Rate increase impacts

Currently rates for residential and the smallest businesses are about 25% below the cost to serve those groups. Under the rate proposal, residential customers would see a $10-$20 a month increase on average for electric usage of 1,500 kWh or less. More than 80% of residential customers average 1,500 kWh a month or less. This translates into an overall 20% increase for residential customers.

Commercial and industrial customers will be consolidated into eight customer classes. This is consistent with industry best practices. Small businesses would be transitioned to a demand charge over a three-year period. The charge is currently paid by medium and larger business and is based on the peak demand of the business each month. The proposed rate design represents, on average, a 3% to 20% increase for commercial. The range reflects the fact that about one-third of businesses are already paying very close to the cost to serve them – while two-thirds are paying less than the cost to serve them.

Key changes to residential electric bill

Increase the monthly Customer Charge from $6 to $12 to pay more of the $19.70 fixed cost to serve each customer for billing, meters, call center and other account management.

Establish a monthly $10 Electric Delivery Charge to pay more of the $14.42 fixed cost to serve each customer for the construction, maintenance and operation of the electric system. This new fixed line item charge reduces the charge per kWh of electricity used.

Increase the current 2-tier inclining rate structure to a 5-tier structure. Customers who use less power pay the lowest rates. Those using higher levels pay higher rates to cover the additional generation and infrastructure sizing needed to serve the higher demand. A 5-tier structure encourages energy efficiency and conservation. For example, a customer who averages 1,200 kWh per month at 12 cents per kWh, can lower their rate to 9 cents/kWh by dropping their usage 200 kWh per month through conservation and by making energy-efficiency improvements.

Increase funding to assist low-income customers from $3 million to $7 million. Use $1 million of new funding for free energy efficiency improvements targeted to low-income customers with the highest usage. Collect the $7 million through $1 per month charge for residential and 65 cents per 1,000 kWh charge for commercial customers.

Austin Energy also seeks to present more cost information on the electric bill. This will be achieved both through line items that have appeared in the past – as well as the recovery of various community benefit expenditures through new line item charges. The new items are not new fees. They will simply be collected as line items rather than included in the Energy Charge, which is the base electric rate:

Energy Charge. Charge per kWh of electricity used. It recovers generation costs and costs not recovered through line-item charges.

Fuel Charge. Dollar-for-dollar recovery of fuel costs for AE power plants as well as the net cost of power sales and purchases through ERCOT transactions, if purchases are greater than sales.

Regulatory Charge. Dollar-for-dollar recovery of Austin Energy’s required share of fees for our use of statewide transmission, new state transmission construction costs and support of Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) operations.

Customer Assistance Program. To fund assistance for disadvantaged residential customers.

Service Area Street Lighting. To fund maintenance and electricity for street lighting in all communities served by Austin Energy.

Energy Efficiency. To fund energy efficiency, Green Building, solar and electric transportation programs, rebates and incentives.

Source: http://www.austinenergy.com

On October 3, 2008, George W. Bush signed the Emergency Stabilization Act of 2009, which extended the credits available for solar-powered energy systems and expanded the qualifying product requirements. This allows for a 30-percent tax credit on the purchase and installation of residential solar water heating, photo voltaic equipment, and fuel cell property.

What YellowBlue Advanced Solar Attic Systems are eligible for the federal tax credit.

YellowBlue Attic Fans, both roof mount and Gable kits, qualify for the category solar energy systems,(photovoltaic systems) under the definition below:

Property that uses solar energy to generate electricity for the residence and must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirements.

There are no specific technical requirements for photovoltaic systems. But all installed Solar Star Attic Fans Systems must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirements to qualify. The YellowBlue Solar Attic Fan systems meet these requirements.

What are the tax incentives dates for Solar Attic Fan Tax Credits?
Homeowners are eligible for tax credits for qualified photovoltaic systems purchased and installed between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2016*.

What is the amount of the tax credit the homeowner is eligible to receive?
For solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, the allowable tax credit is 30% of the qualified PV system expenditures, including both product and installation costs.

What is the maximum amount of cost on which the credit can be figured?
There is no credit cap for residential photovoltaic (PV) systems placed into service after December 31, 2008.

Do products installed in my second home or rental property qualify?
Existing homes & new construction qualify. Both a primary residence and second homes qualify. Rentals do not qualify.

What is a tax credit?
A tax credit is subtracted directly from the total tax liability.

What does the homeowner need to claim the tax credit?
To qualify, tax payers should retain information that includes:
Receipt with the cost of the system (including labor)
When it was placed in service
Manufacturer certification statement
Where do homeowners go for the IRS form?

Click here for IRS Form 5695, available on the IRS.gov website.

Are there any local incentives for my county and/or city?
Many local utility provide financial incentives for energy-efficient products. To find out if rebates or incentives are available in your area, visit the ENERGYSTAR rebate finder at www.energystar.gov, visit your state energy office website for specific state tax information or go to http://www.dsireusa.org/ (State database of Incentives for energy efficient products).

Disclaimer: YellowBlue Eco Tech makes no warranty as to the qualification of the products for federal tax credits. YellowBlue Eco Tech is not responsible or liable for the taxpayer’s ability to receive tax credits and this document does not constitute legal or tax advise. YellowBlue Eco Tech, Inc. is not a tax advisor. Any tax payer who wishes to clain a tax credit should consult a tax professional with any questions. This document is not intended to constitute legal or tax advice. The user maintains the full and complete responsibility to comply with all codes, laws and regulations. The information contained herein is believed to be accurate as of the time of preparation and information is subject to change without notice. Therefore, YellowBlue Eco Tech makes no warranty as to the accuracy of this information. If there are changes
in requirements or applicable law yellowblue will attempt to update information based on information as it is made available .

All questions concerning concerning safe installation of YellowBlue Solar Attic Fans and Systems should be directed to the local independent authorized dealer of yellowblue products.

Copyright Yellowblue eco tech 2012

For more info go to
http://www.sungevity.com/rising-electricity-rates

Electric bills have skyrocketed in the last five years, a sharp reversal from a quarter-century when Americans enjoyed stable power bills even as they used more electricity.

More electricity use at homes and higher prices are driving up power bills.
Households paid a record $1,419 on average for electricity in 2010, the fifth consecutive yearly increase above the inflation rate, a USA TODAY analysis of government data found. The jump has added about $300 a year to what households pay for electricity. That’s the largest sustained increase since a run-up in electricity prices during the 1970s.

Electricty is consuming a greater share of Americans’ after-tax income than at any time since 1996 — about $1.50 of every $100 in income at a time when income growth has stagnated, a USA TODAY analysis of Bureau of Economic Analysis data found.

Greater electricity use at home and higher prices per kilowatt hour are both driving the higher costs, in roughly equal measure:
•Residential demand for power dropped briefly in 2009 but rebounded strongly last year to a record high. Air-conditioners and household appliances use less power than ever. A new refrigerator consumes half the electricity as a similar one bought in 1990. But consumers have bigger houses, more air-conditioning and more electronics than before, outpacing gains in efficiency and conservation.

“People have made a lot of money selling weight loss programs. It’s the same for energy. Behavior is hard to change,” says Penni Conner, vice president of customer care at NSTAR, a Boston-based utility.

•Prices are climbing, too, hitting a record 11.8 cents per residential kilowatt hour so far this year, reports the Energy Information Administration. The increase reflects higher fuel prices and the expense of replacing old power plants, including heavily polluting — but cheap to operate — coal plants that don’t meet federal clean air requirements.

“Higher bills are a huge problem for low income families,” says Chris Estes, executive director of the North Carolina Housing Coalition, which opposes a proposed rate hike in its state by Duke Energy. “Utilities are what people’s budgets start with.”

Duke Energy says the rate increase is needed to pay for replacing old power plants and making the transmission system more reliable. The Charlotte-based utility has reached a tentative agreement with North Carolina to raise rates 7.2% in February, lower than its original 17% request.

“The industry as a whole is facing higher costs because we’re retiring our aging fleet” of power plants, says Duke Energy spokeswoman Betsy Conway.
Electricity cost varies widely depending on where you live. Cheapest: Northwest communities near hydropower dams — as low as 2 cents per kilowatt hour. Most expensive major utility: Consolidated Edison, supplier of New York City — 26 cents per kilowatt hour, according to EIA.

High taxes, limits on air-polluting fuels and the expense of maintaining an underground transmission system keep consumer costs high, says ConEd spokesman Chris Olert.
A potential bright spot: Electric bills appear roughly the same so far this year as last when adjusted for inflation, based on preliminary reports.

However, the future of energy prices and the upcoming closure of more polluting coal plants makes the long-term outlook cloudy for consumers. Duke Energy plans to ask for another rate hike next year to cover the costs of new natural gas-fired plants.

http://www.usatoday.com

Even while keeping the thermostat in the low 60s, the McLaughlins burn about 750 gallons of oil a year. At about $3.50 a gallon, that’s more than $2,600. “We’re in a real bind; There’s no safety net,” said Bill. “We’ve run through all our savings and if we pay for heat, we have less money for food and medicine. We don’t even have our car out on the road. My wife depends on friends when she has to go someplace.”

The McLaughlins can partly blame their soaring heating bills on political unrest in Libya, which has caused oil prices across the globe to soar, explained Neil Gamson, an economist and forecaster for the EIA

Less reliance on oil: One bright spot is that the rising price of oil affects far fewer households than it did in the past. Most homeowners have already transitioned to natural gas, with less than 10% of all households still burning oil. That percentage is expected to drop even further as the cheaper fuel option becomes available in more towns, said Gamson.

The new faces of poverty

For those who heat their homes with gas, prices are projected to be stable over the next few years. There’s a glut of natural gas available and more is coming on line as new sources, like the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania and New York, open up for development.

The EIA projected gas prices will be just 2.2% higher during this winter season and nearly 18% lower than two years ago. The average homeowner will pay only about $732 to heat their home with gas this season.

But those kinds of energy bills are a pipedream for people like the Bill McLaughlin. “I don’t want anything extra,” he said. “I just want to be able to go to bed at night with the temperature set at 60 degrees.”

Source: CNN Money

Years ago radiant barrier was introduced to the market as a reflective product designed to be placed under the rafters to help reduce attic heat. It was also touted as a product that was to be used more in hot, sunny climates in an attempt to cool the attic.

The Problem:

Consumers should not be trying to cool or heat their attic. Instead they should be concerned with keeping their existing insulation cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

The Bigger Problem:

Over the years traditional radiant barrier products started being mass-produced in large bulk overseas, with little quality control. Today there is little or no control over what grade type, make, model, brand, etc., are sold by many mom-and-pop operations and even in big-box stores throughout the country.

When buying any reflective attic insulation product a consumer must keep several things in mind, including moisture, fire and emissivity (the reflectivity of the product).

1) Moisture: Your attic can be a breeding ground for moisture. In addition to humidity and roof leaks, it easily can collect water that is caused by condensation when hot and cold mix. Many attics have 50-80 gallons of water transferred through them yearly. Traditional barrier products have the tendency to trap moisture when overlapped, creating mold, mildew and problems that can make your home sick and your attic age faster than it should.
2) Fire: One of the most dangerous places a fire can start is in your attic. Many attics have heating and cooling units, hot water heaters and most of the homes’ electrical wiring. Any barrier product should not burn. However, the problem is that most traditional barrier products will not only burn, but can be a fire accelerant as well. Also, attics often are used to store items such as clothes, toys, etc., that can accelerate the fire even more.
3) Reflectivity: It is a scientific fact that 99.9% aluminum will reflect 97% of all radiant heat transfer. Many of the imported products are not high-quality aluminum and are sold at bargain basement prices. Even if they are made of higher quality aluminum, they are only partially effective for warm areas only.

The Solution … Reflective Insulation!

Today, through modern technology and American-based engineering and manufacturing there is a solution that works year-round. YellowBlue’s multi-layered Attic Blanket products are specifically designed to work in cold winter climates as well as hot sunny climates, potentially saving many consumers money year-round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although YellowBlue’s Attic Blanket products are not cheap, when deciding on insulation for your attic you get what you pay for. YellowBlue’s Attic Blanket products are specifically engineered and designed to cover existing insulation like a space blanket. They block radiant heat from your existing insulation, keeping it cooler in the summer so your cooling unit doesn’t run as often. In the winter they do just the opposite, stopping radiant heat from escaping into your attic.

Traditional radiant barrier is not considered insulation because it provides no R-value. Yellow Blue’s Attic Blanket products are considered to be insulation because the center core layers add an additional “R” value to help with convection and conduction heat. This provides extra protection year-round and promotes insulation that is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. This keeps your unit from running as often, conserving energy and saving money.

The center core also helps avoid any moisture issues. YellowBlue’s Attic Blanket products have extremely high perm ratings. The specifically designed size and placement of the perforations allows YellowBlue’s Attic Blanket products to breathe even when overlapped. This avoids any moisture buildup and minimizes any chance of mold and mildew, which traditional radiant barriers are known for.

Lastly, there is a “myth” that laying attic blanket over existing insulation will collect dust and reduce its emissivity (reflectivity), which would make the attic blanket ineffective. This is only a myth; the properties of the product itself block the radiant heat transfer. If reflectivity were desired, why not just put mirrors in your attic and clean them ever so often?

The truth is that many studies have shown that reflective aluminum material covered with dust still reflects radiant heat and is only, at the most, reducing the reflectivity by 8%. So, that would mean instead of reflecting 97% of the radiant heat you go down to 89% of the radiant heat with sand-covered reflective materials, according to James Hall PE and the Tennessee Valley Authority Dust Project.

YellowBlue’s commitment to handle only American-made products that are UL fire-rated with long-term warranties and energy-saving guarantees proves to be a wise decision in line with our core values.

While many companies are in a race to the bottom, YellowBlue continues to stand out as the “Best in the World” in the business with a mission to help homeowners and businesses conserve energy, save money and protect the environment!

Years ago radiant barrier was introduced to the market as a reflective product designed to be placed under the rafters to help reduce attic heat. It was also touted as a product that was to be used more in hot, sunny climates in an attempt to cool the attic.

The Problem:

Consumers should not be trying to cool or heat their attic. Instead they should be concerned with keeping their existing insulation cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

The Bigger Problem:

Over the years traditional radiant barrier products started being mass-produced in large bulk overseas, with little quality control. Today there is little or no control over what grade type, make, model, brand, etc., are sold by many mom-and-pop operations and even in big-box stores throughout the country.

When buying any reflective attic insulation product a consumer must keep several things in mind, including moisture, fire and emissivity (the reflectivity of the product).

1) Moisture: Your attic can be a breeding ground for moisture. In addition to humidity and roof leaks, it easily can collect water that is caused by condensation when hot and cold mix. Many attics have 50-80 gallons of water transferred through them yearly. Traditional barrier products have the tendency to trap moisture when overlapped, creating mold, mildew and problems that can make your home sick and your attic age faster than it should.
2) Fire: One of the most dangerous places a fire can start is in your attic. Many attics have heating and cooling units, hot water heaters and most of the homes’ electrical wiring. Any barrier product should not burn. However, the problem is that most traditional barrier products will not only burn, but can be a fire accelerant as well. Also, attics often are used to store items such as clothes, toys, etc., that can accelerate the fire even more.
3) Reflectivity: It is a scientific fact that 99.9% aluminum will reflect 97% of all radiant heat transfer. Many of the imported products are not high-quality aluminum and are sold at bargain basement prices. Even if they are made of higher quality aluminum, they are only partially effective for warm areas only.

The Solution … Reflective Insulation!

Today, through modern technology and American-based engineering and manufacturing there is a solution that works year-round. YellowBlue’s multi-layered Attic Blanket products are specifically designed to work in cold winter climates as well as hot sunny climates, potentially saving many consumers money year-round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although YellowBlue’s Attic Blanket products are not cheap, when deciding on insulation for your attic you get what you pay for. YellowBlue’s Attic Blanket products are specifically engineered and designed to cover existing insulation like a space blanket. They block radiant heat from your existing insulation, keeping it cooler in the summer so your cooling unit doesn’t run as often. In the winter they do just the opposite, stopping radiant heat from escaping into your attic.

Traditional radiant barrier is not considered insulation because it provides no R-value. Yellow Blue’s Attic Blanket products are considered to be insulation because the center core layers add an additional “R” value to help with convection and conduction heat. This provides extra protection year-round and promotes insulation that is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. This keeps your unit from running as often, conserving energy and saving money.

The center core also helps avoid any moisture issues. YellowBlue’s Attic Blanket products have extremely high perm ratings. The specifically designed size and placement of the perforations allows YellowBlue’s Attic Blanket products to breathe even when overlapped. This avoids any moisture buildup and minimizes any chance of mold and mildew, which traditional radiant barriers are known for.

Lastly, there is a “myth” that laying attic blanket over existing insulation will collect dust and reduce its emissivity (reflectivity), which would make the attic blanket ineffective. This is only a myth; the properties of the product itself block the radiant heat transfer. If reflectivity were desired, why not just put mirrors in your attic and clean them ever so often?

The truth is that many studies have shown that reflective aluminum material covered with dust still reflects radiant heat and is only, at the most, reducing the reflectivity by 8%. So, that would mean instead of reflecting 97% of the radiant heat you go down to 89% of the radiant heat with sand-covered reflective materials, according to James Hall PE and the Tennessee Valley Authority Dust Project.

YellowBlue’s commitment to handle only American-made products that are UL fire-rated with long-term warranties and energy-saving guarantees proves to be a wise decision in line with our core values.

While many companies are in a race to the bottom, YellowBlue continues to stand out as the “Best in the World” in the business with a mission to help homeowners and businesses conserve energy, save money and protect the environment!

Starting in September, the average Gulf Power household bill will see an increase of about 4 dollars and fifty cents. By April that increase could be up to 12 dollars.

It will soon cost you a little more to turn on a light bulb or flip on the AC.

Sid Braunstein
“4.50 means to me 50 dollars a year, which is the only way I know how to look at it because I’m on a fixed income.”

Sid and Pat Braunstien pay about 230 dollars a month on their Gulf Power bill.
It’s been that way for as long as they’ve had Gulf Power. The electric company has kept its customers rates the same for the past 10 years.

Pat Bruanstein
“I’m still wondering why now? Why such a chunk?”

The simple answer, the price of everything has gone up in those 10 years.

Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power
“There’s been about 25 percent inflation. And other commodities, a lot of the things we need to conduct business has gone up.”

Then there’s also the cost of investing in future technologies

Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power
“Smart grid technology, smart meters that can make electricity even more reliable.”

And depsite the increases, the Braunsteins say they probably wont change the way they use their electricity.

Pat Bruanstein
“We have a kilowatt sucking swimming pool that we wouldn’t change for anything, so there you go.”

In December, the Public Service Commission will look at approving another 8 dollar increase, so that will be about a 12 dollar increase on an average bill. Reporting in Escambia County, Anthony Pura, Channel 3 News.

Source: http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories