We Will Not Be This Country’s Electric Guinea Pigs

Tomorrow night at Lake Havasu City Council Chambers Lake Havasu City residents have a chance for their voice to be heard regarding the outrageous proposal by Unisource Electric to raise not only basic service charges but to impose an entire new fee on customers.  The Corporation Commission will vote on Unisource’s Electric Rate Structure proposal in July and right now is looking for public comment on the matter.  I suggest all who don’t want to see their electric bill raise at least $30 a month attend the hearing and tell Unisource that we will not be this country’s electric guinea pig.

What Unisource is proposing are called demand charges.  If approved by the Corporation Commission, Mohave County will be the first in the entire country to have demand charges imposed on them from a public utility company.  Demand charges are based on the one hour you used the most power each month instead of the total power you actually use.  These charge will be almost impossible for residential ratepayers to control unless they go out and spend hundreds of dollars on smart plugs and sensors to monitor activity such as how much energy output a crockpot or coffee maker is producing every hour.  It seems to me Unisource’s response is to simply change the way WE live.

I work an 8am to 5pm job.  I come home from work and cook dinner around 6, which I am sure most normal people do.  Unisource is saying we should try not to use electricity between the hours of 5 and 9pm.  So what, I am supposed to wait until 9pm/10pm to cook dinner so I don’t get charged your ridicules demand charges?   Demand charges were meant for businesses!  Large businesses for that matter because they are the ONLY ones who have the money and means to actually control their electrical use to avoid the charges.

Unisource’s justification for this proposal is because they have spent so much money, millions and millions of dollars, to upgrade infrastructure to meet mandatory minimum green power purchases demanded on them by the Corporation Commission.  Maybe Unisource should go to the Corporation Commission first and fight for legislation that takes away this burden on the electric company.  Don’t pass the overburdening costs onto the rate payers who already can’t afford high electric bills.

Unisource can spin this rate structure proposal anyway they want.  They can say its only going to cost $6 a month more for residents, that those on CARES will receive this huge discount (trust me – it’s not a huge discount), and that bills will actually lower.  Do the math for yourself people!  The rates won’t lower.  They want to also raise the basic customer service charge for EVERYONE because they are losing out on revenue due to folks installing rooftop solar.  Unisource’s math does not add up and Mohave County is not filled with a bunch of idiots.  We are educated, we do our homework and we will NOT allow this company to use us a this Country’s guinea pig.  We all know once the Commission approves Unisource’s proposal – other electric companies will follow.   So this case does NOT just effect Mohave County – it effects EVERYONE!

So make your voice heard!   Its Election year people and 3 seats are up for the Corporation Commission!  Let’s ensure that Mohave County tells them we do not want this proposal passed and we are voters and we DO vote!

The hearing is tomorrow from 6pm-8pm.   Hope to see you there!

Sarah A Hall

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