hangs up.
Go figure. So much for Smart Meters.
Last night some fellow calls me, greets me by name, identifies himself and asks if I had received my last months BGE bill. Uh oh, I think, maybe they didn't get their payment? I am wracking my brain trying to remember when I sent the check out as I tell him, yes, I did receive it.
He asks, "May I ask if you are still using natural gas?"
Huh? We have never had gas lines out here, and not likely to get them.
"What?"
"Do you still use natural gas for heating?"
I am wondering if this guy did say he worked for Baltimore Gas & Electric. "Are you nuts? We don't have gas out here, don't you people know that?!"
The gentleman's tone becomes very indignant. (Maybe shouldn't have asked if he were nuts) "No, I do not know that; that is what I was asking you! Good bye." and hangs up.
Go figure. So much for Smart Meters.
Lake Girl
Moderator
The 'authors' of that little letter just had their IPO:
http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital...-opower-scored-where-google-microsoft-failed/
http://gigaom.com/2014/04/03/opower-prices-ipo-at-high-end-at-19-per-share/
The kids that came up with a smiley or frowny face are now worth about $100M.
http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital...-opower-scored-where-google-microsoft-failed/
http://gigaom.com/2014/04/03/opower-prices-ipo-at-high-end-at-19-per-share/
The kids that came up with a smiley or frowny face are now worth about $100M.
firebroad
Minister of Fire
You know, we have come a long way. There was a time when the utility companies wanted you to use more electricity, before the war.
Deep down, they still want you to use more electricicity. That is how they pay for everything including their salaries. We are seeing that in the water industry, the use is lowered by conservation efforts but that means that we need to raise rates (on a per gallon basis) to make up for the loss. Sure, we could just raise the base rate but politically, folks really want "control" of their bill on an as used basis.
Lake Girl
Moderator
Or did Opower just hit the market at the right time with climbing electric rates, more people going to solar, and more government/power company incentives to purchase items that use less electric so it appears to make Opower look like they are effective... Just a thought.
Investment folks are predicting another tech bubble burst...
Where2
Feeling the Heat
I actually saw that happen locally back when we had a drought. A "surcharge" popped up for about a year because fewer people watering their lawns with potable drinking water cut back the volume the water utility needed to make. The base rate on my water+sewer bill is so high that increasing my use by 2,000 gallons changes my bill by less than 10%. The utility tipped the base rate in their favor "to avoid seasonal fluctuations in revenue due to the influx and exodus of snow birds".
firebroad
Minister of Fire
Tomorrow I have my energy audit. Overly sensitive person that I am, let's see if I get defensive when the auditor finds room for improvement.
Tomorrow I have my energy audit. Overly sensitive person that I am, let's see if I get defensive when the auditor finds room for improvement.
My advice: Take your own notes.
Grisu
Minister of Fire
Since you are consuming away the energy sources future generations would also like to use, no, it is not just your business. It is not a free market when a large group of market participants have not been born yet.
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