ENERGY MATTERS

BASELINE QUANTITIES AND ELECTRICITY RATES

It’s no big surprise. We’ve talked about it, heard it on the radio, seen it on television and read it in the newspapers.

Electricity rates have gone up!

To help us understand these increases in our own households, it is necessary to understand the three categories of rates for residential units. These are:

E-1B: Standard residential service

E-1H: Residential units originally built as “all electric,” such as with heat pumps, etc.

E-7: Time of usage. In this category, a lower than normal rate, about 9 cents per kwh during winter and off-peak periods in the summer, and a much higher rate, approximately 33 cents per kwh, is applied for electricity used noon to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday in the summer.

New electricity rates were officially effective June 1, 2001, therefore, it will most likely occur on or about June 18 for Lake Wildwood residents.

Category E-1 has baseline quantities that are the least expensive but become increasingly more costly as the total usage surpasses the baseline. For example:

0 to 100% of baseline 12.59 cents per kwh 100% of baseline rate
101 to 130% of baseline 14.32 cents per kwh 114% of baseline rate
131 to 200% of baseline 19.44 cents per kwh 154% of baseline rate
201% to 299% of baseline 23.84 cents per kwh 189% of baseline rate
300% and over of baseline 26.04 cents per kwh 207% of baseline rate

If you take a look at your PG&E bill, in the upper left corner, you can see which rate schedule applies to your account.

The following is a tabulation of the baseline quantity for E-1 schedules:

Summer:
E-1B: 13.8 kwh per day or 414 kwh for 30 days
E-1H: 18.9 kwh per day or 567 kwh for 30 days

Winter:
E-1B: 10.7 kwh per day or 321 kwh for 30 days
E-1H: 30.9 kwh per day or 927 kwh for 30 days


The preceding schedule show those in the E-1H category have a significantly larger baseline quantity to help reduce the cost of their large electric usage per month.

For electrical billing purposes, summer in Lake Wildwood starts when your meter is read on or about April 18 and continues for 6 months until approximately the time of the October 18 meter reading. For those of E-1B or E-1H this is when the baseline quantities change. For those on E-7, this is when the very high summer rate applies.

For those people who need extra electrical energy to operate life support equipment, they can apply to PG&E for an increase in their baseline quantity. Medical conditions that may qualify for extra baseline electricity include paraplegics, hemophiliacs, quadriplegics, multiple sclerosis, plus others if they are medically justified. You can call PG&E at their Grass Valley office (477-3202) or (1-800-743-5000) for an application.

Low income customers of PG&E can apply for a CARE rate, which is a 20% discount on the above schedule. Further, they are exempt from the 9% increase that occurred in February, 2001. To qualify for CARE, a family of 1 or 2 must have an annual income of $22,000 or less. A family of 3 must earn $25,900 or less, and a family of 4, $31,100 or less. If you have additional family members, allow $5200 for each additional member.

Now that we understand baseline, categories of rates for residences and the undeniable fact that electricity rates have gone up.....remember.......

ENERGY MATTERS!



Ad Hoc Energy Committee