The Virginian-Pilot
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State regulators agreed to Dominion Virginia Power's proposal to spread a fuel rate increase over the next two years, the State Corporation Commission announced Monday.
Starting Friday, the first part of the increase will add $4.86 for customers who use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month, boosting their bills to $108.77, not including taxes and some surcharges.
In July 2012, those customers will pay another $3.31 per month more for fuel costs, for a total of $8.17 more per month after both increases.
The fuel rate covers Dominion's expense to buy the coal, natural gas and uranium that power plants use to generate electricity. It passes those costs through directly to customers with no markup for profit. Dominion can file to adjust the fuel rate annually based on changes in wholesale prices and its expectations for those prices over 12 months.
Dominion officials said it projected fuel costs too low last year. A hot summer and unusually cold winter increased the company's fuel expense, they said.
In May, Dominion sought approval from the commission to recover a $433 million shortfall on fuel costs from 2010.
Otherwise, it said it would have proposed an increase of $1.56 a month for the 1,000-kilowatt customer to cover rising fuel costs for the coming year alone.
In its filing to the commission, Dominion offered to spread the increase over two years because of the large amount.
More than a dozen Dominion customers objected to the fuel rate increase. Some who wrote to the commission said they are struggling financially and cannot afford to pay more for electricity, while the power company earns enough money to absorb the excess fuel costs.
"The people of Va. can not handle another increase in our utility bills," wrote Charles Dedmon, a Chesapeake resident, in comments submitted to the commission via email. "As a retired civil servant, we have not had a raise in two years. The increase in health insurance, food and gas is taking a toll for people on fixed income."
Kimberly Esposito, another Chesapeake customer, directed her written comments at Dominion: "Your profits are big enough to soak this up. I have had to adjust my monthly budget as well, why shouldn't you have to also? I am supporting a family of four on one income right now. My husband was a Ford employee and now a full-time student. Any increase in my monthly bills would be a hardship."
Dominion has two other rate increase requests pending with the state.
One would boost the rate customers pay for Dominion's investments in transmission starting Sept. 1 to $10 a month from $6.16 for customers who use 1,000 kilowatt hours.
The other would add another 75 cents to the bills of a 1,000-kilowatt-hour customer starting in April to pay for constructing a new natural-gas-fired power plant in Warren County, near Front Royal.
Carolyn Shapiro, (757) 446-2270, carolyn.shapiro@pilotonline.com
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Do what I did, shut off the
Do what I did, shut off the air conditioner for good.
Takes it out of their behind.
Feel free to join me in playing some hardball.
Open up all your windows, a door or two, stick a high velocity fan($50.00)squarely in front of shadiest window, you're good for summer ! Your welcome, no cost.
Just Wait...
until the full effects of the Obama administration's oppressive regulations against coal fired electric plants takes effect.
""When I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, you know, under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers." Obama Jan '08
come on folks! Where's your sympathy?
Those union electricians shouldn't have to do more with less like the rest of us average joes! Granted...during bad weather/storms they work a lot but at the same time they get paid lots of overtime.
"...average base wage to more than $51,000 before overtime, shift differentials and supplements."
http://www.dukeemployees.com/unions4.shtml
That was from 2002. I guess if I rooted around some more I could find a more recent example.
What a bunch of baloney!
What a bunch of baloney! "Rate increases to cover the price of fuel" Tell the truth...Rate increases to cover top level executives pay including the CEO, Thomas Farrells 44% salary increase, who now makes nearly 15 MILLION dollars a year. Thats right!! 15 MILLION dollars pay in ONE year!!!Sooner or later, WE the MIDDLE class will wake up and show up on our elected officials door steps with pitchforks!
la7matt
It's not just Dominion, it's YOUR BELOVED State Corporation Commission who, as a body of folks, won't fight for US. 1000KWH/month is a joke. that affects everyone in a two bedroom apt or larger OR a house with more than 3 room total. why not 1500KWH, or 1700KWH because that would be to high and dominion would cut down on the number of people affected by the increase. They can't have that, they must reach the masses.
Higher electical bills, new
Higher electical bills, new $10 fee for my trash collection, gas has double in the past few years, food cost is soaring, washington wants to raise taxes, and my paycheck keeps getting smaller. Without expanable income the economy will never recover. What don't they understand ....
Oops - sorry for the
Oops - sorry for the spelling - doing more than one thing.
Here's a better plan yet!
If you're a private company, just sock it to the middle and low income people, use some of your huge profits to fund a wealthy lawyer to run for office as "one of the middle class". Have that wealthy politician lawyer tell the voters that Big Government raised their prices. Get elected to de-regulate big businesses so they can continue their war on the middle class. When the middle class catches on, just tell them you're against gay marriage and abortion and that the government is coming to take their guns...easy path to re-election via the misinformed. Now that's a plan that's winning the hearts and donations of the wealthiest of our nation. If it's not, name ONE representative that makes less than $50,000 a year and has no assets.
Here is the answer:
Here is the answer:
Register with Dominion as a Democrat or a Republican.
Then Dominion could charge Democrats less and Republicans more for electricity.
A bonus of this plan: more democrats receiving free stuff. Less Republicans to annoy Democrats.
this is...
ridiculous. These companies (cox, dominion, who both have monopolies in their respective industries) are generating hundreds of millions of dollars in profits but they feel the need to pass on the cost of business to their consumers? This is hurting the ecconomy. when consumers spend 50-60% of their fixed income on bills that leaves virtually nothing to pump back into the economy. When we don't have money to pump into the economy people lose jobs, business' fail, etc.. The companies should be absorbing these costs and accept smaller profit margins to help boost the local economy. They should be helping us, not the other wa around