Horrible Electricity Rates in Texas - Deregulation raised prices? (Weatherford: month to, homes)
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relatively speaking on our last electric bill we paid less than $11 a day for electric use--to me that seems pretty fair in % to other expenses we have--I certainly eat more than $11 of food each day and we spend more on gasoline--plus we have older home (26oo sq ft--some shade frm trees) with original insulation and I know we have leakage around windows and stuff...so we are not as energy efficient as we could be
we use TXU/Oncor--which I really hate and think is gouging us good but because I turn off AC in daytime and it is just the two of us--we don't use as much as we did when the kids were home--could change provider but some people who did that for the cheapest rates got stung--
I certainly did not want the sell out by TXU but the powers that be did--lots of people made money off that and if anyone believes the new owners are going to sacrifice return on their investment to give the users a break--get real...
the issue with the coal plants proposed was that the mfg/owners did NOT want to make them efficient coal plants--they wanted to save money and let the environment get further disrupted--they said they could not make money if they built them better than the ones already in business--laugh, laugh...
two things that probably affect the price of electricity in MO vs TX/especially DFW area are
how is the electricity mfg--what fuel souces are used--if you have water power like Austin with hydro electric dams--that is less expensive than coal or natural gas plants
and I would think lot of MO has hydroelectric dams providing power (did not know about the nuc power there)
and how much PEAK useage is on your grid system--the more PEAK useage--the higher the price
Peaks useage can be contrived by the power providers ala the california brownouts of the early part of this century which were basically contrived by companies like Enron and others to raise price of energy on grid by artificially lower the available amount--they would take power producers off line at busy times for supposed maintenance or problems in the stations--just to reduce amount of electricity available
when it drops below a certain level the price is raised by demand--sometimes astronomically per KWH cost--increasing the price paid/profit to the companies that provide it and increasing the pass-along price to consumers/end users
it is a monopoly basically...
like DeBeers and other S African diamond mines can limit # of diamonds available to wholesale jewelers around the world when they think the price is getting soft---
we are seeing --actually most people don't SEE that because they are unaware it occurs--but experiencing the consequences every day across the energy grid because many people have to pay for increased peak useage rates
the govt chooses to ignore the manipulation and basically has no real punishment for those who have the power/capability and abuse it---
getting power from solar or wind sources will end up the same way if the system is not changed and the abusers punished...and frankly I don't think we are as smart as the French about the use of nuclear plants--any country that can contrive to eat real butter and real bread, drink wine with meals, and still have low body mass averages knows more than we do about managing danger on a day2day basis
what TX needs to do is get serious with our state panels that have oversight on these "public" agencies like insurance and power and water---
as long as they are hand-in-glove with business interests the consurmer/tax payer is getting the short end of the stick and no one can feel safe--at least I don't
Rick Perry has been a really bad govenor because he has placed big business interests above that of texans but people are too stupid to see what he is doing or maybe they just don't care...and there are plenty of state legislators and people on federal level like Joe Barton and Cornyn--I rate Hutchinson a little higher-- who are the same...
to me is is really a republican trait but I am sure someone will point out a democrat that has special interest group connections too
Last edited by loves2read; 07-14-2008 at 10:58 AM..
Mom, for a while, I charged my then 9 year old a quarter each time she forgot to turn off the light-payable immediately. It worked until enforcement became lax. Wife thought I was being a meany, but she doesn't pay the bills.
SEE!!!! It CAN be done I'm game for it for my 9 y/o as well. Might have to go w/ the quarter idea since they don't really get an allowance. I prefer to have them grovel for anything they want or think they "need" Give me 10 GOOD reasons WHY you NEED THAT. That is usually how it works around here. The quarter thing might just work as when I see something like 2 pennies on the floor around here I tell them to pick it up and go put it in THEIR bank. If they don't then I put it in MINE. I have this HUGE jar now full of change. I'm going to take it to the bank w/ them in tow. Every single cent of it once it is changed over into green is going to be MINE! I'm going to then take them along w/ me as I go spend it solely on MYSELF.
Then start over w/ the quarters I charge them for leaving the lights on (found 2 just while ago - URGH!!!). Along w/ our loose change at the end of the day and spare change found around the house. I'm betting after they see how much money I have for myself they pick up the loose change
Momof2 that's not bad on relative terms. Our house is a little less than half the size of yours, and the bill is proportional. We've done a few things to make it efficient as well. The summer heat came on a little early this year which has hurt a little.
Have you watched any of the "Living With Ed" shows on the Planet Green channel? I watch it some and they go into these houses and count lightbulbs. One had over a 100 recessed lights and the house was not that big. I don't think we have that many lightbulbs TOTAL (could be wrong but that seems excessive). Even if we changed out the incandescent bulbs in most of our fixtures I don't see how it would help us save as we don't burn most of them. Over half or our lights are hardly ever used and have been in place since 1999 for the most part. The dining room chandelier might get turned on twice a year for about 2 hours MAX. Now the kids rooms seem to burn up a lightbulb every other week it seems. That is why I might institute the quarter for each time I find a light they left on. For light usage or waste that is the only area I can see where we could cut back.
I've been trying to think of ways to save by watching that show and reading a few things but nothing that seems feasible. Sure we could turn off the a/c and fill in the pool but that is not practical.
MOMOF2---don't you think that most HOAs are ripe to get challenged on the rules about solar collectors now--before it was only the weirdos who were considering solar--but now I bet there are plenty of people who would like to hook up some panels to run atleast the pool pump and maybe take the edge off the electric bill---
the bad thing about TX and solar panels is HAIL--some of the hail storms we have had would probably do a number on roof-mounted solar panels
and don't know how home-owners ins would look at paying off on those...
solar roof tiles are expensive -- l13K for 100 sq ft wass a cost for one product that is make with roof tiles--which most homes in DFW don't use--
Never seen that show. Though we've changed some light bulbs to CFL, but only in fixtures & lamps that filter the light properly. The kitchen has 5 recessed lights that we changed. That went from 600W to 125W, and a huge difference in heat output. Those lights stay on a lot - they supplement the skylight in the day and stay on most of the night. The outside has big CFLs that stay on 12+ hours a day (night), 200W to 80W. Those lights save a little if you look at a yearly basis. Otherwise the others we changed are saving one-sie, two-sies. They are mainly up in very hard to reach fixtures. They should last 5-6 years.
The AC is the biggest thing. The unit is brand new and we got a tax credit. But it's cranking nonstop the whole afternoon it's over 95 outside. Digital thermostat w/ 4 programs/day. Not much else I can do. Maybe replace the windows but I'll never reach a cost equilibrium with those. For 2200 sq ft have $240 electric bills this year (peak), vs. $190 last year. I look forward to winter with $50 electric & $70 natural gas. Heating isn't much of an issue a few miles from the coast.
ya got an extra room for a nice nurse and her two dogs? i would even live in your cabana poolside ha ha
Quote:
Originally Posted by momof2dfw
Well considering my husband prefers to sleep in a meat locker. The house stays set at about 74-76 all the time. Two story, 5000 sq ft, two zones (up and down), pool, kids and dogs going in and out all the time. A teenager that doesn't get "TURN OFF THE LIGHT!" yet. I'm thinking of deducting her usage from her allowance . Overall the house is pretty energy efficient. Just that there is a lot going on. I've thought about doing some kind of solar but w/ the HOA we are not allowed to do ANY kind of solar panels. Someone even told me about some that look like shingles. No can do still. URGH!!! We have tons of trees that help shade the house as well on our lot. The way the house is situated I don't have to lose many lights at all during the day so even if we are home downstairs you won't find a light on (upstairs w/ the kids is a different story - WHY DO YOU NEED A LIGHT ON IN THE BRIGHT OF DAY W/ A BIG WINDOW LETTING IN NATURAL LIGHT!!!! - they don't get it, urgh).
If the house was half the size that would be only $9 a day. For the average user in this area w/ a house of only 2000 sq ft it would be $9-10 a day.
The way the house is situated I don't have to lose many lights at all during the day so even if we are home downstairs you won't find a light on (upstairs w/ the kids is a different story - WHY DO YOU NEED A LIGHT ON IN THE BRIGHT OF DAY W/ A BIG WINDOW LETTING IN NATURAL LIGHT!!!! - they don't get it, urgh).
Ha ha...mine don't get that either. Drives me nuts. Also, they don't have a problem turning a light on when they go into a room, so I'm not sure why it's so hard to turn it off when they leave.
ya got an extra room for a nice nurse and her two dogs? i would even live in your cabana poolside ha ha
Hmmm. I could move my 13 y/o out of her room as she doesn't like the color anymore (how do you like pink, black & lime green). Like I'm gonna paint it AGAIN! She can go to the spare room. Then you can have the BIG bedroom (Heck, it is 15x17) with a jack and jill bath all to yourself located right by the media room w/ a small fridge in there.
Then you could be our "company nurse" since some of those guys seem to get hurt doing THE DUMBEST things. FYI, our phone # is one digit off from the local hosp. When they ask for the emergency room I always respond, "you REALLY do not want OUR emergency room". LOL!!!
Now, how far can you fly in that plane of yours and how many does it hold??? There is an FBO in Cabo
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesAbilene
ANother lie from Rick Perry and his far right friends. They kept telling us that when we went to dergulation, rates would go down. They have not stopped climbing since!
This isn't very surprising when you consider that the bulk of our power comes from burning natural gas. Natural gas hasn't had a downturn in years.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,779,335 times
Reputation: 7185
Quote:
Originally Posted by austinnetx
Most of the electricity in Texas is generated by Natural Gas. It looked like a good deal when gas was 20% of what it is now.
TXU was going to build some more coal plants, but everyone is upset about "Dirty coal".
When TXU was bought by private equity, everyone cheered bcause PE decided not to build those plants.
Duh.
We'll see who will be laughing when demand outstrips supply sometime in 2010.
MO is fortunate to have nukes, coal plants, and HUGE KS windfarms to supply it as well as slow-growing population.
We need to build some more nukes in TX. I'd like to pay the pennies they do in MO.
Texas definitely needs more nukes. Nuclear power is truly awesome. It's a shame it met such staunch resistance from the environmental lobbies when the technology was hot. We'd probably be in a much better position. As far as wind tech goes, TX is already the most heavily invested state and it looks like we're investing a lot more.
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I'm game for it for my 9 y/o as well. Might have to go w/ the quarter idea since they don't really get an allowance. I prefer to have them grovel for anything they want or think they "need" 
Give me 10 GOOD reasons WHY you NEED THAT. That is usually how it works around here. The quarter thing might just work as when I see something like 2 pennies on the floor around here I tell them to pick it up and go put it in THEIR bank. If they don't then I put it in MINE. I have this HUGE jar now full of change. I'm going to take it to the bank w/ them in tow. Every single cent of it once it is changed over into green is going to be MINE! 
