OnCor new Electric Meter Readers = higher rates? (Austin, Killeen: power lines, house)

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by robino2001

As for the rate, I'm paying $0.074 p kWh for 100% green energy.

Are you sure there isn't a fuel charge on top of that? Cause that sounds very much like the rate without the fuel charge. Compared to Austin Energy, which is generally very cheap, it's still a good rate (Austin Energy is $0.0782/kWh, but again that's before the fuel charge)..

[orbius]

Originally Posted by robino2001

At least we had advance notice I guess. Even then, wife said the power was out for no more than 15 seconds.

And for the advanced metering fee, if everyone else is paying it whether they have the meter installed or not, then what's the big deal? So whoever got it first pays for 11 years and whoever got it last pays for 11 years... it's not like the 11 years doesn't start until you get it even though you've been paying the fee. Definitely easier to keep track of that way. Maybe it is/was to help build up a little money in reserve to help pay for the meters as they install them.

As for the rate, I'm paying $0.074 p kWh for 100% green energy.

You're omitting part of the bill or making things up. No one pays .7c kwh in Round Rock unless they are a large corporation. If you want to prove me wrong scan in your bill. Until then bluntly put I dont believe you.

For instance, on the Reliant Secure 12 E-plan, the energy charge is 12.9 cents with an Oncor surcharge of $2.43 and customer charge of $5. So if you use 500 KWh the cost is 14.4 cents/KWh, if you use 1000 KWh the cost is 13.6 cents/KWh and so on.

The above is more like the actual cost in Round Rock. On average a good % higher per kwh than Austin. Theres no use pretending that theres competition in electricity distribution. Its a lie. The most efficent method of production and distribution of electricity is via a well run coop.

[austinizer]

robino2001, thanks for the info on your rate and additional comments! What time of the year do you change contracts? I changed in October to a 9.9 cent rate (also for 12 months) which was the best rate offered at the time (not 100% green either!).

I also found out that the rate is not everything - I tend to (or at least try to) have low usage and many plans are more expensive per kWh for usage less than 500 kWh per month. For instance, some have an additional monthly fee if your usage is below 500 kWh.

[austinizer]

Originally Posted by orbius

The above is more like the actual cost in Round Rock. On average a good % higher per kwh than Austin. Theres no use pretending that theres competition in electricity distribution. Its a lie. The most efficent method of production and distribution of electricity is via a well run coop.

I generally agree with you. Oncor and the REPs have to return a profit to their shareholders, Austin Energy doesn't. Also, AE doesn't have to charge an extra fee to implement smart meters because it can amortize the cost or savings from it over a long time.

I think a big obstacle to improving electric competition is the ignorance of the consumer, though. I know many people that are still with the provider that was in place before deregulation, even though their rates are higher. There's not really an efficient market because many consumers choose not to participate.

I was an Austin Energy customer for over 10 years and was not looking forward to having to deal with the deregulated market when we moved. However, since then I started to appreciate some of the advantages of choosing my provider. I never liked my $6.00 monthly customer charge with AE because my actual usage was very low. Now, I get to choose a provider with no monthly fee, how cool is that? (Of course, there's still the Advanced Meter Surcharge!)

[austinizer]

Originally Posted by atxcio

Ridiculous. I don't buy that one bit.

If they really weren't realizing a savings in the long term, then why lay off the human meter readers AND still charge you? They could charge you $2.21 less and keep people employed, especially these days when jobs are hard to come by.

Bottom line, it's gotta be BS. Hopefully many potential customers will read this thread...

FWIW, Oncor has a breakdown of the surcharge expenses on its website:

http://www.oncor.com/tech_reliable/p...e-Analysis.pdf

They put the meter reader savings at $176 million and the total cost of the new system at around $ 1 billion. So you have a good point!

[robino2001]

Originally Posted by atxcio

Are you sure there isn't a fuel charge on top of that? Cause that sounds very much like the rate without the fuel charge. Compared to Austin Energy, which is generally very cheap, it's still a good rate (Austin Energy is $0.0782/kWh, but again that's before the fuel charge)..

You're right, it does not include the fuel charge... just the simple rate spelled out on the bill. Add in the energy charge and it's a hair above $0.10 I believe. Maybe closer to $0.105...

Originally Posted by austinizer

robino2001, thanks for the info on your rate and additional comments! What time of the year do you change contracts? I changed in October to a 9.9 cent rate (also for 12 months) which was the best rate offered at the time (not 100% green either!).

I also found out that the rate is not everything - I tend to (or at least try to) have low usage and many plans are more expensive per kWh for usage less than 500 kWh per month. For instance, some have an additional monthly fee if your usage is below 500 kWh.

We change in early summer... I think it's around June now. I bought our house in February and didn't realize/was aware of the whole end of contract -> to variable rate thing that first time around and really didn't get hurt by it until the very first summer bill that year. Now I have it marked on my calendar at work with a reminder a few weeks earlier to start looking/negotiating. I don't know if there is any advantage to one part of the year over the other... I bet there would be. Does anyone know anything about this?

Originally Posted by orbius

You're omitting part of the bill or making things up. No one pays .7c kwh in Round Rock unless they are a large corporation. If you want to prove me wrong scan in your bill. Until then bluntly put I dont believe you.

The above is more like the actual cost in Round Rock. On average a good % higher per kwh than Austin. Theres no use pretending that theres competition in electricity distribution. Its a lie. The most efficent method of production and distribution of electricity is via a well run coop.

What is there to omit? There's the rate, delivery charge and then the fee for the digital meter. I have no need to get into a measuring contest over a electric bill. You quoted a price from Reliant... why quote a price from one of the two power companies that are the most expensive ones in the area (Reliant or TXU)? I just went to the powertochoose website right now and there are tons of variable rates in the 8 range and fixed rates in the 9 range. When I renewed, prices were cheaper than they were now.

Yes, the big boys are a good chunk more than Austin energy, but there are ~20 companies to choose from (maybe even more than that), with rates changing every day. If you're diligent and do your homework, you can find a good rate.

Actually, looking at Reliant, their offer right now is $0.109 with 20% renewable... not HORRIBLE, but there is still much better.

[bewisengentle]

There's a meeting in Dallas on Sunday 4PM February 21, 2010 at 1123 West Davis Street in Dallas at a cafe organized by people expressing their complaints with bills after the smart meter.

There are complaints in Irving, Dallas, Kessler Park, and Arlington it sounds like at least (also Killeen, Coperas Cove, Hearne, and Waco from what I've read)

fyi:

PUC (Texas state agency for Public Utilities) told me that when people call to complain- they are not recorded as complaints but rather "comments" since the PUC approved the meter.

[mickey65]

Wow, sounds as if people are getting screwed all around. I'm glad I started this thread to call attention to those "smart" readers - which are mainly "smart" for OnCor and all the extra money they are going to rake in on the behalf of the customers having to use them...

[austinizer]

Here's an update on my smart meter after the first 5 days. We heat with gas (but I realize the blower motors use energy too), temperatures are the same or slightly improving from last month, and we aren't doing anything different so I expect a similar Feb usage to Jan usage for me. The meter has been logging about 11 kWh a day which is right in line with my last month's usage.

My only complaint so far is that the various readings on the LCD are not very informative. It cycles through a series where it shows all "8"s (segment test to make sure the LCD is working); then the total power in kWh since the meter was installed; then a "max kW" reading for the maximum used at one time; and then it shows "CLS" meaning the service switch is closed, i.e. we're getting power to the home. What really surprised me is that it doesn't show the instantaneous power used. That would have been very useful! It's mildly entertaining and not surprising that our max power jumped to 6 kW when we turned on the dryer, but now I have no indication how much is used with appliances that are on for much longer periods of time and have lower peak power but more energy used over time ... fridge, heater fan/blower, computer, etc.

At least the electromechanical meter had the little disk spinning, this meter shows nothing like it. And I suspect the meter could show it but Oncor chose not to configure it to show instantaneous power used. Otherwise, perhaps we wouldn't have to buy our little companion in-home monitor to see the power used if we can read it directly on the meter!

By the way, the website where we will be able to monitor our previous day's usage in 15 min intervals in the future will be this one I think (right now still undergoing testing):

http://www.smartmetertexas.com

[atxcio]

Austinizer,

You may want to look into a product like this one:
Power Cost Monitor - power meter monitoring product

I had one, it is very useful. But you have to make sure it works with your brand of electronic meter first. Instead of the spinning disks, most electronic meters have a tiny led (may be infrared) in front that flashes to indicate the rate. The powercost monitor reads the LED, and converts it to current kWh usage, peak, and keeps a running total for your bill that month. It's an excellent way to monitor how much energy an appliance uses -- just see how much the reading goes up or down when you turn on/off the appliance.

I really found it useful with my analog meter... however, with Austin Energy upgraded to electronic meters, they used the 1 brand that was incompatible with the Powercost Monitor. Too bad, because it really is an energy saving tool.