Well, in a report from the “What comes down, must go up” file, the Wallingford Electric Division will be raising their rates, just 60 days after giving their winter rate decrease. The Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to approve a clause that would allow it to adjust electric rates beyond its normal twice yearly recalculation process. The new rates will go into effect in February.

We reported here back in May when they raised the rates for the summer and then added another increase on top of it; then we reported here in October when they lowered rates for the winter season. Now, Wallingford Electric is deciding to pass on what they are calling an “error in calculation” by the company they buy their electricity from, CMEEC (Connecticut Municipal Electrical Energy Cooperative), to their customers in the form of a 9% increase. For the median residential customer who uses about 700 kWh of electricity a month at cost of $89.00, this will mean an additional $7.94 tacked on to their bill in 2009. And even though the rate hike won’t take effect until February, this delay is only because the PUC is using some of its reserve funds to accomplish it. The Commission says that consumers should keep in mind that, even with the rate increase, Wallingford Electric charges some of the lowest power rates in the state, and will continue to do so.

The Commission also wanted to point out that this increase is not going into their coffers, but is a “pass-thru” charge, necessitated by transmission and capacity charges generated by a number of new projects undertaken throughout the region by the New England Independent System Operator, or ISO-NE. And because ISO-NE has even more projects coming up, the PUC says that customers should “get used to the idea of further increases in their electric bills in the years to come”. That is contrary to what Commissioner George Adair indicated back in October when the winter rate decrease was announced. He stated then that he was cautiously optimistic that next summer’s peak energy cost would also be lower.

Wallingford Mayor William Dickinson isn’t happy about the situation, saying that in his opinion, the system is broken and favors the supplier to the detriment of the consumer. Mr. Mayor, we couldn’t agree more.

So, it will be interesting now to see if Commissioner Adair’s cautiously optimistic prediction regarding next summer’s electric rates will come to pass, or if the time of summer energy savings is a thing of the past.

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• Wallingford Electric Gives Winter Rate Decrease

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford Electric Rates To Change…Again

Back in May, we reported here about the increase in electric rates that Wallingford Electric put in place to offset the higher cost of power during the heavy usage months of summer. But, as the old saying goes, “what goes up, must come down”, and Wallingford Electric is proving that the maxim holds true, even for electric rates.

The Public Utilities Commission voted Tuesday to approve a 2.8% decrease in winter power charges that will go into effect on November 1st and continue until the end of April 2009. What this means for a household that uses 870 kilowatt hours of electricity is that they will pay $96.58 this year for the same power they paid $99.34 last winter. I know, that’s not a huge savings, but at this point in the current economic storm that’s pounding the entire country, every little bit helps. It should also be noted that this should not be considered an official total until all the final numbers are in and total costs have been determined at the end of the month.

Usually, electric rates typically fall in the winter, then rise again in the summer to encourage energy conservation during peak periods. Even so, the costs usually balance out over the course of the year. You may pay more seasonally in the summer, but with the winter adjustments you end up paying about the same annually. Wallingford is blessed (thankfully!) with some of the lowest electric rates in New England, with the exception of some areas of Maine, and PUC Director George Adair is cautiously optimistic that next summer’s peak energy costs may also lower than usual. That would be something to look forward to.

So, mark your calendars for November 1st and watch for those extra $$$ to appear on your electric bill.

(And by the way, don’t forget the Fall Electronics Recycling event for Wallingford residents, coming up on Saturday the 25th at Lincoln Middle School in Meriden from 9am to 1pm. See blog post here.)

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford Electric Gives Winter Rate Decrease

Wallingford residents are about to get a double jolt when two increases to their electric rates go into effect. The summer rate increase, made during May to October, will add $7.46 to your monthly bill. But, because of the rising costs of wholesale energy, the Public Utilities Commission has also approved an additional $11.41 increase to the bottom line. This amounts to an $18.87 increase to your monthly electric bill during the summer months. This total is for an “average” residential customer who uses 870 kilowatt hours of electricity. If you are good at conserving energy, you’ll see a smaller increase; if you run all your electric appliances full tilt all the time, your rates will jump accordingly.

According to the Wallingford Electric Division, the price they pay for wholesale power has increased from $37.6 million in 2004 to $62.1 million in 2008. The division buys its power from a Norwich-based co-op of municipal power companies.

I don’t know about you, but any time the price of something I can’t do without goes up, I get a little testy. The cost of gas has been headed north of $4.00 for some time with no end in sight, taking a lot of other things with it, like food, transportation, leisure activities, etc. I suppose it was only a matter of time before electric rates jumped on the bandwagon. The summer rate hike is only temporary, of course; it should be lowered again once the peak energy season is over in October. But I sure don’t have to like it.

So what do ya do to ease the pain? Here are a few tips to take the bite out of those increases:

1. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact flourescent ones. (Make sure you dispose of the fluorescent ones properly!)
2. If you ain’t using it, turn it off! This includes lights, TV, stereos, computers, appliances, transformers, chargers, AC, etc.
3. Take shorter showers. Heating water can be up to half of your electric bill!
4. Rinse dishes and do laundry in cold water.
5. Open your curtains on cold days to let the sunshine help heat the room; close them on hot days to keep heat out and help increase the efficiency of your AC.
6. Use ceiling fans correctly to draw cold air upwards through the room. (Cold air sinks, remember?)
7. Line dry your clothes when possible.
8. Use programmable thermostats. Set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home and 85 degrees or off when you are away.
9. Don’t open the fridge door too often, and fill up the fridge with food. Having lots of food in your fridge keeps it from warming up too fast when the door is open. So your fridge doesn’t have to work as hard to stay cool.
10. Lastly, if you’re looking for energy-saving investments, use ENERGY STAR® appliances and windows, install a whole house fan, increase attic insulation, consider using window shading, fix faulty weather stripping and caulking, or use a more efficient AC unit.

While these tips (and there are many more) won’t eliminate your energy drain, it could possibly lower it enough to where you can still enjoy the warm weather, and rate hikes be damned.

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford Electric Customers Get Double Jolt