ATLANTA - Georgia Power customers will see their bills go up again.
The Georgia Public Service Commission voted 4-1 today to let the utility raise prices starting April 1. The average residential customer will pay $9.91 more a month from June through September and $3.44 the other eight months of the year.
The hike is to help pay for the cost of fuel that the company uses to produce power. The increase is the company's seventh fuel charge hike in as many years.
The commission vote approved a settlement that put to rest a 3-month-old case after Georgia Power saw a $683 million deficit because of collection shortfalls from unpredictable fuel prices. Customers will pay for the deficit over 42 months.
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Let's see now...whenever fuel prices become unpredictable [go up], the Power Company has trouble collecting their money to the tune of 683 Million Dollars which Ga. Power will probably never see. So their brilliant [as a light bulb] solution: The people that pay their Bills should be charged more and be punished for the people that don't pay their Bills. Sounds alot like Obama's Health Care Plan....but it also sounds like the next time oil prices rise, we should not pay our power bill? Hmmm.
I guess telling people that an annual increase of $65-$70 sounded too severe so they had to break it down for us.
Just wait until Obama is done with healthcare & starts monkeying around with Cap & Trade. Quote from the man himself - "Under my plan of a cap & trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket". I guess we ain't seen nothin' yet.
Absolute BS! How about we just raise the rates on everything so that we can all live in community cardboard boxes.
I must say I agree with Chillen and Gamach1. I can sense the frustration in the tone of everyone's post. [Mine especially]. I say, let's add this issue to the Tea Party, and let's get out the "noise makers!" And Scorehouse has a very good point--Mark the price of your Killowatt Per Hour Charges on your recent Power Bills and wait until this next increase--Copy this, "we ain't seen noth'in yet!"
Our Public Service Commission is a Georgia Power lap dog. I wonder what kind of bones Georgia Power throws them to get so many rate increases and have us pay for power plants in advance even though the government gave them guaranteed low interest loans.
This is rank socialism, but because Georgia Republicans perpetrated it, it must be okay. The Southern Company bought the governor and the legislature with OUR money! Why let big government screw you when their friends and relations can do it sweeter, neater and more completer.
Dichotomy. I wonder how the PSC obtained their positions? Could it be that the citizens of Georgia voted overwhelmingly to put them in office? If so why? Could it be we as citizens know absolutely nothing about the people we elect to represent us? Why blame GP when in fact we are to blame for this shambles.
Someone's pockets are getting lined...and it sure isn't ours!
two months and almost $600 and a new nuclear plant....gotta pay for progress, even if we have to use our fireplace to cook...thanks Southern Company.
Does the PSC ever ask to see how GA Power has tried to reduce costs? When state revenue is down, state employees bear the brunt and face cut ofter cut after cut. State services get cut. Shouldn't GA Power be expected to show what they've done to reduce costs before the consumer gets hammered year after year? 7 years they've asked for increases, 7 years they've gotten them. How many GA Power employees have been furloughed in the past 7 years?
Some of the previous increases granted were when gas prices were higher then they are today so where is our decrease? Not to mention, how much sense does it make that we are charged nearly double for summer electric then winter electric? Does it cost GP more per kilowatt to produce that electric during the summer or is this just their way of kicking families where it hurts. When the temps hit 105 outside, they know we will use electric and a lot of it. They claim they had a deficit due to unpredictable fuel prices. No - people are cutting back and trying to reduce their living expenses. Maybe GP should do the same.
Fatboy: I don't know if they've furloughed anyone, but Ga Power has paid a dividend every quarter since 1948. Good times, bad times, booms, busts, recessions, and depressions. They're a monopoly that's guaranteed a profit and assumes no risk for itself or it's shareholders. They used over 70 lobbyists to make sure the ratepayers and not their shateholders had to pay for the 2 new reactors (and we get to pay for them years inn advance).
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