Are you ready for Electricity and Natural Gas to increase too? (Centralia: HOA, appliances)

[rkcarguy]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news...7a3af3c17322e0

Double-digit increases are coming to Puget Sound Energy customers' bills each month in 2023, as the utility grapples with high energy prices, green energy mandates and aging infrastructure.

Typical electricity customers in Kitsap, as elsewhere in Puget Sound Energy's Western Washington coverage area, will see an increase on their bills of about 11.4% per month in 2023. That amounts to nearly $11, or $10.83 for the user of 831 kilowatt-hours. The average monthly bill is expected to be $105.84, under a settlement with the state's Utilities and Exchange Commission, which regulates PSE.

Meanwhile, Puget Sound Energy's natural gas customers will also see increases later this year for its gas customers in King, Kittitas, Lewis, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties. The utility is planning a $13 a month bill increase for gas customers each month, subject to approval by the UTC.

“We are making our customers aware of these increases now, to give them time to learn about their options for controlling their energy usage and how to get help paying their energy bills,” Andy Wappler, PSE senior vice president, said in a statement. “We are urging customers to take advantage of our bill assistance and energy efficiency programs to help them manage those higher costs.”

The hikes will hit those on low and fixed incomes hardest. There are 3,000 to 4,000 people in Kitsap who rely upon subsidies for energy bills through Kitsap Community Resources, according to Irmgard Davis, the nonprofit's fiscal and administration director. For some of the most vulnerable in the county, the help already only covers a fraction of total energy costs — and that doesn't account for the rate hikes coming in 2023.

"Prices go up, we have the same amount of funding," said Anthony "Tony" Ives, Kitsap Community Resources' executive director.

Only if the nonprofit receives more funding or new donations will the help increase, said Ives, who called the energy increases "substantial."

Kitsap Community Resources also manages a weatherization program that helps local residents to reduce their energy costs by installing insulation and other home improvements that reduce those bills. But Ives said a shortage of available contractors has created a backlog for that work.

PSE's rate hikes also reflect its work upgrading its power grid to increase its reliability, having invested $3.1 billion in the last four years alone to such projects. The utility says it is responding to Gov. Jay Inslee and state lawmakers who've mandated stringent clean energy goals. The state's last coal-fired power plant in Centralia will cease production in 2025 and energy will have to be free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. PSE still buys about half of its power from coal and natural gas sources.


Note: I think the per-month $ increase above is misleading, the average KWH/month noted is pretty close to what a relatives home uses that has all gas appliances and heat. Wintertime typically comes with a $120 power bill along with a $220-$280 gas bill. PSE was asking for an 25% increase in natural gas rates, I have yet to see what was approved.

[MechAndy]

We just received a letter last week from PUD saying the plan is to lower costs in 2023.
I thought that the letter was kinda surprising to say he least.
We don’t have access to natural gas on the peninsula.

[Hemlock140]

Our PSE bill (3,000 sf house, 3 people) runs about $300 in the highest winter months, $75-80 in summer. The latest bill that I just paid was $95. Even with the proposed increase, we have some of the lowest utility rates in the country, example below. Of course, no one likes an increase, but it could be worse.

PSE Electric - $0.1173/kWh
PSE Gas - $0.977/Therm

PGE (California) Electricity - $0.21755
PGE Gas - $1.89/Therm

[PhoenixSomeday]

I'll take those power bills, for sure. My power bill in July here in the Phoenix area was $610. (2400sqft, 6 people, set to 80F). It was $583 in August. $489 last month. Gas is about $50 during the summer. Of course in winter it's different, where the gas gets up to about $120 - $140ish. Which doesn't compare to your $300 gas bill, which does make sense given how much colder it is there in winter. But hoo boy, that cheap summer power!

[rantiquity]

Originally Posted by PhoenixSomeday

I'll take those power bills, for sure. My power bill in July here in the Phoenix area was $610. (2400sqft, 6 people, set to 80F). It was $583 in August. $489 last month. Gas is about $50 during the summer. Of course in winter it's different, where the gas gets up to about $120 - $140ish. Which doesn't compare to your $300 gas bill, which does make sense given how much colder it is there in winter. But hoo boy, that cheap summer power!

Himmm...my sister lives in Sun City which is outside of Phoenix and the power company that she has just put solar panels on her house for free.
I live in Sequim Washington and have solar panels on my house and my daily is 2 kWh and the daily cost is $1.57 compared to the daily kWh of a year ago without the panels of 64 kWh per day and a daily cost of $6.09. The saving during the summer months when the panels are working at their max will be applied to the cost difference in the winter months when they are not.

[leastprime]

We slugg-off heat from floors below us. Their NG chimneys produce enough heat to keep us at 65 even in freezing weather. We could use NG for heat since the HOA pays the gas but our fireplace is not working.
As for electric heat (resistant) which we only use to take off the morning chill. I am looking for a portable heatpump.
I think I can slugg off 110v power from the public transit parking structure to charge up my eBike.

YEMV YGMV

[rkcarguy]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Our PSE bill (3,000 sf house, 3 people) runs about $300 in the highest winter months, $75-80 in summer. The latest bill that I just paid was $95. Even with the proposed increase, we have some of the lowest utility rates in the country, example below. Of course, no one likes an increase, but it could be worse.

PSE Electric - $0.1173/kWh
PSE Gas - $0.977/Therm

PGE (California) Electricity - $0.21755
PGE Gas - $1.89/Therm

I'm well aware we get a deal on power-for now. Most of the year, we have PLENTY of water around to fall through a dam and make electricity. The % of the increase is what is notable, those with large inefficient homes could see substantial increases.
Does your price/kwh vary? Ours has a ~$0.12/kwh low, but "peak times" rate is around $0.17/kwh.
One increase alone isn't going to hurt most people, but they are happening to everything in WA from utilities to groceries to gas and property taxes, my grandmother just got her valuation notice which increased another $120K. The sewage treatment plant now has to upgrade so everyone's sewer rates are going to be between 3-4x the current rate by 2029.(16% compounding increases on the way). Her house is paid for and it's over $1,500/month now just for utilities property taxes and fees.

[wolfdog]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

We just received a letter last week from PUD saying the plan is to lower costs in 2023.
I thought that the letter was kinda surprising to say he least.
We don’t have access to natural gas on the peninsula.

Our Puget Power letter said the same.

[wolfdog]

Originally Posted by wolfdog

Our Puget Power letter said the same.

It's actually PSE.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by rkcarguy

I'm well aware we get a deal on power-for now. Most of the year, we have PLENTY of water around to fall through a dam and make electricity. The % of the increase is what is notable, those with large inefficient homes could see substantial increases.
Does your price/kwh vary? Ours has a ~$0.12/kwh low, but "peak times" rate is around $0.17/kwh.
One increase alone isn't going to hurt most people, but they are happening to everything in WA from utilities to groceries to gas and property taxes, my grandmother just got her valuation notice which increased another $120K. The sewage treatment plant now has to upgrade so everyone's sewer rates are going to be between 3-4x the current rate by 2029.(16% compounding increases on the way). Her house is paid for and it's over $1,500/month now just for utilities property taxes and fees.

Our PSE electric bill has two tiers. On the most recent bill:

Tier 1 is $0.092377
Tier 2 is $0.093712

Both are still about 9 cents/kWh.

Sewage and stormwater costs are going up faster than anything else with all of the aging infrastructure and efforts to save the salmon. Here in our area the pipes are not all that old (1970s or newer) and at 600' elevation we have no Salmon streams.