From what CPS said in the E-N earlier, we should have known it was gonna be bad, but those are still some amazingly high bills.
SA June with many days 95F+ was as hot as the average Jul-Aug.
And then there is the drought and water bills trying to keep the grass and plants alive, never mind looking good:
http://drought.unl.edu/dm/DM_south.htm
Anybody tried the "old timey" approach, no A/C, just open windows and fans? Looks like May-June w/o A/C could save some people $1000.
kind of like people who consider themselve on par with the divine?I love it when people who know jack about the oil industry try to tell us why there are no refineries.
btw, u don't know what i do or do not know about the oil industry. Fact is we do not have enough refining capacity in this country. so regardles of how much we drill for new oil there are no new refineries to process crude.
jack ass
furthermore, regulatory standards put into place over the past 30 years are only one, but nonetheless a significant influenceing factor, in the cost of building refineries. Of course, there are other factors, like time/cost analysis of the construction process itselfe as well as market incentive/disincentives to build.
but regulatory beauracracy is a contributing factor, imo.
mannyis
Take the political crap to the political forum, you ing right-wing n00b.
Getting back to the original topic, nobody has answered the question of what you are paying per kWh in SA.
oh damn. i think i found a new buddy. welcome aboard, purist. you'll have fun with the forum primate. i predict epic threads will be made by these two. it's a presence i haven't felt since............................................. ..............................
Oh, yes, did I mention we have automatic sprinklers.
And a pool.
My my how quickly it went from it is The reason to a "contributing factor". Don't trip over yourself on the back pedal.
The Oilcos have more money than God. The only reason there isn't more refinery capacity is that they don't want it. If more gasoline hits the market, prices go down. It is really that simple.
The refining capacity of this nation went DOWN since the 70s not because of anything having to do with the environment but because oil companies closed down many refineries that were not profitable to operate.
Now they're scrambling to rebuild the capacity because there is a ton of profitability in them. Its get far more to do with supply and demand than anything else. To sit there and blame it on environmental law is ignorant and flat out re ed.
Not to mention that even if the problems with AMERICAN law were too much to overcome why wouldn't they just build elsewhere? Since when have American corporations felt hamstrung to this country and its workers?
Look, this is a freaking forum. you're nitpicking words. environmentalism has had an impact on the energy industry as a whole. If you can't see that, then I can't convince you on this forum. Of course there are other factors, but ask CPS what kind of crap they have to go through just to get governfmental approvals for coal or nuclear powered plants.
I'm not saying some of it is not necessary. checks and balances are indeed necessary. but as i said in my original post, extremists on the political spectrum tend to screw things up for the vast majority of us.
Everytime CPS talks about expanding its resources (ie. power plants) the enviro extremists come out of the woodwork to protest. But truth is CPS has provided among the best value nationally in gas and electricity to its customers for decades. ANd, no, I don't work for cps.
Responsible resource management makes sense on many fronts. It's common sense. the left would have us living in huts with no a/c, no cars, ...basically a third world existence. the right would have us living in a world of concrete and pavement. Reason lies int he middle. That was my point.
but to the original thread, it should be no surprise utility bills are up.
what's a noob?
sorry, politics and energy costs go hand in hand.
You can either afford it or open windows. It's not a hard concept.
Just wait for the riots this winter in the NE! haha
fair enoug - good post
Apparently Houston's electricity is much more expensive than SA. Not due to enviro concerns, but the corps playing money and legal games, buying/selling the Hou area electricity suppliers.
The comparatively cheap electricity in SA is why MS decided to locate a data center here, electricity being a huge portion of data center costs.
So we can expect data center services to be raised.
Wow I envy you. A/C runs 8 hours a day at 79-83 depending on time of day and costs go over $400. I'd kill to run it anywhere near 72.
I asked my parents a few months ago what they were paying (CPS-SA) and they said their rates were 6._ per kwh and they just got increased to 7.9 per kwh. Austin is regulated and they were paying 10-ish. I'm deregulated (in Round Rock) and was locked in at 12 per kwh until May and got shot up to the market rate which currently is just over 20 per kwh. I just locked in again with another company at 14.1.
That's how a good chunk of texas is who has been deregulated. I know there is one other city on top of SA and Austin who is still regulated... maybe a part of DFW and.... Lubbock? Most of the rates when I was shopping a month back were in the 18 range state wide (if you lock in for a length) so if you're not regulated, you just need to shop every 12 months (or 24, 36, etc) for the cheapest rate possible at the time.Apparently Houston's electricity is much more expensive than SA. Not due to enviro concerns, but the corps playing money and legal games, buying/selling the Hou area electricity suppliers.
a noob is someone new.
i feel you fellas
my mom pays about 350-440 on gas/electricity bills for every quarter...
n that energy emissions scheme to combat climate change is a load of , all it does is increase prices and family budgets...whats the point of doing it when other countries are not committed to the same scheme.
ps. hows everyones tax returns this year?
I paid about $165 this month. But this is what really ticks me off...
Thanx to the hndy-dandy chart on the CPS bill, I used less electricity last month than I did last June 2007. But I paid more.
Next, CPS likes to brag that they have the lowest rate among the bigger cities in Texas )Dallas, Forth Worth, Austin, Houston, Corpus, etc.) but I bet that rate doesn't include all the other charges that CPS tacks on to your KWT usage. For example, the yo-yo rate of "Fuel Adjustment". Would someone care to explain to me why CPS can change this rate every month as they see fit? It's basically a volitle tax by the City of San Antonio. This month's bill as over $.03 a KWT, not much unless you consider the standard rate for usage is $.06/kwt. I'm paying an additional 50% on the same amount of KWT. Then there's the ever so explained "Peak Charges".
$160
Part of the reson a lot of people are feeling the pain is because we (individually) are not thinking long term in our purchasing/lifestyle decisions - especially with respect to our homes.
All this talk of refineries and red tape doesn't change the fact that there are very simple things we can all do now to reuce our bills.
First, the low hanging fruit:
-Make sure all windows and doors have weather stripping.
-Make incremental changes in how cool you keep the house - if you traditionally keep it at 74, try 75 or 76. Use fans to supplement A/C.
-Unplug appliances that aren't being used (phantom power drains from microwaves, cable boxes, etc are responsible for a considerable amout of your bill)
-Turn off your computer(s) when you're not using them.
-Mare sure any new electronics you by are energy star rated.
-Check to see if CPS offeres free or discounted energy audits so you can get a specific list of things to do on your home that will provide the most bang for the buck. (Austin Energy provides this service free to all subscribers.)
-By a thermal blanket for your water heater (the older the heater, the more critical this one is).
Some things that will cost some money up front but will have a quick payoff:
-Check with CPS to see what efficiency improvements they are providing partial or full rebates for. Start with making these improvements to your house as you can.
-Subscribe to your green energy program. (In Austin right now, green energy costs an extra 1.85 cents per kWh over regular. However, the rate is locked in until the end of 2022. I subscribed a couple years ago and am locked in at a rate that is now .5 cents per kWh LESS than the standard rate - and I will pay that until 2020.) Check the details of CPS's Windtricity program to see if there are similar rate freezes available. If there are, by locking in your rate for the next 15 years you get predictability and can budget more effectively for energy costs. You pay a little more up front, but your rate stays the same as everyone else's rises for the next 15 years.
-Check the amount of insulation in the attic. Add more if there isn't enough.
-Replace your old light bulbs with CFL's
-Look into a radiant barrier for your roof. (Austin Energy provides a rebate for these, check with CPS to see if they do too. They can reduce eneregy demand by up to 30%)
-Look into adding a good window film to the windows that face direct sunlight. (Huper Optik makes a film that is barely visible on the window but can reduce thermal gain by 50% and blocks 99% of UV.)
-Try to plant a shade tree or provide a shade structure by your a/c unit. Ever notice the difference between standing in the direct sun versus under shade trees? The same concept can apply to a/c. The cooler the tempresture of the air is that the unit draws in, the less it has to work to further cool it for indoor use. Make sure you provide enough space for air to freely circulate though.
Big Time:
-When remodeling, always buy the most efficient windows and appliances you can afford.
-When replacing an A/C system, make sure the unit is sized correctly and can also remove humidity, not just heat to help cooling. (Don't count on Bubba's brother that said he'd do the work cheap to pick out the right unit. Contact manufacturer's directly if you have to. Most sales reps can provide info on which units are appropriate for your particular situation.)
-Monitor the (likely) upcoming federal rebats for adding solar to your roof and add these to your home.
-After construction, have your home's energy systems commissioned to make sure they are running at peak efficiency.
The good news is that every single one of these things will add value to your home.
I don't know everything, but would be happy to share what I do know or put you in touch with others that might have answers for you. Send me a PM here - I'll try to check them once a day or so.
-Mark
I paid $452 this month. Last month was $270!! A big chunk of my problem is 3 kids being out of school for the summer. 5 tvs and 4 computers, something is running all the time. Also when it gets so hot I keep my pool pump on 24 hrs instead of on a timer. And a/c set 75-77 for 24 hrs/day.
Waaaah!!
Why don't you leave your CPS cocoon and see what real-world prices are actually like in the rest of Texas? I just got my latest bill. 14.84 ing cents per kWh and that is about as low as any of the "deregulated" providers charge in D/FW. Many charge 17-20 cents per kWh because natural gas prices have shot up (thus your fuel adjustment) and when Texas needs more power to meet demand, old gas-powered plants are cranked on-line (your peak charges).
I'll trade bills with you any day. We used 1900 kWh (much more than usual because we were showing our house to prospective buyers and had the temp cranked down to 76) and our bill was right at $300. It would have been about $100 less in CPSland.
Do a little research next time before you go around slamming one of the best deals in the state.
Highly doubful, since I spent about 1000 kwh. You nearly doubled that, so your bill would have been about $330 ($165 x2). Of course, your bill would also include another KWH-cap CPS charge since you went over their "limit" for a residential user.
YOU SHOULD do a little research next time before yo go around making an ass of yourself.
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