Electric Rates

[kinsmanstoves]

I have been looking into the electric rates from my house in n/e Ohio.

This bill was $84.22 for the time period of 07-17-08 to 08-14-08
This is a 2,500 sq ft split level design with LP hot water, well and non electric septic, electric stove and clothes dryer
there are three children and two adults
we might have ran the two window a/c units for 24 hours during the month, nice weather.

we were billed at 6.3 cents per kWh using 664 KWH
Customer charge of $3.86
Delivery charge of $22.98
Transition charge of $5.64
Generation related component $46.84
Transmission related Component $6.97
NOPEC Discount -$2.07

What the heack do all those charges mean?
Is this normal charges?


Eric

 

[d.n.f.]

Welcome to the world of screwing the consumer even if you don't use any power and/or natty gas.
Charges are all normal. Sometimes they change the names to protect the innocent.
The electrical provider might buy power off of someone else, who uses another guy's lines. You might live in NY State (example) but get 80% of your power locally, except when it is an overuse time, then you get it from Quebec.

I used no natty gas for the past two months, but I get a bill with all kinds of charges. It is cheaper than the disconnect/reconnect fee when I need the natty in the fall/winter. My old neighbour shut his off cause he heats with wood and cooks with electric.

If you make your own power while still being on the grid, you still get charged all these fees.

 

[velvetfoot]

12.67 cents a kWh.
Not sure, but I think that'd a bargain in NY!
Except of course if you live in an area (in NY) served by a muni that gets cheap hydro from Niagara Falls.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

But what is your extra charges? That is what I would like to compare.

Thanks
Eric

 

[gpcollen1]

I have been looking into the electric rates from my house in n/e Ohio.

This bill was $84.22 for the time period of 07-17-08 to 08-14-08
This is a 2,500 sq ft split level design with LP hot water, well and non electric septic, electric stove and clothes dryer
there are three children and two adults
we might have ran the two window a/c units for 24 hours during the month, nice weather.

we were billed at 6.3 cents per kWh using 664 KWH
Customer charge of $3.86
Delivery charge of $22.98
Transition charge of $5.64
Generation related component $46.84
Transmission related Component $6.97
NOPEC Discount -$2.07
Eric

Most Utilities have a website where they will expand on what these mean to you. The most basic answer to your question is that, yes, there are multiple charges related to your usage. I believe you are in a deregulated power market - correct me if I am wrong - but i am not sure it matter. Bottom line is that there are charges associated with:

- the actual production of electricity, as the power company has to pay the actual power plant
- the transmission of electricity, which in some areas is very costly - like here in western CT.
- other charges associated with this business. Like charges that go to the future development of power plants and transmission.

G

 

[velvetfoot]

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/Get...ts/Billing/Select_Your_Operating_Company.html

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Guess I could have read the flip side of the bill. Dahhh.

 

[TMonter]

If you make your own power while still being on the grid, you still get charged all these fees.

Of course it's only fair since whenever you need power they provide it. The cost to maintain the connection is not free, they must maintain capacity to support your use.

 

[fraxinus]

The entire question of electric rates (leaving out the non profit municipal companies) is a fascinating issue. In the original post a usage of 664 kwhs results in a charge of 84.22. My current bill for 460 kwhs is 75.08. My reward for consuming one-third less is a bill for approximately one-tenth less. Last time I checked, TMonter's home state of Idaho had the cheapest rates in the country at around .06 per kwh; Maine, despite producing more electricity than it uses, is in the top three at around .16. Those companies who generate most of their power by burning coal are able to offer the cheapest rates even though everyone is paying the price for coal usage in one way or another. It's very hard to see how we can encourage electricity consevation or develop a rational overall energy policy when there are such huge disparities in what people pay for a basic and essential public utility.

 

[Hogwildz]

I have been looking into the electric rates from my house in n/e Ohio.

This bill was $84.22 for the time period of 07-17-08 to 08-14-08
This is a 2,500 sq ft split level design with LP hot water, well and non electric septic, electric stove and clothes dryer
there are three children and two adults
we might have ran the two window a/c units for 24 hours during the month, nice weather.

we were billed at 6.3 cents per kWh using 664 KWH
Customer charge of $3.86
Delivery charge of $22.98
Transition charge of $5.64
Generation related component $46.84
Transmission related Component $6.97
NOPEC Discount -$2.07

What the heack do all those charges mean?
Is this normal charges?


Eric

Hell thats not bad, 2 adults, 2 kids, one kid was away all summer and still average about $145.00 a month. And scheduled to go up 30% in the next few years.

 

[TMonter]

The entire question of electric rates (leaving out the non profit municipal companies) is a fascinating issue. In the original post a usage of 664 kwhs results in a charge of 84.22. My current bill for 460 kwhs is 75.08. My reward for consuming one-third less is a bill for approximately one-tenth less. Last time I checked, TMonter’s home state of Idaho had the cheapest rates in the country at around .06 per kwh; Maine, despite producing more electricity than it uses, is in the top three at around .16. Those companies who generate most of their power by burning coal are able to offer the cheapest rates even though everyone is paying the price for coal usage in one way or another. It’s very hard to see how we can encourage electricity consevation or develop a rational overall energy policy when there are such huge disparities in what people pay for a basic and essential public utility.

Idaho doesn't penalize power producers either and we don't have ridiculous regulations that prevent new plants from being built nor hamstring the efforts of existing plants to upgrade their operations.

Market price and how the power is provided. I'm on relatively cheap hydro and coal.

Trying to levelize prices would be just as disastrous as the half de-regulation (the wholesale but not the retail market) that took place in California. Prices must be free to fluctuate based on how the power is produced.

My family of 5 uses about 580-630 kW per 30 day cycle plus about 24 therms of natural gas for hot water.

 

[fraxinus]

TMonter: If some sort of carbon tax and/or cap and trade legislation should ever make its way through Congress, won't the rates for coal produced electricity increase very quickly and dramatically? What happened to rates when coal plants were required to reduce acid rain producing emissions? From what I recall, the increases to rate payers were phased in over a considerable period. I have no problem with lower electric rates based on locally built and maintained hydro sources. Coal, though, seems to be another issue entirely.

 

[TMonter]

TMonter: If some sort of carbon tax and/or cap and trade legislation should ever make its way through Congress, won’t the rates for coal produced electricity increase very quickly and dramatically? What happened to rates when coal plants were required to reduce acid rain producing emissions? From what I recall, the increases to rate payers were phased in over a considerable period. I have no problem with lower electric rates based on locally built and maintained hydro sources. Coal, though, seems to be another issue entirely.

I agree that costs for pollution cleanup should be internalized, but even with those pollution controls coal is still cheaper than just about any other source. Have you been through a modern coal plant? They aren't the black smoke belching monsters people think they are.

 

[fraxinus]

While I've never been through a modern coal plant, I've no doubt that the best of them are as clean burning and efficient as it's possible for such an operation to be. The CO2 emissions are the real problem. Perhaps sequestering the CO2 somehow will become economically and technically viable in the future, but I have serious doubts about that possibility. Duke Power - the country's largest producer of coal fired electricity and among the top three producers of CO2 - seems commited to zero CO2 emissions and ending its use of coal by 2030.

 

[velvetfoot]

All nuclear?

 

[oilstinks]

84 bucks! Thats my bill not running anything.

 

[eba1225]

I'm there with you 'oil, 84 is when I don't run anything.

 

[BrotherBart]

Mine runs around $95. Keep your hands off my coal and nuke plants! >:-(

 

[mkmh]

I'm around 107 per month on a 12 month average.
Family of 4, 200 square foot home, a couple window AC units, electric stove, electric dryer, 2 fridges, almost all compact flourescent lighting throughout.

I'm in Maine, where as someone pointed out we're at 16 cents per kwh. That includes supply and delivery. I have been tracking it for three years in a spreadsheet and the 16 cents per kwh has held stead despite some drops in the "delivery charge". It seems every drop in delivery charge is offset by a proportionate increase in "supply charge". Hard to complain, since the cost of almost everything else is way, way up over those 3 years. I'm sure an increase in electric will be coming.

I'm guessing electric usage in Maine will be WAY up this winter as lots of folks will have the furnace set to 50 and will be huddled around a couple 1500 watt electric space heaters.