This rate increase was announced and reported in other newspapers approximaely FOUR DAYS ago. This is truly a second rate "news" paper.

For people who don't have a paper. Where can they read the increase? Do they nicely get some letter from PG&E that there electricity last wednesday increased with $1.28 ?

Bella Vista Water District is the only Utility Co. that notified me of rate increases. I'm not sure which News Channel I heard about the PG&E rate increase on several days ago.

So the average REU bill is $11.20 MORE than the average PG&E bill?

Has anyone been the recipient of one of the new, unasked-for meters REU has been installing here and there around town that doubles their electric bill? REU's excuse for installing these new meters is apparentely that they feel the original meters weren't registering enough usage.

No, the REU bill is not $11.20 more. PG&E bases their average bill on 458 kilowatt hours while Redding & Shasta Lake base it on 850. So as quoted in the last paragraph, for 800 kilowatts, a PG&E bill is $128, where 850 hours is 84.60 in Redding.

Remember, above the Sacramento line, especially throughout the rural parts, homes rely mostly on elecricity for heat, cooking and power. Southern California has been natural gas for decades. Elecrtic heat is much more expensive. So, those homes with elecrtic dryers, water heaters, etc., the kilowatt hours is much higher than 458 "average" bill quoted by PG&E, and the sliding scale will drive some of those bills over the $300 mark.

Must be truly depressing to see evil intent behind every rock, Patricia. Is it to be assumed that you have a degree in electrical engineering and have personally tested this hypothesis under lab conditions or is it is merely more "us po' folk against the awful greedy gov'mnt corporate overlords" street rumor spreading? If you have proof of this claim then contact the PUC. Otherwise take a break from your whine-fest.

Why don't you say something worthwhile instead of picking on someone you disagree with? or per haps the paper could first route all comments to you, before posting, for your approval.

Yes, the average REU bill is $11.20 more than the average PG&E bill. BUT, did you read the article or just find things you were interested in beefing about? In case you didn't catch it, the reason for the higher bill is due solely to the much higher average use by Redding residents.

Just maybe educating those that cannot afford the higher bills to conserve energy may help their budgets.

My question to PG&E would be this, if I were a PG&E customer. Since you are raising rates because you are relying more on natural gas than hydro, when the rains pick up and hydro is able to provide more power, will you lower the rates?

My guess is NO. These public utilities use these kinds of reasons to raise rates, but don't use the same login in reducing rates. I can understand rising costs to conduct business, but be real about it and not use these lame excuses.

many residences in the rural areas use propane hot water and wood stove for heat. Electric for air conditoner. In rural homes, people use less electricity overall, except for these dog gone computers nowadays. Plus many have "normal" size homes, although I have seen many new monstrosities out here while bicycling. Propane is getting pretty pricey and PG&E does not take that into account that many folks use propane for hot water. I hang most of the laundry to air dry year round and I still use warm water for the wash cycle. Our average PG&E bill is less than quoted in story but than $70 a month for propane is not figured in. One day we will go solar and get rid of the propane like some folks are doing.

Patrecia_Barrett - these new meters are a great thing! They will help ensure that everyone is paying for the electricity they actually use. This is something the old meters simply were not capable of.

I know you always want what is fair, and I know you support everyone paying their fair share regardless of income or lot in life.

The best revenge anyone can have against a power company is to conserve and use less of their product! Important and worthwhile projects like the new Turtle Bay air conditioning will help ensure our REU rates remain low.

Sue
Redding - a great place to come for unlimited opportunity!

troutmask

The article states that the average REU bill is $11.20 higher than the average PG&E bill. Assuming the article is accurate, this is just a simple statement of fact.

NoCalNative,

Does it really make sense to you that the poverty-stricken residents of Redding are so much less careful with their utility usage than people in the rest of the state? I recall a news item to the effect that such a large number of people here use wood-burning stoves that it is actually contributing to the lowering of our air quality.

Pacific Gouging and Extortion.

Folks, I am the spoiler here: outfit your homes with those new BRIGHTER florescent bulbs! We did it, and at first I had thought the light would have been strange compared to the old filament bulbs of yesteryear. We saw our bill DROP by 15% in a month. We were surprised, but then again, a 60 to 70 watt equivalent only uses 18 watts....so, now, we can save and believe me you will be shocked with how good the lights are now and how much you can save. Beat the system, and use the newer bulbs....we also are not as miserly with our outside lights....and still save...and we feel a bit safer with our front path pole light on for 8 hours an night...and out bill dropped. No, I am not a bulb manufacturer and am serious here.

The article does state that about the "average" bill. But further down in the article, it explains the difference in the "average." It was comparing apples to oranges...to be more accurate, one should compare 800 kilowatts to 800 kilowatts. And the people are wasteful all over the state...the average bill is higher up here because of the extreme heat and what we use...electricity. I find the people in the north state to be much more resourceful that in other areas when it comes to alternate energy sources.

And yes, I do know places have propane. I did generalize about that since coming from So. Ca. many years ago, it was just such a strange thing to have electric heat for us. I learned how to hang clothes to dry, use the wood stove, and a swamp cooler. Very foreign to an LA native.

Patrecia - I think people of lower income and your "poverty-stricken" residents ARE much less caring of their utility usage.

It's a fact that these people just "live for the moment" without thinking of the consequences. Examples of this are ABUNDANT in Redding. For example, take the 40 year old mother on welfare who has 6 children! Since she obviously didn't think about the long term future, there is zero reason to believe she will think about the short term future. If she is cold, rather than putting on a sweater, she'll just crank up the thermostat as high as she can. At the same time, she'll be surprised when the electric bill arrives.

If the "poverty-stricken" people actually started THINKING for a chance, they wouldn't be in the messes they are in.

Sue
Redding - spend the day and stay a while!

Read the article: PG&E average bill is based on 438 kilowatt hours a month compared to Reddings average of 850. Translated: In the City of Redding we're paying 10 cents a kilowatt compared to PG&E's 16 cents. Read the article and do the math.

pg&e uses water, from snow melt on public land, your parks and recreation areas, that runs off into the drainage systems of numerous creeks and rivers here in the north state to generate hydroelectric power to sell @ a profit
just think about it folks

There's a lot of reasons city residents use more electricity, some already mentioned. I think the main reason is that larger families tend to live in the city. Where you won't find a lot of single mothers with children living out in the country there is plenty living in inefficient apartments and older homes in the city.

The bottom line is that REU customers are paying more, which would quickly become obvious to anyone who has had an opportunity to compare some number of REU bills to the bills of people on PG&E, with all things being equal.

Pickko_S,

Of course there are no mothers with 6 children anywhere else in California. And how fantastic that you can read people's minds! There are MANY poor people in Redding who go without heat in the winter and AC in the summer in a desperate attempt to keep their utility bills down. As usual, your comment is nothing but prejudicial garbage.

kishkan,

And exactly how do "single mothers" come into play here? (except as objects of blind prejudice).

Using your logic, an owner of a Mercedes 450SL pays more for a car than one who buys a Nissan Sentra. True, but totally irrelevent.

REU users pay more on average per month because they use more on average per month.

I don't understand how the city of redding can run the multitude of water fountains at the taz, and all the fountains at every entrance to the city. That "Copy Cat" Monster in front of "City Hall" must cost a bundle to run, and it doesn't
impress anyone. The King of Jokes are those Odd
"Street Lamps" that have been installed on Upper Market (or what ever you want to call it). no
one in their right mind walks that hill after dark--Lights or no Lights. I can see the day a truck load of Logs or groceries "Takes Out" the
whole lot of them. what is the electric bill WE have to pay to light THOSE????? Just WHO does that road up the hill belong to City, State,County,Fed ??

to proudfather;;

I always thought it was "Pacific GRAFT and
Extortion. It is,in reakity,---BOTH +

As someone who was involved with an organization that helped people in Shasta County with their bills, I was always amazed at how much higher utility bills were for REU customers than for people who happened to live just outside the city limits, especially since there seemed to be no discernable explanation for this discrepancy.

The last paragraph in this article states: "Under the new rate, if a PG&E customer were to use an average of 800 kilowatt hours a month, which is closer to the average usuage of north state customers in Redding and Shasta Lake, the bill would be $128 - far higher than PG&E's statewide average bill". There appears to be something more than a little "off" about this.

Patrecia, one thing you need to keep in mind is this: When customers get their bills from Redding Electric the total amount due includes sewer, water, garbage, AND electric. At a glance it may appear that the bill is higher because PGE just charges you for electric. The total bill for Redding includes much more. If you add in Waste Management and Bella Vista water (or whoever the water supplier is) IN ADDITION to the electric, it comes out to more, I am sure. I know this because I have lived in both the city and the county. The bottom line is: you are responsible for what your electric bill is. The more you use, the higher your bill. It's completely ignorant for you to state that REU put in these "unwanted" meters to double your bill. If everyone's bills doubled just out of greed, don't you think some agency (such as PUC) would be all over that?
Also, keep in mind that the ratepayers is what keeps the electric utility afloat. As an REU ratepayer, I do not want to subsidize the people who choose NOT to limit their kilowatt usage and just groan about it when they get their bill.

as a passenger in a car yeaterday, I was free to look at the Palm Trees on Hilltop. The Scramble
and mess of Line Poles and Power Lines and assorted other "Poles" give a Beautiful Backdrop
to the Palm Trees----Don't you agree???. I think
the REAL beauty is that Line TOWER along side Hilltop at Dana- a true signof progress.-----
profbeyond doubt-Redding has electricity. If
you follow those power line towers, you will find
very little buildings near where they cut across
some very valuble property. You know what
EMF is don't you???. DON"T hang around under or near those lines or towers. Check it out at Barnes & Nobel.

yes, there is something "off" about this story. So many variables.

one: I forgot to take into account REU cumstomers also have natural gas (PG&E). How much is that per month in the summer?

two: when I lived in REU utilities our bill was more because the heat pump did not work very efficiently in the winter plus our house had too many exterior walls and open underneath and in the summer, same thing with the electric (not efficient). Out in rural Redding our house is super efficient and we have a great wood stove and the "air" is much more efficient. Propane way to costly to run the propane heater as long as we can burn in the less polluting, efficient wood stove. Plus we can open our windows sooner at night than in Redding.

Three: I see lots of lil older homes being retrofitted with efficient vinyl windows and doors. Should make the home use less electric and gas.

complainer,

The name of the corporation is Pacific GAS and electric. And yes - I'm aware of REU's monopolistic water, sewer, and garbage component. However, for people in rentals, these charges are often paid by the landlord and have nothing whatever to do with the fact that the City of Redding claims its customers just happen to use far more power than their neighbors on PG&E.

yup, but they certainly build homes fairly close to the towers in country heights.

Patrecia "Grin-and-Barrett",

Thank you for pointing out the "AND" in Pacific Gas AND Electric. I never realized that little word until you pointed it out! I live in the city and I just have natural gas through PG & E. I have two bills. I monitor the usage on my electricity. I monitor the usage of the natural gas. That equals less kilowatts which equal less of a bill every month. My bill is higher in the summer because I run the AC - and I choose which temperature to set my AC at. A lot of apartments and houses (especially the older ones that lower-income residents tend to live in) have much less efficient appliances and windows. This isn't a problem for the city to fix. It's a problem for the landlords to fix.

And BACKUP - first of all, what do palm trees have to do with this story? Second of all, part of the Hilltop redevelopment project includes putting all those lines UNDERGROUND! It takes time, though.

Aren't those bulbs supposedly more toxic to the environment?

This is a cost increase, not a rate increase. Most people would rather complain than try to determine what components make up their electric bills. Natural gas is a more expensive alternative to hydro, but due to the lack of hydro PG&E has to resort to natural gas. They are recovering their costs, not making a profit on it.

Patrecia_Barrett - "Of course there are no mothers with 6 children anywhere else in California"

What on Earth does that have to do with anything? As usual, you grasp at straws. How sad you are.

You say "There are MANY poor people in Redding who go without heat in the winter and AC in the summer in a desperate attempt to keep their utility bills down."

Yes, I believe you. Many of these people also are smokers and drinkers. If given the choice between a pack of Camels and trip to Liquor Barn OF COURSE the poor person will choose these over basic essentials like heat and AC.

Bottom line is the free luxury ride for the welfare folks of California is over! It's about time too!

Sue
Redding - We welcome all here!

I hate to be the spoiler, but we're only paying 7.7 cents/kwh out of Eugene, OR.

I hope when it starts really pouring rain and there is plenty of snow pack for spring and summer run-off to power the hydro electric plants, that PGE will be kind of enough to lower there rate. Or maybe the regulators will come in and force then to...
Probably that won't happen either, because we are bailing them out right now with creative financing on Wall Street rape of taxpayer/ratepayers.

Heathen! :>)

Those of us on PG&E would gladly pay the REU rates. And the natural gas would be a real plus over propane!

Does anyone know PG&E's new baseline kwh price? Used to be 11.5 cents/kwh up to 458kwh -- what's the new figure? I didn't spot that info in the article about the new rates...........

Pickko_S,

Hardly. What a shame there are people in the world like yourself who get their kicks by unfairly condemning anyone who is less fortunate than they are. They really should get some help to deal with their insecurity and feelings of inferiority.

Current info from PG&E starting Oct 1 shows 11.55 cents/kwh and a baseline of 18.1 kwh/day. That baseline goes to 12.3 on Nov 1 when the winter season begins.

High baseline cost is bad enough, but the next four tiers will kill you.

i'd say the average PG&E customer doesn't live in Redding summer heat, thus a lower average.

Patrecia - I know it hurts you to be in denial, but there are so many, many ways that most poor people could save money to pay their utility bills.

Here are some practical examples.

1) Cut down smoking. A pack of cigs cost what - $4.50? If they cut back from 3 packs a day to just 2, the savings would add up QUICKLY!

2) Drink less. Rather than going through a 5th per day, maybe cut back at first to just 1/2 a 5th each day. Again, an instant way to quick savings.

3) Have less children. Children are very expensive. When you have had 2 of them on welfare, maybe it's time to quit. You'll have more money that way.

4) Televisions. Do families really need these power hog devices going in every room of the apartment? Cut back from 5 televisions to just 1 in the living room. The power savings will pay for itself in a heartbeat!

See - 4 quick ideas to help poor people pay their bills!

It works, Patrecia, it works!

Sue
Redding - A loving community of people who are here to help

Pickko_S
Just a small observation. You seem to believe that you and you alone are the one appointed by all of the greater society to be the spokesman, thus representing Redding. Show some compassion. Someday you may be face to face with that "riffraff" that makes you so uncomfortable, with no computer screen between you and them.Another little hint, a lot of damage can be done within an RPD response time.
Redding,100 miles from nowhere-30 feet from hell.

nitesweep67 - Now, I am really scared! I am shaking in my pumps. Wow!

By chance did you mean "a RPD" response time and not "an RPD" response time? Maybe you should have spent more than 5 years in school, buddy.

I am no more the spokesperson for anything than Patrecia is. It's just my observations and post are indeed correct and not made up nonsense and garbage.

Sue
Redding - A great place to work and live.

Oh yes, one more thing. Lower income folks can get a break on their utility bill. PG&E or REU. One must apply.

No. No, he doesn't. Abbreviations don't follow the same rule as nouns. You wouldn't write "a RPD" or you'd be just about retarded. It's "an RPD", just like "an M.D.", or "an EMT". One of which you should have, and one of which I hope you'll need after being in those suspicious parts of town late at night.

By any chance, do you work for the city?
"Redding - A great place to work and live."
We're a thousand miles from nowhere and thirty feet from Hell.

Patrecia_Barrett

Not withstanding your apparent blind feminist extremism. I simply was pointing out that larger families tend to live in the city where the schools and jobs are closer to them. Larger families typically use more electricity per household than not. I wasn't about to go name every group of people that constitutes a family in order to be politically correct. Your apology is accepted.

Sue, I am with you.

Here is the breakdown for REU charges:

Energy Charge: .098 per kWh
Fed Environ. Charge: .001 per kWh
State Surcharge: .00022 per kWh
Solar Program Surcharge: .00125 per kWh
This equals = 0.10047 per kWh

If PG & E is .16 per kWh, it's obvious who's the higher utility.

When summers are 110 - 115, you betcha I will be using my AC. But I know it's going to cost me. That's a choice I make. Patrecia makes it sound like there is a great conspiracy to move all the low income people out of Redding...let's put in meters that double your bill so the poor people will be forced to leave. Come on. Sue is right. People have choices to make. What is so prejudiced about that?
I don't understand how people are saying that PG & E is cheaper than REU when the article clearly states that the unincorporated areas pay more per kilowatt! Also, the article states that REU charges a flat rate. With PG&E, your kilowatt charge is based on how much you use - the more electric you use, the more you pay! Bottom line is, if you can't afford your own utility bill, maybe you shouldn't be living on your own!!

pandapuff - You must be a friend of Patrecia's. You only tell half the story! You use "an" if the abbreviation or acronym has a vowel sound. An MD would be correct, as it's pronounced "em d." Similar with "an EMT." However, you would never say the words "an Redding Police Department" unless you were from the South. So, the abbreviation, an RPD would just sound bad.

St_James - thanks for making me laugh. No smoke, but A LOT of steam!

Sue
Redding - check out our low home prices and reasonable cost of living.

Well, you wouldn't go and say "an Medical Doctor", would you? And RPD is pronounced "are-pea-dee", oh wise one. I may tell half the story, but it's the half I know. If you know the other half, then write it down and sell the book.

"Redding - check out our low home prices and reasonable cost of living."
We are talking Redding, California? Northstate? Right?

red,

That might have some basis if PG&E customers in this part of the state were paying double the rate as well, which doesn't appear to be the case.

Pickko_S,

Actually, they're more likely to be going without things like life-saving medications and food than booze and cigarrettes. And you wouldn't know a "fact" if it fell on you.

pandapuff - humm. Now I must admit, I hadn't thought RPD would be "are-pea-dee." God - could I be wrong here? It's happened once before. Yipes!

I'll ping a grammar expert I know in SF and find out.

I have go to go a church dinner. Have a wonderful evening!

Sue
Redding - our civic buildings and new police station will make us the pride of Northern California

I'm not certain, but does REU have one rate regardless of usage? If so, .098/kwh is cheap. PG&E has five tiers, with current rates of:

Tier 1 0-543 kwh/mo @ .1155 per kwh
Tier 2 544-705 kwh/mo @ .1313 per kwh
Tier 3 706-1086 kwh/mo @ .2472 per kwh
Tier 4 1087-1629 kwh/mo @ .3544 per kwh
Tier 5 1630-Up kwh/mo @ .4105 per kwh

Not unusual to see summertime bills go to $500+ per month when using A/C.

Ah, so we're playing this game. You're allowed to spell phonetically and point out the obvious, but if I do it, I'm being an as- sorry- unpleasant person? I win, you lose. No need to be snippy and bring church excuses to the table. Well, that 'I win' thing was kind of unpleasant. As long as you don't go harping on someone about their grammar because they got you, whatever. And for all you know, you could've had this discussion with a 15 year old. Wouldn't that be ridiculous?

"Redding - our civic buildings and new police station will make us the pride of Northern California"
You really do work for the city, huh?

I'm a bit appalled that "poor" is caused by spending all the money on cigs, booze and kids. Knauf workers are facing several weeks of no work, unemployment payments take a couple of weeks to get and the amount is much lower than the usually paycheck, thus, perhaps making these families "poor" if only for a short time. What if someone were laid off after working 20 years and responsibly paid all their bills? Paid for their children and now they need help from the very institutions they paid into through paychecks: unemployment and social services. Now it's assumed they smoke, drink, have more children and are lazy? Tsk-tsk.

P.S. - we could mention those who have lsot their socks in the mortgage crisis, but we won't go there tonight.

As stated in the article: "The cities of Redding and Shasta Lake operate their own utilities and charge customers a flat rate. Redding residents pay just under 10 cents a kilowatt hour. Shasta Lake residents are charged about 12 cents a kilowatt hour."
It's definitely cheaper in City of Redding. I don't know what all the arguing is about....of course unless you're Patrecia-Holds-no- Merit-Barrett" who thinks every single thing the city does is a giant conspiracy.

hmm, Shasta Lake is getting the new meters and I'm a proud owner of one! I loved the extra 30 bucks that my bill went up by! I don't think I used more electricty either. hmm and I know I'm not paranoid! I don't think? I'm sure the increase is to make up for all the lost money that electrical companies lost in the past by the non-accurate meters that were on everyone's homes for the last bazillion years, and a surcharge for the "free" meter upgrade!

complainer,

I guess I just know too much about how the City of Redding operates (and always has). How fortunate you are to have been able to retain your naivete'. Read the last paragraph in this article.

kishkan,

And YOUR apology is accepted for singling out "single mothers" with the false implication that they are the predominant group having hoards of children.

Well, I think your information is off, Pickko_s, so, here are a few facts.

Income per Capita is lower by quite a bit in Rhode Island than in California. Yet, they use less energy. So, therefore, your theory re poor people use more electricity is pretty much disproved, and, I must say, shows you to be a bigot, because you didn't even offer any examples showing why you are saying that. Its obvious to me, that you are a bigot, no proof needed.

I live in a PG&E area, and pay between $70 and $120 per month for both elecricity and gas, depending on the weather and amount of time that I spend at home. The reason for this is that I have an energy efficient home, a whole house fan, excellent insulation, dual paned windows, etc etc. All of the homes in my neighborhood are the same, and many in the rest of the area. Perhaps it's less of a conspiracy than the fact that the majority of homes in the unincorporated areas of Shasta County and Anderson are simply more energy efficient. Homes in Redding tend to be older and less efficint. It makes sense to me.

Isn't it about time for ALL PUBLIC UTILITIES to
be taken over by the FEDS. Pay off the DAMM Stock Holders, and give the general public
a break for a change.
The "Stock Market" is a hwll of a way to run a Country. If you can't afford to Buy stock in large amounts---you pay thru the nose for the "Product". Stocks & Bonds--The Rich mans strangle hold on the WORKING Man. Now- Tell me how wrong I am, Or that I just don't understand the whole thing--Come on, Lets' hear it......

I live in the PG&E electric area of Shasta County.

Big deal. Incomparison to the Tax increase we will get if Osama Obama is elected will be chicken feed.

Natural Gas plants do cost more to operate than hydroelectric plants. It is understandable that PG & E will increase rates.

If you can't handle $5 to $6 more a month for PG & E then you have a personal problem, so stop going to starbucks and McDonalds.

And, here is a state of California Energy Commission Statement :

A per capita rebate or dividend would help low-income households
(who typically use less electricity) more.

Once again, in general, proving your statement very much incorrect, and bigoted.

Northern California, owned and operated by PG&E.

"Big deal. Incomparison to the Tax increase we will get if Osama Obama is elected will be chicken feed."

Under Obama's plan, the TPC estimates that people (or couples) making between $37,595 and $66,354 a year would see an average savings of $1,118 on their taxes.

Under McCain's plan, on the other hand, those same individuals would save $325 on average — $793 less than the average savings under Obama's plan.

This is from factcheck which is a non partisan fact checking group. TPC is Tax Policy Center, also non partisan.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/a_new_stitch_in_a_bad_pattern.html

Don't worry, you will be better off, unless you make over $250,000 per year, and then you would not care about $5 or $6 dollars a month, right !

Backup, please name me one thing that 'the feds' or the state, or the city, run efficiently.

BTW, what you're asking for is socialism. If you're comfortable with that, OK.

Troutmask - Knauf and any I hope any other worker has saved up for a rainy day. There isn't one financial analyst who doesn't say to hold on to 6 months or more income. I would expect the Knauf workers did this, and will be just fine.

Sue
Redding - Our low cost living makes for a wonderful lifestyle here in Redding

californiakayaker - That is the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard! The poor people DON'T need anymore rebates or help from the government! We, the WORKING middle class do! Poor people already get breaks for WIC, Section 8, free distributions of cheese and dairy, free medical care, reduced lunches, and so on and so on.

Poor people - listen up! Your free ride on the backs of the middle class is OVER!

Sue
Redding - come and check out one of our many festivals and events

Please do me a favor (and everyone else) and look at what I have written, and try to place it in context with what you had wrote. The purpose of posting that was to show that Poor folks do not use tons of electricity as your prejudicial post says they do. So, Take your head out of ,,,, well, just read the information without using it as an excuse to put out more prejeducial garbage. By the way, your hatred of people in general is showing through your posts.

To Northestate04::

THEIR BOWELS & NOSES-----YOU ARE RIGHT, BUT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET...THAT MONSTER CLOSES TEN POINTS LOW AND HALF THIS COUNTRY GOES BANNAAS---THAT IS STUPID.

Are you sure about that? Why do you think you know everything about everything?
It makes you sound really stupid.

This is going to start the blood flowing, but lets face fact::: we have overloaded this beautiful Country of OURS by our open door policy.
STOP IMIGRATION BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE---We must face the reality this land can support only so many people. The Midwest is all but empty because there is nothng to live on or any way for the masses to make a living. It will not be long before the whole country becomes so. They
say there are tens of thousands of IRAKIES going to migrate to the U.S. in the near future--What the HELL are they going to do for a living. There arn't enuff jobs to go around now. Thousands of OUR people are out of work already
and industry is going to put more out with their OUTSOURCING. Every thing you pick up in a store
is made in CHINA or some other hole in the wall. That has got to stop--one way or the other... How are our TROOPS
going to make a living when they come home by the THOUSANDS ????

I also live in a PG&E area and use PG&E for my electricity and A/C. For heating, cooking and hot water I have propane. My house is four years old, energy efficient, well insulated and my appliances too are energy efficient. I believe that PG&E offers excellent programs for individuals who are low income or just down on their luck at the time being due to the rise of unemployment. PG&E has also offered excellent rebates to customers who purchase energy efficient appliances. Just about everything that a household needs these days are increasing in price, i.e., food, water, trash, etc...so why should electricity be so different? I am just thankful to have electricity, unlike our fellow Americans in the south many of which are still without electrity from the recent hurricanes. It's unfortunate that so many people get so rude on these threads. Why don't we just be thankful to have the luxury of electricity?!?!

I somewhat agree that Migration now could be a little harder to handle than we have in the years after 1776, but, we always have had migration, and America is a strong nation of imagrates, despite what you have heard from the Bankers and the stock market folks.

The overload is not so much of migration, but in the way we spend. We do not buy American made (or even GROWN ) goods at Walmart, best buy, Winco, Orchard Nutrition, Office Max, or Lithia. Now, I'm sure your looking at some of these Company names and saying BUT gee, I have to go here because ... and some of OUR reasons are very true, how wver, we now have to bite the bullet, do with a little less for a while, and get ourselves out of this hole by PAYING ATTENTION ! For Instance, I sell organic tomatoes, among other things. Now, Ralaeghs Supermarket put out an add that says On Sale three dollars a pound for Heirloom Tomatoes that look and taste VERY GOOD and are vine ripened, and yet, when I sell them (Brandywines) for $1 a pound (and organic romas for sauce for 50 cents) people drive right by my farm and just are not Paying Attention (!) to what they are buying. Old habits will keep us where we are now. We are servants of the big corporations which are unscrupulous using our tax structure and the cheap labor of Nigeria, China, and many other third world countries while our economy goes down and down, and then even down further, until we end up riding bicycles everywhere IN THE RAIN while the rich CHINESE drive their well made cars everywhere because they can afford the gas ! There are answers, but putting down American workers and unions is not the answer !

So, now to get to what you were saying , Patricia, have you actually checked the validity of what your saying ? Are you a customer of REU ? A PGE customer can borrow a stand alone meter for the purpose of measuring one appliance, and their may be other options. What options do REU customers have ? Anyone with real info ? Any REU people out there ?

The Answer is SIMPLE: If REU will simply TRIPLE its rates to match PG&E, than the average useage of REU (800) will go down to match PG&E (458)!!

You folks have it WRONG!

PG&E LOWERED rates (that is if you stay within the first two tiers of usage). People with properly sized solar arrays got their rates lowered AND are now being paid MORE for the electricity they produce. This is great news!

I know it's not really a republican/religious value to be 'green', but it sure saves money!