19% YOY usage drop last month, 3.6% bill increase. It’s been like this for months. Even if you’re trying to limit your usage and save money, you get fucked. Such bullshit. Meanwhile the PUC came out and said they don’t want to not approve these large increases PGE has requested every year because “it would set a bad precedent”. Talk about in another world.
Their “why are my electricity charges higher” are also incorrect on weather, actually the exact opposite–the same page notes the period was 1 degree cooler than last year.
I just checked the Electricity Facts Label for the electric plan I left behind in Dallas, TX. I plugged the number of kWh PGE says I used for my apartment in Gresham (1589 sq. ft. with one window/floor AC unit) for this past billing cycle. In Dallas, 297 kWh in my previous plan would have led to a $35.50 bill. Here, it is $69.01, over 94% more expensive. Granted, I’d never see a 297 kWh usage in any month whatsoever in Texas given we run AC on Auto most days. But still…yeah…PGE sucks. I am not a fan of said corporation.
Oregon is in the lower 3rd for KWH rates, so definitely better off than many but Portland has one of the worst housing affordability rates in the nation so we get crushed by that.
The last 4 years the Jan 1 approved rate increases have been 22%, 14%, 12% and now 10% on the docket this year. You’re talking 70% compounded increases in 4 years. Whatever your baseline of advantages for an area that is innnnsane.
Rate increases are tied to capital improvements in the system. Would be interesting to see that list of improvements.
I hate them so much. I feel helpless about it.
