Tuesday, October 27, 2015

WI is #1 in utility rate hikes you can't avoid

Pay up, you heat and electric light addicts:

Wisconsin's Public Service [Sic] Commission - - channeling Scott Walker's famous "chamber of commerce mentality he also installed over at the Department of Natural Resources, that other Wisconsin public 'regulatory' agency - - has slapped the state's monopoly utility customers with the highest-percentage fixed monthly rate increases in the nation:
In the past two years, at least 35 investor-owned utilities in 18 states have proposed flat fee increases ranging from 10 cents to $16. 
Three states rejected increases across the board, while 15 states authorized rate increases of $2.15 on average. Wisconsin approved three increases, with the average amount at more than $8. 
Other states that approved fixed rate increases gave utilities about 35 percent, on average, of what they requested. Wisconsin regulators agreed to more than 77 percent. 
“There’s something going on in Wisconsin that’s very different than anywhere in the country,” [attorney Brad] Klein said. “Other customers are not being asked to pay these extremely high fixed charges.
Some background about gettin' to be Number One.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

We have a cottage that is only used in the summer. Previously our non occupied electric bill[no electricity turned on] was in the range of $8 per month. It has risen to $24 a month. The utility pole outside the cottage has been there for over 30 years but now that pole costs us nearly $25 a month. Just crazy everything that Walker does!

my5cents said...

Doesn't everyone who pays for electricity know that they have been doing huge rate increases ever since Walker got into office? And they wonder why people need help paying those bills. They care about no one but themselves.