"You don't want a Smart Meter for electricity," - How About No Meter At All
What homeowners hate: costing their bills for the month and finding their power utility up again, again and again especially when they have dutifully tried to be Green.
Eco-suburban, Tom and Debbie De Marco are, "locked into a battle," with the Public Utilities Department of the city of Anaheim, CA. In the past four years the DeMarcos have spent $52,000 on energy-saving home improvements, only to see their electricity bills go up sharply according to the Orange County, ocregister.com. click here The utility says the meter shows their appliances in their 2,000 sq. ft. home are drawing more power. The homeowners can prove their bills were averaged and did not reflect their true use of power - is it a faulty meter.
All across America, there are those who pay their utility bills - the consumers. And there are the mega-utilities and power providers - the "stakeholders" as they are now called. Often these two factions butt heads in an abusive relationship.
People in Nevada are talking about $600.00 to $700.00 home utility bills; "Customers are fighting back," Channel 13 (KTNV-TV, Las Vegas) reported . "They've created Facebook groups like 'We The People' and 'Shame on NV Energy', and thousands across the state have signed an online petition against the rate hike. http://www.ibew1245.com/news-NVE/Rate_Hike_Rage_5-23-11.html
From Jefferson City, MO, a week after the deadly tornado touched down in Joplin, Missouri, leveling much of the town, Joplin utility regulators granted a $18.7 million dollar (4.7%) rate increase to Empire District Electric Co., Joplin's energy provider. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9NJ7C200.htm
"It absolutely is a horrible time in order to do this," acknowledged Kevin Gunn, chairman of the Missouri Public Service Commission, but the board granted the increase anyway"for the purpose of paying for a new coal-fired power plant north of Kansas City.
Thousands of people lost their homes and businesses; then they must start paying an increased cost for what they don't have - not much of an encouragement to rebuild. Plus, they have the disadvantage of a new polluting coal-fired energy plant nearby.
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