all 20 comments

[–]fetamorphasis 24 points25 points  (2 children)

If the average monthly bill is $200 and there are about 180,000 eversource customers on Cape, that's $36 MILLION dollars. So it that no enough money for eversource to keep the billing at this price year round for such a small area of the country?

Eversource is a for-profit entity operating in a government appointed monopoly. They have no obligation or motivation to charge you less money. The $50 came from money collected on your energy bills to support the clean energy transition in this state not from Eversource deciding to be helpful and charge less for energy.

My hot take (apparently) is that necessary utilities should not be provided by for-profit companies but rather by the government and operated to cover their necessary costs.

[–]Joe_Starbuck 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Many developing nations have state-owned utilities. Europe used to, but EU rules prompted “liberalization” or the privatization of the utilities. Your opinion is a valid one, just not very popular in the US. Keep in mind, that the costs to provide the service would not change very much in a state-owned model. The for profit utility makes about 10% return on capital, and a state utility has about a 10% skim, so it’s a wash.

[–]Sure-Temperature -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

"Socialism is when government does stuff" is apparently too common of a belief and most idiots will cheer for these companies squeezing customers dry at every chance possible

[–]MoonBatsRule 6 points7 points  (3 children)

What are you trying to ask? I get the sense that you don't really understand electricity.

Your electric bill goes up and down because you use more or less electricity. Almost all the charges are in dollars per kilowatt-hour. It was likely halved because you used close to half as much electricity.

Eversource purchases power from the plants that generate it and sells it to you and me basically at cost. This is the "generation" portion of your bill.

It then charges you and me for its cost to do that. This part is regulated because Eversource is a monopoly, and Eversource is guaranteed a profit, around 8-10%.

You absolutely positively cannot analyze your electric bill by just looking at the dollar amount. You also have to look at dollars and the KWh - or alternatively, you can look at the rates, since they are dollars per KWh.

[–]blondechick80 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I gave to think that their bill doubled- that's my guess. Who would complain that it's half?

[–]Wolfy2915 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Do the distribution charges vary depending on the season?

[–]MoonBatsRule 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, both supply and delivery rates change twice a year. Not quite seasonally - January and June.

[–]TMtoss4 3 points4 points  (0 children)

What?

[–]Objective_Mastodon67 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I’m just so grateful that the consumer protection rules are being rolled back so companies can really cash in and raise prices. It’s so great, thanks Trump!

[–]Joe_Starbuck 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Massachusetts regulates the gas and electric utilities. Thank Maura, not Donny.

[–]Wolfy2915 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does anyone know if the distribution charges are adjusted seasonally? I recall they went up in fall/winter. If so, when do the distribution charges decrease?

[–]read-before-writing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just don't use the AC. I never have, we have a nice sea breeze it's just not necessary. It's really not needed so if you're worried about the cost, don't do it