URGENT to PG&E E-7 Customers - Rate Shaft Coming

At least when I was on the E-1 plan, I could log in to the PG&E web site, click on My Usage, then click on My Rates, and it would use past billing data to estimate the annual cost under different plans. I think it compared 4; E-1 and E-6, and then each of those with the SmartRate option. (Now that I have solar - or maybe now that I have E-6 - it tells me that the My Rates tool is not available for my current rate.) In my case, they estimated that I would save about $20 annually by switching to SmartRate, and another $40 or so by switching to E-6. I ended up going for SmartRate because they would refund you if you didn't save money in the first year, and switched to E-6 when I got solar and it became virtually impossible for my bill to be higher with E-6 than E-1.

It all depends on when you use electricity, and how willing you are to adjust your habits. With SmartRate, you get 2.4¢/kWh off all your summer usage, except for up to 15 days from 2-7 PM, which PG&E announces the day before they happen (generally, the hottest days of the summer). Those days and times, you instead pay an additional 60¢/kWh. Since the high-usage days are usually weekdays, and we're often at work or commuting until almost 7, it's not very hard for us to avoid usage during those times. E-6 is a little more difficult to avoid higher charges completely; on some summer weekend days, I definitely tried to run the air conditioner more before 5 PM to cool the house down, then turned it off until 8 PM and the rate went back down.

Since you're already on a Time-of-Use plan, you're probably already adjusting as much as you can and are willing to. Some of the differences I see between the EV-A rate and the E-6 are
- EV-A has more and later peak hours (on weekends and holidays, and ending at 9 PM instead of 7 PM on weekdays)
- EV-A is not tiered based off of your total monthly usage, but E-6 is.
- E-6 pays less during peak and part-peak hours, as long as you're under the baseline usage (Tier 1, plus Tiers 2 and 3 during peak hours only)
- EV-A pays less during off-peak hours

Given that your bill is so high, I'm certain that you're well into the higher tiers, so EV-A is probably a better rate for you. If you installed a second meter for the EV, it's conceivable that you might pay less with EV-B for charging (which can be zero during peak hours) and E-6 for the rest of the house (which will never be zero).

As far as solar, for someone with as much use as you, it probably still makes sense. On your current rate plan, I'd bet that the fastest payoff would be if you could size the system to offset a large portion of your peak usage - so probably about enough power to match your air conditioner or something like that. If you want to feel good about yourself, you can install a bigger system like I did to cover most of your usage. PG&E wants you to spend at least $10/month on electricity from them though, so sizing it to meet 100% of your need won't pay off in money - only in smugness, which you may have enough of from your Prius.

 

If you can afford a fully off grid system you don't have to pay PG&E anything. If you want to use their system as a big battery then $10/month is a very reasonable price. No maintenance on the "battery pack" and free repairs if it breaks. So why all the complaining?

 

All answered before.

 

How about a brief review.

 

A review?

because their system broke their own rules. The rule was - if you use quantity X of their systems juice, then offset quantity X with quantity X of Solar, PLUS a little extra solar to pay taxes, delivery charge fee, usage fee, whatever you name it fee, etc - and the grid gets to profit 4X - 12X above the teeny price it pays you for your delivering extra.
NOW? Their system wants more. Their System wants that pittance amount that you may over generate too. Their system may shake you down for an extra ten bucks now. And maybe another $10 more down the road. That's how some define "breach of contract" .
End of review.
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Please supply the signed "contract". And also those for cable or satellite TV and natural gas and phone service, etc, etc. Businesses change their prices based on various factors. That's how some define "capitalism". While folks don't like the way utility prices are regulated imagine what it would be like if there were no regulation at all. "Sorry, we are going to double your rates. If you don't like buy a generator."

 

Here is one of the threads:
California's PG&E Minimum Charge Increasing September '15 | PriusChat

The parallel would be if a group of consumers to those providers lowered the costs for the providers or increased the robustness of their networks, then those same providers turned around and did not raise the prices on everyone but targeted those consumers that helped them instead; and that the utilities knew these consumers were already heavily invested in the equipment that helped them, so an easy demographic to gouge.

Fixing the CPUC (regulation) makes a lot more sense.

 

So you want to do something for the good of society and the planet only if it pays for itself. That appears to be the same problem we have with trying to reduce carbon emissions.

 

I don't know if anyone read the article on LA times :
Why rooftop solar advocates are upset about California's clean-energy law - LA Times

California has enacted regulations to have half of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. But, whatever you generate on your home's rooftop is NOT counted (or given very insignificant weight) under the regulations. So PG&E and other utilities do not have any incentive to encourage home owners to install solar. Of the 21 states and D.C. that have mandates for clean energy, California is the only state to act this way with regards to rooftop solar.

I think the state legislators are partly to blame for these changes.

 

When you make an investment for any reason you can not be assured the return on that investment will continue at the expected rate unless there is an actual contract guaranteeing that rate. Some investments to guarantee the rate of return such as CDs. If you are going to be upset because market factors change the return on your investment you might want to consider that before making the investment. I'm not arguing a "side" just saying you have to be realistic about making investments whether they are for a good cause or simply to make a profit.

 

Okay! I'm unhappy about a lot of things the government and related organizations do too, especially after yesterday's activity. I have found the PG&E frequent rate changes to be more of an inconvenience for maintaining my monthly electricity parameters spreadsheet than a cost concern. Enough said.

 

Almost all elec utilities are worried about excess power now that solar has become cheaper to implement in your home. That and Elon Musks batttery packs to power your home is another dart in the side of the util. Hawaii Electric is not doing so well due to so much payout of cash for electricity generated by their subscribers. In the meanwhile..Texas gives free electricty from 9pm to 6am to shed their excess capacity. Its a changing world out there and the utilities see it to be dire and will fight to keep in control as much as they can.

PG&E being the biggest will probably be followed by SCE and then SDG&E.

 

you've missed the point. I will explain the contract. The contract, in short states," we supply electricity & you supply electricity - and if one is more than the other, the one with the shortfall settles up with the other up at the end of their yearly period. GOT IT? Pretty simple. Yes it's in writing, and it meets the criteria of a contract - a bargained for exchange. Think of it as one of the many broken contracts with American Indians. The little guy loses unless he has a way to enforce against the big guy. Similarly, if the victim fails to assert their issue, the other party wins.
In this case, the utility decides, "hey we have a crappy business model, and we can't capture our obscenely large profit center because the law says we gotta pay a fair rate in exchange for solar helping stabilize a grid we fail miserably at maintaining -
California Home To Three of Ten Highest-Paid Utility Execs | Utilities | Rewire | KCET

Earnings rise for Edison's top-paid workers - The Orange County Register

- that ratepayer income we regularly abuse by over paying ourselves, even though we are incompetent".

Utilities, regulators conspired to make public pay for California nuclear plant closure - World Socialist Web Site

I have to admit that it's kind of creepy hearing someone so vigilantly sticking up for these bunch of crooks. Any chance you're on the Edison executive compensation committee? Between the utility company's backdoor deals for more pay & failing to properly maintain San Onofre nukes -
You want to say the utility has an automatic right to change the rules?
Really?
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If it says in the "contract" they will not raise rates than you have a point. However it doesn't say that. The utility doesn't have an automatic right to change rates, that's why we have the PUC which no one likes but its marginally better than no control at all. If calling people crooks makes you feel better, have at it.

 

Google it yourself to see who is calling the cali utility exec's a group void of integrity & dishonest. You'll find it's not me or any one individual. It's numerous consumer interest groups. Do the math. Why do you think nuke waste is sitting near the San Onofre coast just waiting to get washed inland if/when a tsunami hits. It's piss poor management serving its own interests - greed. Must be nice living in a world with no knowledge or complete indifference. Can't help but notice the question was never answered whether you're one of those utility execs - friend or family members. I don't blame you. I wouldn't admit to that shame either. If you think victims of utility company corrupt leadership are waiving their contractual rights - think again. The causes of action are already in the works.
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