Conserving Energy is Going to Cost You
New plan by PG&E would increase rates for people who conserve.
Brian Kusler
State regulators are getting ready to talk about a plan by PG&E to increase rates for people who conserve energy and lower rates for the people who use the most energy according to the San Francisco Examiner.
The California Public Utilities Commission will vote today on the total amount of money PG&E can charge its customers. The utility wants to increase customer rates by 13% over the next three years. Later this month, the commission will decide who will pay for those increases.
PG&E wants to decrease the bill for homes that use a lot of power by about 20%. The utility says right now, people who use the least power are charged less than the cost to deliver them that power. A spokesperson for PG&E says that's unfair for the people who use a lot of power.
Here's what PG&E is proposing:
- Current customers do not pay a per-customer fee, but under the plan new ones would pay a $3 fee.
- Rates would not change for customers who use less than 383 kilowatt-hours.
- Customers who uses 383 - 588 kWh would pay $0.02 less per kWh.
- Customers who use more than 589 kWh would pay $0.09 less per kWh.
The CPUC is expected to allow PG&E to move forward with its plans.
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