First month in my new place.. the charge for "delivery services" on my power bill is over 65% of the charge for "supplier services" (i.e. the power I consumed). Now, this might not be a big deal, but this month's total bill was just over $200 (no, we don't grow pot in the basement). Basically $122 for power, $80 for delivery.

Is this delivery charge reasonable? Should I call to complain?

I'm already planning on moving to a different supply company because I can save almost 20% on supply costs..

 

So you are moving your hydroponic operation to another location?

 

It is what it is. Because utilities are regulated they need to split out their infrastructure charges. It's your share of the cost of maintaining their delivery infrastructure. Check with your state utility board to get more information.

 

I know what it is, and what it's for. I have a feeling though, that this is more than my fair share, so I'm axin!!

I'll check it out.

 

It's a crock full of shit.

How many companies charge multiple fees for providing the commodity? What's my other option instead of using the company's infrastructure, pick up my electricities at their depot in person?

You phone, nor your cable, nor your internet provider charge additional amounts for the "pipe" that brings the service/product to you. They include it in the price.

Seperating the costs like that insted of including them hidden in the price makes people outraged. I use roughly $40-60 of electricity a month but my bill is far more than twice that. Whhhhhhhy???

 

Solar

 

My wife lobbies for an electric ultility and a lot of things can go into the delivery charge.

In my state, they are forcing electric utilities to shut down coal plants and replace electric generation with wind. Great in theory, but overnight the company has to put up a ton of windmills at $3 million per. Then, since the wind is always out in the boonies a hundred miles from anywhere that the power is actually used, they have to throw up new transmission lines and buy right of way through towns, and farms, and lots of private land where nobody wants to let it go through their land. That costs billions and it has to be passed on. Throw in the cost of upgrading old failing infrastructure and you get you $25 monthly charge or higher.

But I am not sure each state lets their utilities count all the same things in "delivery." I don't think it is a consistant definition from state to state.

 

The worst part of this is people living outside of MN end up paying for this. I live in ND, and get my power from a MN-based company. The energy company is increasing our bill to pay for the mandated change in MN. Since my power is generated by coal outisde of MN, I get the bill for something I don't even use!

Back to topic, I pulled an old bill from my files:

Elect sercive charge: $7.50
Power used cost: $48.95

So my service charge was about 6.5%, if my math is correct. This may not relate to you, since my energy is split into elec. and gas.

 

My gas bill is separate

 

Here in Texas, our delivery service company, Oncor, is entirely different from the power generation company, TXU.
Since we only pay one bill, to TXU, I can only assume that a fair portion of that (40%? Who knows.) goes to Oncor.