 
Detroitej72
Member
Username: Detroitej72
Post Number: 1375
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 8:49 pm: |    |
This thread was inspired by another thread.
People are complaining about the recent rise in utilities, and it begs the question:
How can we lower our electric and natural gas costs?
In a free market system like some here preach continuesly, if we conserve energy, the utilities need to make money somehow, thus they will raise their rates.
My question, how do you lower rates when the power companies will just raise youe cost if you use less energy? |
Flanders_field
Member
Username: Flanders_field
Post Number: 1859
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 9:59 pm: | |
Break up their monopolies or regulate them into becoming socialized non-profit organizations. Energy is too important to leave control of it in dominant and "powerful" entities, just like the US has only a handful of for-profit credit scoring/rating companies. Anyone should be able to view their PERSONAL credit scores for free at any time of their choosing and as often as wish to do so!!
It also appears that gas/electricity providers are granted rate increases too far into the future, and rarely, if ever get rebuffed by their government regulatory commissions.
(Message edited by Flanders_field on March 24, 2009) |
Sstashmoo
Member
Username: Sstashmoo
Post Number: 3511
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 10:28 pm: | |
Quote: "just like the US has only a handful of for-profit credit scoring/rating companies."
Who gave them that opportunity? Why is it ok for them to keep tabs on everyone? Why is it ok to keep and sell personal information on us all? I asked one of these credit reporting places that once and they gave me my credit report for free and waived the fees. |
Detroitej72
Member
Username: Detroitej72
Post Number: 1385
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 11:03 pm: | |
You need to speak out against neo-con politicians, as they were given carte-blanch during George's(Bush the Junior's) tenue. |
Cheddar_bob
Member
Username: Cheddar_bob
Post Number: 1919
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 12:25 am: | |
Ask around some of the coney islands around the metro area. They might be able to shed some light on lower utility bills. |
Ccbatson
Member
Username: Ccbatson
Post Number: 19660
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 5:59 pm: | |
You said it from the beginning, free enterprise. Unfetter domestic energy sources (congress and Obama are moving in the opposite direction) and eliminate coercive government monopolies. Competition will handily to the rest to lower prices.
(Message edited by ccbatson on March 25, 2009) |
Mind_field
Member
Username: Mind_field
Post Number: 497
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 10:45 pm: | |
Energy should be very expensive. Getting it the traditional way is amazingly destructive to the planet e.g. mountain top removal coal mining. |
Ccbatson
Member
Username: Ccbatson
Post Number: 19677
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 6:11 pm: | |
Mind_field??? Do you propose living in caves and lifestyles/lifespans dating back to the stone age?
Better question...do you realize that this is what follows from your argument? |
Rb336
Member
Username: Rb336
Post Number: 8771
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 8:42 am: | |
hmmm...
promoting efficiency and conservation instead of destruction?
I can see why you would hate that, Bats.
and bats, stone age life spans in non-agricultural societies were higher than they were here until the last century and a half or so. Why is it everything HAS to be an extreme with you?
oh yeah...
c. 2008 JohnLodge |
Ongowwah
Member
Username: Ongowwah
Post Number: 379
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 8:49 am: | |
here's how NOT to lower utility bills. Wind, solar, mouse fart, or any other kooky Granholm scheme. While you're at it, toss in that Cap & Trade (Crap and Sharade) garbage too. |
Bigb23
Member
Username: Bigb23
Post Number: 4305
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 9:30 am: | |
(Giggle)
quote:
Cap & Trade (Crap and Sharade)
With a spell check function, you could be a writer for Sean Hannity, Wah ! |
Ongowwah
Member
Username: Ongowwah
Post Number: 381
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 10:03 am: | |
Oh, you're a giggler, how cute! How giggly will you be as your energy costs skyrocket? (Why didn't you argue the point of my post about these dubious systems? Truth hurts? |
Bigb23
Member
Username: Bigb23
Post Number: 4310
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 10:12 am: | |
I would have posted (snicker), but you would have botched the plural spelling, Wah. |
Ongowwah
Member
Username: Ongowwah
Post Number: 385
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 11:52 am: | |
I think you should have used " " instead of ( )Maybe you shouldn't dog others spelling until you use proper puctuation marks. Still no reply to my thoughts on "other" energy forms and their high costs? |
Ddaydave
Member
Username: Ddaydave
Post Number: 366
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 12:58 pm: | |
Personally I had insulation blown in my walls put an extra 12 inches of insulation in my attic bought insulated doors and bought a high efficiency furnace in. My January my gas bill was 70 bucks.
when I put siding on this summer I also looking at putting foam board behind it and adding a extra 6R to my walls |
Firstandten
Member
Username: Firstandten
Post Number: 810
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 4:26 pm: | |
How about breaking up the utilities and having competition, just like Cc stated. We did it with Ma Bell. I understand why in some industries there should be monopolies but it seems the companies take advantage of that fact and the regulatory agencies aren't aggessive enough in policing them. |
Bigb23
Member
Username: Bigb23
Post Number: 4326
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 7:42 pm: | |
quote:How about breaking up the utilities and having competition, just like Cc stated. We did it with Ma Bell.
You never owned part of this mess, did you ?
|
Ccbatson
Member
Username: Ccbatson
Post Number: 19703
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 12:40 am: | |
Antitrust is not pro competition.
Break up coercive monopolies (government owned and operated)? Now you are cooking with gas. |
Oladub
Member
Username: Oladub
Post Number: 1344
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 1:15 am: | |
79% of DTE's electrical generation is from coal.
If Detroit Edison (DTE) were to replace all of its coal generation with wind generated electricity, it would cost the average family of four DTE customers an extra $416/month to amortize the expense including the interest calculated at 5% over 20 years.
President Obama is not asking that this be done but to the extent that wind power, of which I am a fan, replaces coal plants, that is the cost.
A more affordable choice would be just to pay President Obama's middle class Carbon Cap and Trade Tax which is only expected to increase the cost of coal produced electricity by about 40%.
“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted."
-President Obama 1/09 |
Ccbatson
Member
Username: Ccbatson
Post Number: 19719
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 1:18 am: | |
Don't forget the punitive Cafe standards and what that will do to automakers.
Feeling a lot more like East Germany circa 1960 right now. |