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Somebody help me here! [8]
http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/arti...ocal01.txt
Helco has the power to slap an ADDITIONAL surcharge for fuel ON TOP of the " base fuel energy" charge - and they can fluctuate this surcharge based on what they "THINK" the cost of fuel will be? [
!]
Isn't there some regulating government agency to protect consumers from depilating rate hikes? [?]
As high as energy cost are in Hawaii it has one of the worse "net metering" policies in the nation! [V]
Why would someone invest in residential wind or solar energy and hook up to HELCO? Inguring minds want to know? [
]
Battery storage is expensive but it would seem that the cost would soon be recouped compared to what HELCO can and will charge. [|)]
Time will tell - I'm listening?
Time will tell - I'm speaking?
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Might as well get em, HELCO has already built an entire new surcharge plan for wind and electric, varying by windspeed and cloudcover. Can't have no starving energy suppliers can we!
Gordon J Tilley
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Putting in a photovoltaic or any other alternate source of power is getting more and more financially reasonable every day. The higher the electric rates the more reason to provide your own power with quicker pay back times.
First thing everyone can do is put in those compact florescent light bulbs. Burning 100 watt incandescent lights is insane at grid electricity rates. Another way to lower electric bills is to put up a "solar" clothes dryer. (a clothesline) If the clothes aren't soft enough from being hung on the line, they can be put in a dryer and set on a non-heat setting such as "fluff" for several minutes. As long as you aren't using electricity to heat stuff it generally doesn't take too much power. Electric blankets are one of the few electric heating sources I know of which don't suck up power big time. Then get power strips with an "off" switch and plug all your computers, monitors, TVs, DVDs, etc. into that so you can actually turn them off. Frequently electronic devices don't turn off but go into "standby" mode which lets them turn on a few seconds earlier but also sucks up power while waiting. If your refrigerator is more than ten years old, check to see how much power it is using. Older refrigerators used a lot more power than the new efficient ones.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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I think there's something wrong with our electrics. Every time we have tried to use the compact fluorescents they burn out either immediately or within days. It drives me crazy.
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quote:
Originally posted by Menehune
Isn't there some regulating government agency to protect consumers from depilating rate hikes? [?]
Yes, it's called the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, and they do have an Advocate that works on your behalf. (have you called that person yet?)
One thing to remember is HELCO is owned by HECO which is owned by HEI, which is owned by its stockholders. It's not a government agency but a private, publicly traded (HE - NYSE) company operating under a franchise. Although their rates, services, and standards are governed by HRS 269, it's still a business, not a non-profit agency. Fuel cost have risen, we see it at the pumps. HELCO doesn’t have a magic stash of cheap oil to use; they buy fuel on the wholesale market like everyone else. If they don't make money, you don't have electricity. If they can't pay their bills they go bankrupt. They need to charge what it’s worth to keep operating. And I don’t think there was every any attempt to conceal that Hawaii had high electrical rates. It was high last month, last year and last decade when compared to the mainland. So, why in the days of skyrocketing fuel cost would anyone think rates wouldn’t be going up and up? Of course you have the option of generating your own electricity and not worry about HELCO’s rates. If you can generate the electricity you need cheaper, go for it.
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so while you're bending over and grabbing your ankles for HELCO, you might wanna consider taking another look at Geothermal energy. You'd think HELCO would at least give us all a
"courtsey reach around",while they
reem us with their rates
]
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Interesting discussion on the HE boar looks like HE's lomg term debt increased to $2.7 billion. The out of state posters say reduce it by going to the PUC and ask for rate hike but the local posters say cut the fat ubsustainable 5.5% dividend. Obviously I agree with the latter solution!
Also hopefully the link works since it's from the archives from last year about how to fight those backward nimbys-
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB1...30697.html
Other people want to make friends- I just want to make money.
James Cramer
