I'm having a really hard time adjusting to the "time of use pricing" that our Hydro company started this week. Peak times are 7-11am and 5-9pm and cost the most. Mid peak is 11am-5pm, and low peak is 9pm-7am. It costs almost DOUBLE to use electricity at the peak time as compared to low peak times (when most people sleep!) This goes against everything they ever told us to do! Example - turn the heat down when you go to bed. You would have to get up early to turn the heat up to warm the house up before the rates go up at 7am! 7am is also the time when most people are up getting ready for work/school and are using lights, coffee makers, toasters, hair dryers etc. Most people are returning home from work/school around 5 pm and making dinner, doing laundry, vacuuming, using lights etc - again the most expensive time to use electricity. Previously, they charged a certain rate for the first 1000 kwh a household used and a higher rate for anything over that amount each month. This worked well for us and we never went over the 1000 kwh per month...we learned to be diligent about turning off things we weren't using and conserve energy. It just seems to me that this 'time of use pricing' is another cash grab and it really bothers me! Oh, and I have to add that peak times change on May 1st. Once we are used to this system, they will change it to be the opposite - peak times will be 11am-5pm! How is everyone else charged for Hydro? What do you think of this 'time of use' pricing??
Our pricing system takes a degree in accounting to figure out! There is a business rate, an agricultural rate, and a residential rate. Each rate varies as to amount of electricity used, but not according to the time it is used. Because we have electricity to the barn, we have two rates, residential and agricultural. The electric company sends out two bills, usually about $80 for the house and $1.50 for the barn. That is not a typo, the electric for the barn is one dollar and fifty cents, and that's when I have the heat lamp or fan on for the hens.It costs more to send out the bill than they receive in payment. There is also a cute little business plan in which businesses can sign up to be on a voluntary black-out during peak usage. At the end of the fiscal year, the business "may" get a payment. The company my husband works for signed up. If they shut down due to a voluntary black-out, everyone goes home and there is no production. A few of those and the little plan costs the business thousands and thousands of dollars, not to mention customers getting upset because parts aren't shipped. Brilliant!
Indeed it a wacky world we live in where the bureaucracies of large industry run to the beat of their own drummer expecting the consumer to march in time. It is not until governments twist the tail of industry does industry change their tune and make it easier for the consuming public. Ahhhh for the good old days when you walked into the company's office and spoke with a person and they gave you a reasonable explanation. Jerry
