Since we were talking about this earlier, I thought it might be fun to come back to the cost of electricity topic.
I just received my PG&E (gas and electric) bill.
PG&E has "Peak" and "Off-Peak" rates. Peak rates are from 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - generally the hottest part of the day is around 5:00 p.m. Since this has been a particularly hot summer - today topped out at 111*. As if you could actuall "budget" your electric useage to avoid Peak rates.
For example, if I turned off my A/C from 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. on a day that topped out at, maybe, "only" 105* - the inside of my house might get up to 130* or so before I could turn it back on at 9:00.
By which time I would very likely be dead. Literally, and not joking here.
So, the imposition of Peak rates by PG&E to, I guess, encourage people to use less electricity during peak hours is pretty much a joke. Except it is no laughing matter.
Here is what is on my actual bill for this billing period:
Peak: 271.553 kwh priced at $.59089 per kwh. Yep that is correct, and you are reading it right: - over FIFTY-NINE CENTS per kilowatt hour.
Off-Peak: 355.643 kwh, priced at $.48789 per kilowatt hour. Again, rounded, this is FORTY-NINE CENTS per kilowatt hour.
And I just checked (drum roll, please): the average rate charged by Pacific Power, the utility that provides electricity to Klamath Falls, charges about. . . $.13 (thirteen cents!) per kilowatt hour.
Yowza. In the summer, my a/c is pretty much running 24/7.
One of my worries about moving north has been that my real estate taxes would increase so much I couldn't afford it. This difference in electricity rates would more than offset any increase in real estate taxes - and might even still leave me with some extra green in my pocket.
I guess it always pays to do the math. Why I didn't do this a long time ago. . . I have absolutely no idea.
And, Beth, you got me off the stick when you reported what my electric rates are - when I had never really bothered to look them up for myself! Just kept writing the ol' check.
DUH.
And here is the final kicker: "Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has requested a rate increase for 2025 of up to 10.9%".
I definitely gotta get myself outta here.
Yeah, Sue, you certainly said it best.
Anne