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LeslieW
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Watch out, New York! You are about to join the rest of the City and all of New York State, as victims of yet another flagrant moneymaking scheme for LIPA, and all the other investor-owned electric utilities in the State.
In 1992, LIPA instituted a program of “mandatory” time of use meters for the customers who were using large amounts of electricity during the months of June through September, as did the other six large NYS Utilities.
The usual rate per kilowatt hour was around 13-14 cents in the Summer months, including taxes. The new time of use rate, from the hours of ten in the morning till six at night, was 38.50 cents per kilowatt hour BEFORE taxes. Figure somewhere around 50 cents a kilowatt hour.
Everyone agreed that not only had the program not shown any energy savings, but people were being hurt financially, and big time, at that. Senator Padavan and Assemblyman Weprin wrote legislation to prevent the Public Service Commission from ever being able to institute a “mandatory” time of use program. basis. This legislation was passed in 1997.
Now, quietly, and secretly, while LIPA et al, are planning on putting these meters in “every” home. They have already managed, just last month, to get Senator Maziarz, from Upstate New York, to introduce legislation in the Senate (Bill # 7445) to allow the Public Service Commission, once more, to institute “Time of Use” metering if it feels it is in the “public good”. I have been informed that as I write, the bil is being introduced in the Assembly, as well. If the Utilities were not getting ready to implement Time of Use metering, there would be NO use for this legislation.
It was already shown in 1996, that it was NOT in the public good, and the drive to conserve energy, prevent blackouts, to be a responsible electric consumer, was the battle cry then, just as it is now. Despite that, the NYS Senate and the NYS Assembly voted to eliminate the clause from the Public Service Law which allows the mandate of these meters, after seeing the evidence.
Meanwhile, the Utilities are claiming these are NOT Time of Use Meters.
There would be no need to add the mandate back into the Law if LIPA was not planning on socking it to us with very high rates during peak and slightly off-peak hours. Judging from the history of this Time of Use Program - the failure of actual savings, and the cost to the consumer, the rates charged will be astronomical, and this time, EVERY homeowner and renter will be affected, not just the so-called “energy hogs”, as well as all the places which offer much-needed programs for the very young, and the elderly.
This is simply the back door approach to reinstating a program which is a money maker for Con Edison and the other six wealthy investor-owned Utilities. Don’t believe the hype you see in Press Releases. It is as much of a fraud as it was over ten years ago, when they said this was a program to save people money while conserving energy. Con Edison is not interested in having you save money; they want to make as much off you as possible. While obviously, there is a push to conserve energy, this program is not the answer. It has never worked, and it has been documented that it does not work. Simply more money for the stockholders.
Contact your Legislators, your Civic Groups, anyone you can think of, and insist that this Bill be killed. No one wanted it ten years ago, and no one is going to want it now, but once they put that meter in your home, you have no recourse. There is, of course, the very subtle issue of “Big Brother” here, since Con Edison et al. will be able to monitor your usage remotely, and know exactly how much electrical usage is taking place in your home, and when.
We will be contacting as many Legislators as possible, the Media, Civic Groups, Consumer groups, and the Consumer Protection Board in order to fight this highly detrimental program. We already know how people are hurt by it. We have seen it, and it has been documented.
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