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Your Money: Rate Increase For Gulf Power Customers
December 2, 2009
Gulf Power customers will see an increase in their 2010 electric rates after the Florida Public Service Commission approved a rate increase Tuesday morning.
Beginning in January, Gulf power customers will see a 1.5 percent increase on their electric bill as compared to January 2009.
“At the beginning of 2009, the average home using 1,000 kilowatt hours would have cost $124.10,” said Sandy Sims, Gulf Power public affairs manager, “and at the beginning of 2010 the same amount of electricity will cost $126.17. We realize that’s not insignificant in these economic times, but these environmental upgrades are necessary to continue to meet and exceed the state’s stringent environmental laws.”
About two years ago, that same 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity was $70.29. A series of rate increases over the past two years were approved by the PSC due to rising fuel costs.
The most recent 1.5 percent increase, offset by lower fuel and purchased power costs during the year, is due primarily to a new $500 million scrubber system at the Crist Plant in Pensacola that is designed to reduce emissions upwards of 90 percent.
“Since ’92, Gulf Power has reduced regulated emissions from Plant Crist by 75 percent,” said Sims. “This new scrubber technology, scheduled to come online on December 15, reduces regulated emissions almost 95 percent from those 1992 levels. This means cleaner air for everyone.”
Beginning in 2010, the new scrubber system — Gulf Power’s most significant environmental project ever — will be operational at Plant Crist. This project also allows the company to use all of the treated wastewater from the new ECUA plant, creating a zero discharge wastewater treatment facility and helping to improve the area waterways.
The costs associated with the environmental controls were offset by a reduction of approximately 6.5 percent in the cost of fuel and purchased power costs during the year and the removal of a $2.57 storm surcharge.
The Florida Public Service Commission adjusts Gulf Power’s rates each year based on the costs of fuel, power bought from other utilities and environmental compliance. These filings are a requirement of the FPSC, which held the final public hearings on December 1.
Comments
22 Responses to “Your Money: Rate Increase For Gulf Power Customers”
This is rediculas! I heard a report that 1 in 7 americans are on food stamps. The average family can’t afford this crap! What incentive does Gulf Power have to reduce its own cost and stop using oil? I’ve been looking into solar energy. I saw 1 report that said the sun produces enough energy in 1 day to power the Earth for 1 year? Also making your own solar pannel greatly reduces the cost of solar energy and there not that hard to make. A home security company has a pilot program in California where they are insalling solar energy in people’s homes in exchange for those people to purchase their power from them. We the people should be able to choose where we get our power from. Maybe then they would have some incentive to be more cost effective.
Go here to follow what others in the community are saying and see what you can do to get involved! The citizens of Pensacola cannot take ANOTHER rate increase! There were already 2 hikes in 2009 before we received our December 09 bills.
It seems we all get charged more and more fees, extra charges here and there! What recourse do we have? On top of that we also get taxed on the fees and charges! Speaking of power bills, what is up with that $10.00 CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARGE EVERY MONTH? What is that for exactly. Who approved that charge?
Everyone seems to be on the fees wagon (banks, credit card companies, etc.)…but they say we should not be too upset about it because it’s just “a little amount”. What harm can it do? Geeezzzzzzz! We already have the energy efficient items in our homes and the cost is still too high for electricity. You don’t honestly think the fees will stop after the power plant is paid for do you?
If fuel costs are going down, why is our bill going up? They seem to have justified another one, again. Something is wrong with this picture.
The reason that Alabama’s power bills are going down and ours are going up is only because Alabama’s Public Service Commission is not in bed with the utilities and still serves its citizens. Governor Christ just announced a statewide probe on government corruption. I think they should start out with a hard look at Florida’s PSC.
It appears that Gulf Power is doing this just because “they can “!
If the coal costs are down, is salary increases and bonuses the justification for this?
What I find interesting is Alabama power (a sister company to Gulf Power) is getting a 4% DECREASE????? What is wrong with this picture? Typical!
I remember when Electric Co-op’s were put in place and the whole theory behind them was, to operate on low cost govt money and were not allowed by law to make a profit. Now folks that has changed, They’re in the water business, don’ftorget cable T V, and they’re looking for more things to get involved in while we sit by and elect board members that simply vote yes to every everything the local manager comes up with,while our power bills keep going out of sight. Maybe we need to go to a directors meeting and tell these folk’s we have had enough, They should not compete with the Southern Company, They operate on a completely different set of rules..
Coal, the main fuel used by gulf power has fallen to 60 to 80 dollars per ton……thats down from last years 160 to 200 dollars per ton and the reason given for our last rate hike.
SO DISGUSTED!!! I WONDER IF MR. DAVID RATCLIFFE OR SUSAN STORY WILL BUY MY CHILD CHRISTMAS!!!!????? SINCE THEY MAKE ALL THE MONEY AND ALL THE POOR FOLKS HAVE TO PAY THEM AND WE CAN BARELY GET FOOD ON THE TABLE?????????????
At one time the Florida PSC protected consumer rights, but now all they have become is an industry support group. They seem to be worried that if they don’t let the utilities make sufficient profit, the utilities will pull out and stop providing service. Their definition of sufficient profits seems to keep ballooning all the time. It doesn’t seem to me that the state government’s job is to protect big businesses from the consumers, but that is how it seems to work now.
In 2008 David Ratcliffe ,president of the southern company raked in 8,613,000 dollars in salary and compensation. 8 million folks, that was after a 12 percent salary reduction. Anybody still okay with giving up a couple of burgers?
While we have to eat less hamburgers per week, Susan Story CEO of gulf power makes 6 thousand dollars per week ! Thats right folks 6 grand per week.
I’ve never complained about Gulf Power’s pollution. It usually blew east so not my problem. I’ve never complained about Jay’s hydrogen sulfide, Solutia’s strange odors, Brewton’s paper mill. Ah well, it made others unhappy, though, so cleaning it up may be nice.
David fearing he will have to eschew two Whopper Jrs. per month
don’t forget that “everyone” around here complains about the air pollution from Crist Plant….well now Gulf is working to fix that situation and there is a cost associated. We all have to pay for it.
Also, say “Thanks” to your Governor
The article stated “A series of rate increases over the past two years were approved by the PSC due to rising fuel costs.” I thought the exorbitant fuel surcharges on our bills covered the rising fuel costs. My husband and I both work every day and are very thankful to have kept good jobs through this recession but we are struggling to keep up. We’ve had no raises in the past two years and it seems every time we turn around, it’s bend over again!
How strange to see that Gulf Power rates are going up, but just a little ways down the page you see “Rate Decrease For Alabama Power Customers”.
Rip off.
OMG everyone is already stuggling because of the economy my phone is already getting shut off this week because i cant afford to even pay that…I dont know what im supposed to do I cant find a job anywhere and also have a 10 yr old that I’m gonna have to tell that santa isnt really real because i have no means to get him asnything for christmas ….whats next my power gonna get shut off?????????????
So Stupid people can’t live now..not that i myself am having a problem!!
just me –
Looking my last bill, I was pretty average — 1047 KWH for $135.98. Doing a little math, that would be $129.87 base charge for the 1,000 KWH on EREC. Almost the same as Gulf Power.
i had a 300.00 electric bill last winter, one month…could not believe it. if EREC goes up as gulf power goes up, well, i don’t even want to think about it.
William
Can you post how much the same 1000 kilowat hours cost for an EREC customer.
Thanks
I love how the Gulf Power lady downplays this as just a few dollars. THIS time it is. But up from $70 to $126 for the same amount of electricty? My salary did not double. It hurts.