[emersonbiggins]

Could it be the ghosts of Enron coming back to extort $15 more a month out of me?

[DarkDawg]

Fear-mongering:

They know people are too scared to pay higher prices. Even if they know prices might come down, do you think they would ever tell you that? No, better to keep the masses constantly in fear of ever-rising prices.

Opportunism:

The people see prices rising all around them. How does a company profit from that fact?
You are one of the few who would question the increase. Just like the rebate offerers and coupon peddlers, they are betting that some people will be completely clueless that the locked in rate is higher than what they are paying now AND since they are seeing prices for energy rise all around them will impulsively jump on that chance to lock in a rate and think they are being smart in doing so.

Perhaps they are right, perhaps not. How can anyone predict what will happen with nat. gas or electric prices over the next 2 years with any certainty?

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'C')ould it be the ghosts of Enron coming back to extort $15 more a month out of me?

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'C')ould it be the ghosts of Enron coming back to extort $15 more a month out of me?

[BigTex]

For people who live where it's hot, I suggest you go to the home improvement store and buy two rolls of aluminum tape and head for your attic. Turn on the air conditioner and start looking around and you WILL find enough leaks to take up all of your tape.

My home is 7 years old and I was AMAZED at the amount of air leakage at the intakes and outflows and where the ducts meet the vents.

This is a pretty easy way to save some money on cooling.

[patience]

Last fall I was told our local electric rates would double in 2 to 3 years. This was from the son of a director of the local electric co-op. Later, a service guy for Duke Energy independently said much the same thing, basing it on the construction cost of a new coal-fired plant on the Ohio River.

edit: Makes my PV setup look better all the time.

[TheDude]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DarkDawg', 'P')erhaps they are right, perhaps not. How can anyone predict what will happen with nat. gas or electric prices over the next 2 years with any certainty?

[Serial_Worrier]

Don't worry Obaminator will magically save us.

[kublikhan]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BigTex', 'Y')ou could always create a climate controlled "safe room" inside a dwelling. Just super-insulate one room and take the electric radiator or ceramic heater in there and put it on low, just enough to keep the temperature in the room about 55 degrees. Wear your coat and stocking cap in the house at all times. Sleep under 10 blankets. If things got desperate, you could even retreat to a closet and just heat that space. Every day would be like an arctic camping trip.

[Denny]

Well the two most important inputs for electricity are coal and natural gas. The good side of these high prices is it will push utilities and individuals toward sustainable alternatives.


Coal - watch out when it spikes through that resistance line!



Natural Gas - doubled since 2007 - a long way to go yet to catch up with oil.

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

We need to stop building these monster mansions all over the place too. Here in my town, there are many new lakefront homes going up which are easily over 5,000 square feet. Of course, all trees have been removed, so they sit in the hot sun all day. It must cost a fortune to A/C and heat these things.

I'm glad that I have a nice 1800 SF house with a basic woodstove. In the winter, that stove, plus a box fan behind it, easily gets our house up to 75+ degrees F. (too hot!) We had a few dead trees on the property, so my husband has been busy taking those down and cutting/ splitting them. We easily have about $1,000+ of wood so far that we are putting away for the future. We also spent about $600 in 2006 on thicker insulation under the floors in the crawlspace.

I feel for my sister-in-law up in PA this winter. Years ago, she kept her little condo at 55 degrees and the pipes froze. I wonder what they will do this year? She now has a 3 year old child and took in a rental tenant in the upstairs bedroom to pay the bills. (NOT a good idea with a little girl in the house)

Anyway, look for the urgent calls for the government to hand out massive heating supplement money this winter.

[cube]

It looks like things are starting to heat up in Texas.

Another electric provider defaults
E-tricity is 3rd retailer in a month to lose customers
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'E')-tricity and PreBuy provided prepaid electric service, meaning customers were billed for the coming month's power based on an estimate of their power use.