So I called my electric co to pay my bill and.....

[Brian37]

So I couldn't find my current bill, googled the phone number because I knew I was late and wanted to get it over with. Even with any biz I do over the phone, I like to be disarming by joking, even if I am calling in to complain so as not to piss off the poor worker who is just trying to feed themselves. 

Anywho, I was shocked at my low electric bill last month considering how hot it has been. She mentioned that it should be higher the next time. I joked asking her if she could move the decimal place to the left a few spots for my next bill. She laughed. 

 I was happy about that, but mentioned that we needed to go to individual home biz solar panels because if find it greedy and sick that some assholes think they have the right to monopolize the sun. Keep in mind I am living in NC a traditionally red state, BUT to my pleasant surprise she agreed. But it ended up being almost a 10 minute conversation about how we agreed how shocked we were that the orange asshat won. I am sure that if she had had lines on hold she wouldn't have stayed on the line so long. BUT, that is customer service for you. Kudos to her!

I often like to joke with workers because most of the time they end the conversation with "Is there anything else I can help you with". I like to end it with " Can you get a date with Angelina Jolie for me?" She laughed at that too.

[Jackalope]

TBH, I'm always shocked at how low my electric bill is considering how frosty I like the A/C. I half expect them to tell me that they've made errors reading my meter the whole time and I owe them a gazillion dollars.

[Brian37]

TBH, I'm always shocked at how low my electric bill is considering how frosty I like the A/C.  I half expect them to tell me that they've made errors reading my meter the whole time and I owe them a gazillion dollars.

I have lived in my current house for 10 years now. When I first moved down her my electric bills were dirt cheap. But went through the roof especially during the summer when the economy crashed. But the last two months it has been lower than I expected, and I won't bitch about that. But I wont pay this month's July bill till next month and I have been running my AC 24/7. My outdoor unit crapped out on me so I bought an indoor unit with the tube that sucks the heat out the window. 

Not sure if our coal ash scandal didn't have something to do with greedy CEOs state wide considering what they charge. I do think solar is now outpacing fossil and natural gas. But I don't think one county or one company should have a monopoly on that. I think the individual home or individual biz should have their own so they don't have an extra bill.

[Godscreated]

, but mentioned that we needed to go to individual home biz solar panels because if find it greedy and sick that some assholes think they have the right to monopolize the sun. 

Are you saying you have to pay a bill to use your own solar panels.

GC

[Brian37]

, but mentioned that we needed to go to individual home biz solar panels because if find it greedy and sick that some assholes think they have the right to monopolize the sun. 

Are you saying you have to pay a bill to use your own solar panels.

GC

No that is not what I am saying. I don't know where you live, but many county electric companies have monopolies and while some have created solar farms, they don't want to lose their markets and in many places in America it is illegal to live off of the grid.

If they make it legal to own your own solar panel no, in that case you would not have to pay a bill.

I don't want power companies having monopolies by forcing people to use a solar farm. I want individuals to have their own.

[Godscreated]

Are you saying you have to pay a bill to use your own solar panels.

GC

No that is not what I am saying. I don't know where you live, but many county electric companies have monopolies and while some have created solar farms, they don't want to lose their markets and in many places in America it is illegal to live off of the grid.

If they make it legal to own your own solar panel no, in that case you would not have to pay a bill.

I don't want power companies having monopolies by forcing people to use a solar farm. I want individuals to have their own.

I live across the mountains from you in east Tennessee, TVA is our major power producer. In my area KUB is the major electrical supplier, though there are others but each must stay within a designated area. We can use several different things to supply our own electrical and if we produce more than we can use then the local supplier has to pay for the use of the power, the meters will run backwards when the grid uses power we generate reducing our bills. Most people here do not try to do this, they use the alternatives to reduce their bills. I use geothermal heating and cooling to reduce mine and it also gives me better comfort with far less cost during the extremes of temperatures.

I can tell you a way to reduce your electrical bills by using solar but not with panels, mostly a summer benefit, if your interested. No electrical generation required. I assume your provider is Duke Power and if so surprised to here they are not more progressive. TVA finds it useful for them during peak power consumption times when we do things to reduce electrical consumption and/or generate some of our power.

GC

[Joods]

Are you saying you have to pay a bill to use your own solar panels.

GC

No that is not what I am saying. I don't know where you live, but many county electric companies have monopolies and while some have created solar farms, they don't want to lose their markets and in many places in America it is illegal to live off of the grid.

If they make it legal to own your own solar panel no, in that case you would not have to pay a bill.

I don't want power companies having monopolies by forcing people to use a solar farm. I want individuals to have their own.

bold mine. 

Where? Because I'd take that as a challenge and a violation of my constitutional rights. 

It is already legal to own your own solar panels. 

There is no requirement for anyone that doesn't want electric - to force them to buy it. Amish people are perfect examples. They live off the grid completely, using zero electricity or gas and it's not illegal for them to do so.

[Brian37]

No that is not what I am saying. I don't know where you live, but many county electric companies have monopolies and while some have created solar farms, they don't want to lose their markets and in many places in America it is illegal to live off of the grid.

If they make it legal to own your own solar panel no, in that case you would not have to pay a bill.

I don't want power companies having monopolies by forcing people to use a solar farm. I want individuals to have their own.

I live across the mountains from you in east Tennessee, TVA is our major power producer. In my area KUB is the major electrical supplier, though there are others but each must stay within a designated area. We can use several different things to supply our own electrical and if we produce more than we can use then the local supplier has to pay for the use of the power, the meters will run backwards when the grid uses power we generate reducing our bills. Most people here do not try to do this, they use the alternatives to reduce their bills. I use geothermal heating and cooling to reduce mine and it also gives me better comfort with far less cost during the extremes of temperatures.

I can tell you a way to reduce your electrical bills by using solar but not with panels, mostly a summer benefit, if your interested. No electrical generation required. I assume your provider is Duke Power and if so surprised to here they are not more progressive. TVA finds it useful for them during peak power consumption times when we do things to reduce electrical consumption and/or generate some of our power.

GC

I am not worried about me. I have the same worry about any big biz, monopolies. My bills are not right now outrageous. But there are plenty of workers in the middle class and the working poor who get screwed by cost of living. 

In Michigan for example big stadiums and arenas for a while were getting away with not paying their water bill but poor individuals were getting cut off.

[Godscreated]

I live across the mountains from you in east Tennessee, TVA is our major power producer. In my area KUB is the major electrical supplier, though there are others but each must stay within a designated area. We can use several different things to supply our own electrical and if we produce more than we can use then the local supplier has to pay for the use of the power, the meters will run backwards when the grid uses power we generate reducing our bills. Most people here do not try to do this, they use the alternatives to reduce their bills. I use geothermal heating and cooling to reduce mine and it also gives me better comfort with far less cost during the extremes of temperatures.

I can tell you a way to reduce your electrical bills by using solar but not with panels, mostly a summer benefit, if your interested. No electrical generation required. I assume your provider is Duke Power and if so surprised to here they are not more progressive. TVA finds it useful for them during peak power consumption times when we do things to reduce electrical consumption and/or generate some of our power.

GC

I am not worried about me. I have the same worry about any big biz, monopolies. My bills are not right now outrageous. But there are plenty of workers in the middle class and the working poor who get screwed by cost of living. 

In Michigan for example big stadiums and arenas for a while were getting away with not paying their water bill but poor individuals were getting cut off.

 I do not like some of the things they do either. TVA got itself in great debt by helping out in the communities and not charging for their work, of course there was stupid things,too and now the rates are higher but at least they are equally high for everyone. I do know some companies get breaks when they start up businesses within the TVA system, but it's jobs and that's always a good thing.

GC

[vorlon13]

good service actually, outages are quite rare and service men friendly and competent. Easy on the eyes too . . .


But, in this rural backwater, it is expensive.