Originally Posted By: JustinH
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: JustinH
Makes little sense here in my little efficient 1100 sq foot house.
Just signed up at 8.5 cents per KWH.
Automatic $25 monthly credit for every month we use under 1000KWH for the billing period.
9 months out of the year, I use under 1000kwh and end up with like a 20 dollar electric bill.
Rates in Ontario went up a few months ago because we didn't use enough power. Yes, you read that correctly.
Makes total sense. We have electric deregulation in this county that I live in. Some counties do not, and some areas do not have deregulation.
We pick our provider from a list on a state website every year, and we buy a one year contract, or whatever we want.
There are 99 ways to get screwed on electric. Some providers will throw in a "free" nest thermostat, but charge you for it in the rate, and a long term agreement.
I think that deregulation in general is good, but the average consumer is getting ripped off if they don't read the fine print on every agreement.
There are many plans that charge a higher tier rate for low usage, and a lower tier rate when you go over 2000kwh usage. You have to know what you are going to use over the course of a year and crunch the numbers.
Based on the folks people keep electing, it tells me their level of intelligence isn't particularly up to that task...
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Ours went up because of agreements the provincial government made with the renewables providers. They are given subsidized/inflated rates (like 45c/KWh) and many were guaranteed a minimum monthly payment regardless of power produced. Others are being paid NOT to produce at times when demand is low. What this means collectively is that with the increase in conservation, the excess power is not needed, but the contracts still need to be honoured, so our rates are increased to fund their compensation. It is a massive boondoggle IMHO.
One of the biggest problems (scams) is because our current government got caught paying something for nothing, they started forcing "first to grid" arrangements for unreliable "renewables", to make it
seem like that solar/wind is actually needed. Nothing like politicizing my hydro bill!