SMECO rates going up AGAIN

[Wickedwrench]

Has anyone else received recent emails from SMECO projecting an abnormally high bill? I know my winter bills are usually my worst but I can't ever recall receiving warning emails about it.

 

[Kyle]

All these Electric cars are putting an excessive demand on the grid.

 

[RoseRed]

My last bill was $53.08.

 

[tuffenuff2]

Got an email saying we used 269% more electricity than last week. Maybe because it was 13 degrees outside.

 

[TPD]

Just wrote a check for my latest electric bill. I used 1 kWh more than last month and my bill was $4.85 higher. That's a lot for 1 kWh.

AND I didn't get a return envelope this month to mail my check! WTF
Yeah, I'm old - you will have to pry my checkbook from my cold dead hands! And hopefully by that time I will have spent every last penny and used up all of my checks.

Oh yeah, my bill was $124.44 this month in case you are playing along at home.

 

[SamSpade]

Just wrote a check for my latest electric bill. I used 1 kWh more than last month and my bill was $4.85 higher. That's a lot for 1 kWh.

AND I didn't get a return envelope this month to mail my check! WTF
Yeah, I'm old - you will have to pry my checkbook from my cold dead hands! And hopefully by that time I will have spent every last penny and used up all of my checks.

Oh yeah, my bill was $124.44 this month in case you are playing along at home.

Lucky you. My bill is more than 3 times that.

 

[TPD]

Lucky you. My bill is more than 3 times that.

Only 2 of us in my 2200sq.ft house and I have an oil-fired boiler for heat and hot water.

 

[Grumpy]

Only 2 of us in my 2200sq.ft house and I have an oil-fired boiler for heat and hot water.

Brings back memories of the house I grew up in, always remember my mother turning up the heat in the early morning when she got up to make breakfast, me laying in bed hearing the big cast iron raditator ting'ing as the hot steam started flowing through them.

 

[TPD]

And SMECO has filed for another distribution service base rate increase to go into effect later this year if approved. Average customer will see an increase of about $18.56/month. WOW!

So I did the math - this increase will bring an additional $3,000,000 more per month or almost $40,000,000 per year for "necessary operational expenses".

But we still can't put American flags on SMECO poles in Ridge....because safety....

 

[3CATSAILOR]

And SMECO has filed for another distribution service base rate increase to go into effect later this year if approved. Average customer will see an increase of about $18.56/month. WOW!

So I did the math - this increase will bring an additional $3,000,000 more per month or almost $40,000,000 per year for "necessary operational expenses".

But we still can't put American flags on SMECO poles in Ridge....because safety....

Don't forget any increase SMECO asks for is for some reason "automatically" rubber stamped by the Public Services Commission.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

Don't forget any increase SMECO asks for is for some reason "automatically" rubber stamped by the Public Services Commission.

Yes and no. The companies ask for a higher rate they know they won't get, the PSC drops it to what the company really wants. The bottom line is that public utilities, like any business, have to raise rates to keep up with increased costs. No one has to like it but that's reality.

As legacy power plants are decommissioned for whatever reason costs are going to go up and then go up some more. Wait until Maryland does the EV transition and hundreds of thousands of cars are charging. Peak hours will be all the time.

 

[3CATSAILOR]

Yes and no. The companies ask for a higher rate they know they won't get, the PSC drops it to what the company really wants. The bottom line is that public utilities, like any business, have to raise rates to keep up with increased costs. No one has to like it but that's reality.

As legacy power plants are decommissioned for whatever reason costs are going to go up and then go up some more. Wait until Maryland does the EV transition and hundreds of thousands of cars are charging. Peak hours will be all the time.

Yeah, you really bring up a good point.

 

[3CATSAILOR]

SMECO receives approval for rate adjustment

On May 15, 2023, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved SMECO's request to increase its distribution rates (also called the Distribution Charge on your bill) by less than half a cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and restructure the rate classes for commercial accounts. The adjustment will result in a monthly increase of approximately $4.85 for a residential member who uses around 1,200 kWh per month, though figures will vary depending on individual usage.

The new rates went into effect for residential members and lighting customers on May 15, 2023. New distribution rates for all other rate classes will go into effect on Thursday, June 1, 2023.

We know customers are sensitive to cost increases and SMECO works hard to control our Distribution Charge while also implementing infrastructure that provides our members with greater control over their bills, more flexibility in how our members do business with the cooperative, and continued reliable service. Electric distribution charges reflect the cost of delivering electricity to your home or business. This includes costs associated with installing and maintaining substations, overhead poles and wires, underground cables, transformers, fleet vehicles, office buildings, and connecting new customers and electrical load, along with the expense associated with restoring electric service following a storm event. This is the first request for an increase to the distribution charge in seven years.

The modest increase to SMECO's electric distribution rates will enable us to continue to provide the level of reliability customers expect and to maintain SMECO's financial integrity.

For more information about the rates and restructuring, please visit https://smeco.coop/straight-talk

I like how they call it "sensitive to cost increases". And they work hard to "control" Distrubution Charges.