Because I like a warm/cool home; I like a refrigerator; I like lights that come on at a flick of the switch; I like the convenience of the microwave, dishwasher, and dryer; I like a hot shower and a plug for my hairdryer; and, lest I forget, the box where I plug this wonderful computer that I especially like. All these things that I like take power, and I can thank Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) for providing the power, right to my house, and now to my tiny apartment.
In Fresno, at the house, we have gas and electricity as our heating and water heater are gas powered. Everything else in the house is electric. The tiny apartment, on the other hand, is all electric. Two locations, but one bill that comes once a month. Both places have smart meters, which some people have been opposed to, but not us. We think the smart meters are the best as our old meter was not calibrated correctly. Things wear out, people. New technologies can do a better job. My one complaint is that it has done away with the meter reader. I just hope they developed another job for that person to do.
Because it’s HOT in Fresno, we get a larger electrical allowance in the summer to help with the air conditioning costs. The baseline is 509 Kwhs per month for the next three months. We will go over this and pay a higher fee for the usage above that amount. This past month was very cool, though, so we only used 375 Kwhs. Low bill.
Because it’s NOT hot in San Francisco, our electric allowance drastically dropped as of June 1. Whereas we had a baseline of 334 Kwhs in the winter months due to electrical heating, we only have 89 as the baseline for summer months. That will run the refrigerator. It will still be a smaller bill than what we have in Fresno. Every time the air conditioner kicks on, I can feel the money draining away. But, I like my cool home, so I will gladly pay the bill. I cannot imagine life without the power company.
