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Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 | 2 a.m.
Another view?
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The Nevada Public Utilities Commission has fallen into the Nevada energy trap and has been swallowed.
By charging extra for those who do not accept “smart meters,” the PUC is asking those who already pay for meter reading to pay more. What is our benefit? Is the service better, electricity better, more reliable, etc.?
By charging for replacement analog meters, the PUC is requiring existing customers to pay for new meters because NV Energy claims the old ones are defective and inaccurate. Note, they are NV Energy’s meters. How does the PUC know that any replacement meters are more accurate or perhaps more inaccurate to the benefit of NV Energy?
The old price game has been won by NV Energy. It needs $5, asks for $10 and gets $7.50. It got more than it needed, and the customers end up paying.
Something is very wrong when the PUC, which is charged to protect the monopoly’s customers, acts like an arm of the monopoly. I charge the Legislature with the responsibility to fix this problem.
The Nevada legislature can't fix a problem it caused and expect us to believe it has. Utilities, Nevada included, are extensions of government. They are monopolies and get their way sooner or later. And household consumers pay more sooner or later.
CarmineD
We, the Public, are the "acceptable losses, the acceptable casualties". This PUC/NV Energy conflict of interests, is yet another way to hit the Public they are supposed to serve (not EXPLOIT) with rate increases that are not fully justifiable. Furthermore, they refuse to address how these Smart Meters are screwing with home electronics, which often cost the homeowner further in replacement costs. Yeah, government put them in "charge" to pass blame and disempower members of the public.
As Commenter CarmineD stated, "They are monopolies and get their way sooner or later." Guess we all will just add it on to the "sure thing as death and taxes" list!
Blessings and Peace,
Star
They could change their name to Nevada Energy Lobby because that is what they are.
Who is the PUC looking out for?
Follow the money and that will answer your question.
You miss another point, Stuart. Those who accept the "smart meters" pay the same basic service charge as before, when they were using the old, possibly defective, NV Energy-owned analog meters. That charge is to partially reimburse NV Energy for its "...fixed administrative costs such as meter reading..." - read the back of your bill. "Fixed administrative costs", that's just a fancy way of saying "normal business expenses."
Stuart.......
YES, the Public Utitities Commission is supposed
to help the public, not the monopoly.
Looks like the public got sold out again.