If You Think You’re Immune to Rate Hikes, Think Again.
Lack of choice means residents are “feeling the heat” from their electricity providers. What’s the solution for homeowners in Pennsylvania?
“Residents in Columbus and Georgia are feeling the pressure from three converging forces: higher energy rates from Plant Vogtle, covering the cost of natural gas and hotter summers.”
It’s not uncommon to read something like this anymore. A state in the U.S., under pressure from increasing temperatures and historical energy demands, see’s their bills rise to unprecedented levels. People cannot take the heat, figuratively. And what are they left to do? In the moment, they have one option—pay up.
Residents in Columbus, GA, are facing a dilemma all too common in the US today. Their electricity-delivery provider, Georgia Power (and subsequent electricity-generation suppliers), are facing increased levels of energy demand. As we develop AI data centers, deal with rising temperatures, and convert to a world of electric cars and appliances, the demand for electricity will continue to rise.
“The global demand for electricity is expected to double by 2050 compared to 2020 levels according to recent assessments.”
Georgia Power, like other providers, must raise prices to keep up with increased demand. As demand increases, supply must follow. Grid improvements are also needed, contributing to the added costs that homeowners like Kat Cannella must forcibly pay if she wishes to keep her household from going dark.
“I’m afraid of what the bill will be like for August.”
This seems to make sense to everyone. However, there is one big issue that pertains to your electricity bill specifically. It’s the lack of choice.
We cannot choose our electricity providers, they choose us. When you have electricity bills “bigger than your car payments”, it’s a tough cookie to swallow that we must pay this bill or else. If you look at your other bills- streaming service, internet, trash, etc… and it decides to go up, the first thing you look to do is search for its competition. Surely, someone else out there is innovating and keeping their prices lower (or simply offering a cheaper service) to which I can switch. Now, what happens when your electricity bill goes up? Who do you look to? At first glance, you’d think “no one”. You’re exactly right to think that. Electricity providers is not something we get to choose. Some of us may get to pick who generates our electricity, but it is a small difference that is only in place to lure customers to new providers. The true answer: You look to solar.
Solar is the true competition to rising energy costs in the United States. It offers what the industry refers to as “energy independence”. You can essentially remove yourself from the uncertainty in electricity prices for the long term and get a true fixed rate, allowing you to know exactly what you’ll pay for all or most of your electricity needs. The best part? It doesn’t cost you anything.
Yes, it’s true. I call it "The Solar Switch”. “The Bill Swap”. “Nothing out-of-pocket”. Your system gets installed, inspected, and then you simply start buying electricity at a fixed rate. No payment upfront, no deposit before, during, or after.
We all think we are free from something like this, until we aren’t. Pennsylvania has experienced similar issues in the past. Back in 2022, umbrella company for 4 of 7 Pennsylvania utilities FirstEnergy had their generation rates over double in six months. PPL, also one of Pennsylvania’s large providers, saw similar increases.
Even if you can afford the rising electric bill, why fork over more than you have to pay?
All of this truly creates a unique situation. We get an electricity bill that we have to pay if we want to live comfortably. Yet, this bill succumbs to these factors mentioned above—increased demand, global warming, grid improvements—and we have no competition for it. Our other big bills like car payments and mortgages are fixed. You’ll know exactly what you’ll pay. Electricity is now a big bill, yet you’ll never know what you’ll have to pay! It makes no sense. The true competition is removing yourself from worrying with energy independence.
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Global-Demand-for-Renewable-Energy-Is-Set-to-Surge.html
https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/business/article290654754.html