Electricity Costs Skyrocket $300 More Per Household Over Last 5 Years
- Posted on December 17, 2011 at 7:44pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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A recent USA Today analysis has found that electric bills have skyrocketed in the last five years, averaging $1,419 per U.S. household for electricity in 2010, which is $300 more than five years ago. Last year was the fifth consecutive yearly increase above the inflation rate for electricity, the largest sustained increase since a run-up in electricity prices during the 1970s.
While you may first excuse this troubling increase as the result of the multitude of new iProducts and other electronics currently charging in your household, modern electronics and appliances require far less electricity than older models did. TIME Moneyland blog notes that a new refrigerator requires half the electricity of its early ’90s counterpart, with today’s air-conditioners consuming far less electricity as well.
USA Today points to greater electricity use at home and higher prices per kilowatt hour as both driving the higher costs. Prices alone have climbed to a record 11.8 cents per residential kilowatt hour so far this year. USA Today writes that this increase “reflects higher fuel prices and the expense of replacing old power plants, including heavily polluting — but cheap to operate — coal plants that don’t meet federal clean air requirements.”
In addition to analyzing electricity costs at large, the study examined bills state by state, with the highest electricity bills found in Connecticut and Hawaii (19.25 and 28.1) and lowest in Idaho and Washington (about 8 cents per residential kilowatt hour). TIME notes that these states benefit from access to hydropower dams.
USA Today speculates the one potential bright spot is that electric bills appear roughly the same so far this year as last when adjusted for inflation. At least based on preliminary reports.
While cap and trade may have died in the Senate, it appears that the President’s prediction of skyrocketing electricity rates during his administration has still materialized:
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Comments (79)
Phoneguy
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:00amPower should be almost free!
Report Post »Republic
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:31amGoing to have to pay for those electric cars. Can’t have cheap running cars now can we.
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 9:58pmIf I understand correctly, PG&E (Kalifornia) is going to increase prices next year by time of day it is used. Thats a bit UNFAIR to those of us who need to deal with 115 degree summer days. Using our AC at peak times. Nobody ever said life was fair, but c’mon. The people in coastal, cooler climates wont be affected proportionally. How about we all pay the same, no matter how much we use or time of day. Is this unreasonable???
I am the 53%.
Report Post »devlin7
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:53pmIf you don’t attend your local town / city meetings STFU!
Be an active part of YOUR community or stop freaking whining!
Report Post »RED_JOHN
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 7:38amWhat exactly does attending your town/ city meeting have to do with public service commission’s indiscriminately raising rates to appease bloated government regulated energy utilities?
Report Post »mecanic
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 9:13amyour an IDIOT.
Report Post »Grasshopper42
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 10:02amMECANIC, it’s not “your an idiot”, it’s “you’re an idiot”. Who’s the idiot?
Report Post »fancydancy
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:49pmMr. O told the nation that he was going to see to this so why are we surprised? Oh, for the good old days of common sense and help your neighbor and less regulation.
Report Post »RED_JOHN
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 6:37pmmecanic you’re a true idiot!
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:42pmWELCOME TO THE 3rd WORLD. This version of America brought to you by the Progressive Movement.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 8:29amAh, yes… Progressing us toward Ancient Utopia… where the Slaves collect wood for the Fires!
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 10:01pmNot in my county. The California Air Resources Board (CARB-Unelected bureaucrats) seldomly allow us to burn wood… for cooking, heat, etc.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:21pmIn the 15yrs plus we have lived in the same house; the KWH have gone from 2000 to 750-1000 per month; the number of gadgets have more than doubled; and the dollars to the power company have stayed around the same- $100-$125 per month….. so yea I agree the cost has skyrocketed.
The power company should be receiving $50-$60 a month—further analysis; regulatory fees & taxes have gone up!
go figure.
Report Post »devlin7
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:51pmYou silly, you actually think they’d let you save a dime? Notice every time there is a way to cut your utility bill the utilities find a reason to raise your rates… Nice……
The ONLY way to counter this is to actually show up at your local town meetings All of them! Be very clear your not putting up with rising tax and utility costs! Make them give a indisputable reason to raise the rates. For each reason tell them you need time to look into it and do so. Some times it’s necessary, other times it’s smoke up your @ss!
Report Post »Wolf
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:01amI’m using less now than ten years ago as well- kids are grown and gone and living alone, I need two lights at most. But my rates have more than doubled the last two years. Of course, someone has to pay for all the green weenie projects. Too bad it isn’t the green weenies who do.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 8:21amIt’s also all the “smart meters” they’re putting up. I read an article (was it here?) that said your bills WILL go up when they install a smart meter. Any product that uses electricity has a surge when it first comes on line (refrigerators, furnaces, etc.) and manual meters don’t catch that. The new smart meter does, so it appears that you’re using more electricity, when it fact, it’s just that surge all getting applied.
Report Post »aquablue
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:19pmOne of the biggest reasons is supply and demand. Close the borders! Cap and Trade is so criminal; it is made to benefit Obama, Bill Ayers, Goldman Sacs, Al Gore, and GE , Van Jones is in on it too. PERIOD. High electric costs have killed lots of American businesses.
Report Post »mikem1969
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:28pmAh the liberal progressive agenda at work. Thanks obahitlerstalinmao.
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:37pmHow many more of these Gawd Damn windmills and F’N
Report Post »Solyndra panels do we need before our Rates go down..
Our Country is looking like Holland…Thanks Bama!!
Gawd this Administration has its head up it’s AZZ……
MIBUGNU2
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:50pmObamacare, Windmills and Free Money to Greenies.
Report Post »That’s a Legacy, any Man would be Proud of….
Oh, I forgot about giving GUNS to Mexicans too !!
UpChuck.Liberals
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 10:52pmOh dear Lord, I wish it was ONLY $300. My rates, due to some funky ‘transmission costs’, jumped $450 this year alone. Those ‘transmission costs’ went up over 80%. All the other taxes, fees and ripoffs went up an average of 20%. And our moronic Govenor in Sack Ram It O wants to double down on the green krap. Nevada is looking might good right now. Liberals are indeed STUPID.
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:20pmJust wait..if they pass the Cap and Trade..which the Global Warming Scam is one of the things I beleive was talked about at the World Summit with Agenda 21..I remember when Obama was into it and heavy after the elections…they were talking about taxing us up to $350 per household just for electricity..It does nothing to help the environment..but just puts cash in their coffers.
Report Post »jzs
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:20pmThat’s funny, oil and gas companies are making record profits and yet the price of gas isn’t falling. So much for the theory that if company makes more money they’ll lower their prices and hire more people. You’re not stupid right? Why would you think a company would do either of those things when their business is making a profit?.
These guys are hauling in more money than they ever have in history. And your tax dollars are subsidizing them to the tune of billions of dollars a year. You are sending your tax dollars to them. And the price of gas is rising, at your pump and at your home despite the record profits. You’re paying your tax dollars to them, and they are jacking up your prices for your reward. They are laughing in your Tea Party face for thinking they are on your side. I’m sure there a lot of good TP jokes going around about how you “love freedom,” you love it so much you’ll pay extra at the gas tank so the executives can get a million dollar bonus at the end of the year.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:23pmGee. Its not like obama didn’t say his INTENT was to drive energy prices, specifically electricity through the roof. $3600 dollars a YEAR more. At a time when Americans earnings are falling like rain from the sky AND inflation is also skyrocketing.
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:42pm@jls
Report Post »keep those blinder on. The price is up due to government fees, regulations, and taxes. The fact that we are even buying oil from afar, yet closing our own wells, and not permitting new wells is hardly the fault of the oil and gas companies.
jzs
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 1:35ammacpappy, what regulations? What are you talking about? Can you give me a few examples of these “regulations” you’re talking about?
Report Post »XavierD
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 2:23am@JZS – The oil companies are hiring. I am from a state that our biggest employment comes from the energy sector and we are doing well compared to some parts of the country. As for gas prices, they have been stable despite oil going up. We have a surplus of gasoline that we are shipping overseas. Our energy rates in my state are going to go up because the EPA is requiring two or three of our power plants to have very costly upgrades. I would encourage you to look into all of the fees on your bills, a lot of those are taxes for the government, not for the company. Our politicians are sneaky when they take our money.
Report Post »AB5r
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 10:46pmThere freaks and their idiotic climate change crap.
Report Post »UpChuck.Liberals
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 10:54pmYes and his name is Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown and he resides in Sacramento, Kalifornia.
Report Post »sam27
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 10:17pmInteresting that we have all decided that voting the bums out hasn’t worked. Lets try Gene Sharps Nonviolent Revolution Rulebook http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Sharp
Report Post »Sharp has been called both the “Machiavelli of nonviolence” and the “Clausewitz of nonviolent warfare.”[11] It is claimed by some that Sharp’s scholarship has influenced resistance organizations around the world. Most recently, it is claimed that the protest movement that toppled President Mubarak of Egypt drew extensively on his ideas, as well as the youth movement in Tunisia and the earlier ones in the Eastern European color revolutions that had previously been inspired by Sharp’s work.
TulsaYeeHaw
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:45pmWe ain’t seen nothing yet.
Report Post »beket
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:40pmNothing to see here. Move along. No, no, don’t look behind that curtain. Nothing to see here.
Report Post »Grey Eagle
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:29pmWe can thank Obama and his policies for the high gasoline, electric, other heating costs and especially the high cost of food. It is time to toss Obama and his minions out on their butts.
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 10:03pmSounds good to me GREYEAGLE and let‘s make sure they are fingerprinted so they can’t hold office again. THEIR policies are keeping gas prices up an WE’RE GITTIN TARED OF IT. Let’s drill baby drill. Actually, we have plenty of capped wells thankx to EPA.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:22pmobama sat right there and TOLD America he was going to turn OUR nation into a 3rd World ghetto. too bad only us real AMERICANS who opposed him back then understood his hateful anti-American meaning.
Report Post »positive1
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:34pmEvery city of 25,000 or more should develop their own power plant. It amazes me the concept was created about 125 years ago out of thin air, and now it costs a fortune due to regulation and monopolies. THINK ABOUT IT, WE ARE SHEEPLE CONTROLLED BY GREEDY ELITE. IT SHOULDN’T BE THIS EXPENSIVE, IN A FREE MARKET WITH REAL COMPETITION. TUSLA IS ROLLING OVER IN HIS GRAVE.
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 11:36pmOne of the small towns where I live wanted to start producing hydro electricity since this town is located on a river and already has the damn built in the early 1900′s and the electric plant. It just needed retrofitting. Guess what? The State Government stopped them, citing it was against regulations.
Report Post »singleparent
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:22pmAnd i ask how bad does it get befor people take this country back??? if you think you can just vote the right people in your crazy’ier than hell. the system is so screwed up this will never happen…WE ARE SCREWED!!!!!!
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:19pmin our rural co-op we have “+ pca” fees avg $49-$86 a month. so even if we sit in the dark with one lamp and by computer or tv’s light, the people down the road with every light on in the house are still running up the co-op’s unit use.. pca: we ALL must share and pay extra for the extra units not allowed by obama’s government.
Report Post »example, in Aug we had a $139. bill… everyone had their AC on.. but the bill had a + $86 pca. …. so by Oct we cut back like Glenn advised to see if we can downsize.. it was not hard at all.. . this month our electric bill was down to $78.mo… it was Comfortable too. … BUT. our bill came: it still had a + $49. pca on it. (even Nov was unseasonably warm and dry) … wonder what Christmas will do to the electric bills!!!
1casawizard
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:18pmWell, it is what it is. Everyone conserve energy and put back money if you can. Please, please, let’s get these career politicians out of office. Know about the folks you cast your vote for. Get your like minded people to the polls. In my opinion vote TEA Party values candidates. We have to cut down our spending on the federal level. Let’s eliminate the federal EPA totally as we already have state,county, city regulations that usually are stricter than the feds. Let’s loosen up the regs. to power cos. to reduce rates to large companies so we can compete in the world market. We can make a better future for our kids by having less government in our lives. Our current gov. is always looking for ways to SPEND our confiscated money. nufsaid, vote TaxedEnoughAlready.
Report Post »Frogginit
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:51pmThe damn rates have gone up so much, even the Amish are bitchin.
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:50pmObama will not stop until every real American is scratching in the dirt.
Report Post »SergeantMajor
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:48pmI’d love to have a $1400 electric bill – mine average $400/month – over $600 in the summer here in Texas. We’ve got a monopoly here – no other choice. We do our best to conserve power, even have those cheesy new poisonous light bulbs – but still have huge power bills. Sux to be us. God help us if they pass one of those cap-and-trade bills.
Report Post »mexneck
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:13pmYou’re living in the wrong part of Texas. Dallas or Houston? There are ways to cut your power bill but when the companies know they have you by the short hairs all they want to do is pull. Get out of the city.
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:46pm@S/MAJOR. Sounds like ya got a lot of motors running to run up a bill like that if you are trying to conserve. Try cutting off breaker for H/water heater when not using and if you have auto. lights, cut auto off. Keep your outside condenser unit in shade and keep fins clean. Outside unit needs to have clearance two feet plus. Make sure you have good attic insulation with good soffitt breathing at every vent. The fridge usually accounts for the most $ of the bill as a motor is always running. If you have old one, get a new one as they have better insulation. Good Wishes. TYFYS!!
Report Post »Homeschoolmama
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:42amSame here in CA, we gave a graduated billing system so each level of electricity use you move into the higher the rate you pay. I’m a homeschool mom and home all day so we have to run the a/c in the summer.
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:23pmThe Oturd said electric cost would sky rocket !!! He has to get the cost up so the green nuts can sell us products that do not work? and these idiots got him elected a long with the morons who thought that Bush was so bad? ,.I wonder how that’s working out for them now.Let face it Oturd could not run a pay toilet little a lone being the president of the united states!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »getalong
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:47pmThe price of food contines to go up, utilities, products as more companies are being fined and regulated. The more regulation by this idiot’s administration the higher the burden on the taxpayers. A communist’s utopia!
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:19pmReally, you think our bills have gone up? What was the first clue, could it be when we started to not be able to pay all our bills the same month if we are on fixed income? I get further behind every month, can’t wait to sell and buy something tiny I can haul around. Thanks government.
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 10:33pmJENNY LIND. When fuel prices are up for as long as ours has been it has an influence on EVERYTHING we buy in a store because diesel fuel brings everything to every store. It is the least refined fuel, most used, and the highest priced fuel. WTF? This is an avenue we need to look at as it is instrumental in the cost everyone pays everywhere. WHEN there is another attack on our country and they have to cut fuel supplies, diesel fuel will be the only fuel available. Gas will be in short supply. Yes, JENNY our gov. is big and getting bigger. Please Vote. Vote TEA.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:02pmAnd soon enough they will go from “skyrockets” to “here we go to the stars…without end.”
Revolution and a dictatorship is soon ot be here.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:25pmOver my dead, cold body.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:01pmHe told us .. some refused to listen to anything but “Hope and Change” .. idiots.
TEA!
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 9:27pmI have to ask a favor of you: Please stop insulting idiots. A true idiot can’t help themselves. Our POTUS is just evil. Well evil if you happen to be an American………..
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 10:42pmWE got the hope and change from a sorry bastard.
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 7:53pmSoon people.. life will be hell! Are you prepared??? God help us all!
Report Post »4X4in
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 7:52pmOnly homeless people dont already know this!
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:03pmFuhrer Obama promised….and yet again, he has delivered. I am already preparing for the day that electricity will either not be available, or will become so expensive that I literally cant afford it. Too bad they don’t make a tv or computers that are coal powered, because when I no longer have electricity to run those items, I’m going to be in a panic, since the family might suggest something else to pass the time, such as talking about our feelings……ewww…scary stuff!!
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on December 17, 2011 at 8:14pmAnd the tens of millions living on welfare, in government subsidized housing, with the government paying for their food, their lights, and their cell phones. If you aren’t paying the bill, you don’t care the price, and actually like them to go up, because it makes you feel more important that you are eating $6 a lb hamburger, instead of $3 hamburger.
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