Should government control electricy?

**SmokenScion** · 07-20-11, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

Thats kind of catch 22 so there is no way to be sure the rates would go down. My perspective is i have to look at water and gas as a compairison. Winter Springs where i live has one of the highest rates for both in the area due to of city government is a bunch of cock suckers yet it is lower then what i could get from any company per gallon.

Now gas is a bit harder to grasp for some. My bills come in therms. So if i used 13 therms at .5557 which is what im charged i got 1.3 million btus for 7.22 with fees and taxes its 27.96. Now if you go to a private company to have a tank filled around here its roughly 20 bucks give or take a dollar or to for where you go and that gets you approximately 366000 btus. So it would take about 3.5 tanks to equal lthe amount at a cost of about 60 dollars.

Now my mother house does not have gas lines. It an older home so it has an actual tank that supplies the home. Its a 200 gallon tank that can produce 18.3 million btu's. If it was to be used by a home that would cost 101.63. However seeing as its filled by a private company because its a tank it costs just under 600.

So going by precident set the rates would be lower if the government ran the show.

Time to get off the Grid, Solar, Wind, Gator Poo.

**Glitch** · 07-20-11, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by CivilWars

And if it were government controlled it would be different how? My guess is if it were government controlled your rates would go up even more because the people that you talk about sitting in a hot house because they can't pay the bill would be getting cheaper/free electricity at your expense.

Push for deregulation. Competition helps breed cost control.

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The experience in California screams the opposite. Their rates skyrocketed and since company's no longer answered to the govt they took power plants off line creating shortages and rolling blackouts because there wasn't enough electricity to go around because THEY CREATED THE SHORTAGES THEMSELVES. All for the almighty dollar.

Big business sucks balls. I trust our fucked up government a million more times than I trust any publicly traded company. It's all about share price to them.

**Glitch** · 07-20-11, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

Shit i wish i could get a power bill for 75 bucks. However i think it still applies. Granted in your case it isnt as extreme but the question itself is still valid. I've never seen or even heard of a public forum to discuss anything regarding power companies and rate hikes and i pay attention to shit like that.

They do it here quiet often. It makes the news every time the company even asks. Sometimes they get their hike sometimes they don't.

2008 article about public hearings
The Hutchinson News: Public hearings slated on Westar rate hike

2006 article about them being denied
Westar Rate Hike

just a couple of real fast examples of where it works when they are private companies that turn a profit but are regulated by state commissions.

Just depends on how your state is set up.

**Glitch** · 07-20-11, 04:06 PM

Found this interesting...

BTW Electric Power Monthly - Average Retail Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State
(Cents per kilowatthour)

**deathgodusmc** · 07-20-11, 04:07 PM

I meant in my area. Im not to concerned about making meetings for rate hikes that dont effect my bill.

**CivilWars** · 07-20-11, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Glitch

The experience in California screams the opposite. Their rates skyrocketed and since company's no longer answered to the govt they took power plants off line creating shortages and rolling blackouts because there wasn't enough electricity to go around because THEY CREATED THE SHORTAGES THEMSELVES. All for the almighty dollar.

Big business sucks balls. I trust our fucked up government a million more times than I trust any publicly traded company. It's all about share price to them.

If it is so easy to provide power to California, and if you can do it better and cheaper, then why ate you, or anyone else in this topic, discussing it here on TPG as opposed to making millions selling electricity to the residents of California.

Yes, our government, that spends 10-100 times retail cost on things I can buy at home depot are the model for efficiency I would strive for. I am not saying private sector companies don't try to make a buck, but I don't see our government being any more frugal with our money.

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**deathgodusmc** · 07-20-11, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by CivilWars

If it is so easy to provide power to California, and if you can do it better and cheaper, then why ate you, or anyone else in this topic, discussing it here on TPG as opposed to making millions selling electricity to the residents of California.

Yes, our government, that spends 10-100 times retail cost on things I can buy at home depot are the model for efficiency I would strive for. I am not saying private sector companies don't try to make a buck, but I don't see our government being any more frugal with our money.

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Wow someone is pretty smug with their opinions. I guess seeing as you have an opinion that differs from others there is no point for anyone to discuss it. Instead of this bullshit trend your on why not just discuss it with people?

**Nuckle** · 07-20-11, 05:59 PM

Again, I get my power from a 2 BILLION dollar publicly held company. Just north of me is TVA, my rates are lower.

It is kind of odd, it seems that the more I pay into the system the less I want from it.

**CivilWars** · 07-20-11, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

Wow someone is pretty smug with their opinions. I guess seeing as you have an opinion that differs from others there is no point for anyone to discuss it. Instead of this bullshit trend your on why not just discuss it with people?

You, and others, are stating that these companies are overcharging even in areas where there is already deregulation. If that is indeed true wouldn't logic dictate that some other greedy bastard would come in just a little cheaper and still get rich? Then another greedy bastard shows up, and they all have to drop rates to get/keep customers. Now we all win.

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**deathgodusmc** · 07-20-11, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by CivilWars

You, and others, are stating that these companies are overcharging even in areas where there is already deregulation. If that is indeed true wouldn't logic dictate that some other greedy bastard would come in just a little cheaper and still get rich? Then another greedy bastard shows up, and they all have to drop rates to get/keep customers. Now we all win.

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Thats works for walmart but how is that working out with the oil industry? Some industries dont function that way. Odds are when the industry has a garrantied number of homes subscribers due to no other business in their field is allowed to operate in their section then what would be the incentive for any of them to lower their price?