BC Hydro - yikes!

[NotNorthAnymore]

For your argument to work that we should stop complaining about hydro rates ,you have to take all things into considerations.For instance,people in Sask don't pay anything for MSP premiums,they pay more for hydro ,we pay more for other things.Overall these rate hikes will effect many people who are struggling to make ends meet ,considering all fees,charges and taxes we pay here in BC.

IF we were talking about overall costs of health and motor vechile operating costs then your comment above would make some sense.
BUT - this discussion is only about the cost of electricity and the upcoming rate hikes.

It has been proven by others and myself (with actual facts and figures that can be supported with documentation) that here in BC we pay some of the lowest electrictiy costs even with all of the extra fees and taxes included.

IMO - This discussion should now be done like dinner!

[maple leaf]

IF we were talking about overall costs of health and motor vechile operating costs then your comment above would make some sense.
BUT - this discussion is only about the cost of electricity and the upcoming rate hikes.

It has been proven by others and myself (with actual facts and figures that can be supported with documentation) that here in BC we pay some of the lowest electrictiy costs even with all of the extra fees and taxes included.

IMO - This discussion should now be done like dinner!

Not so fast there,I don't dispute that hydro rates here might be somewhat lower than other places,but the rate hike is another hike in the cost of living in BC ,that does matter to a lot of people and does effect a lot of people in their daily yearly lives.Hydro rates being lower than someplace else,doesn't really matter to most people,so yes that part of the discussion is done like dinner.But Hydro rate hikes and how it effects people's lives,along with the reasons for such a hike discussion are not over.

[NotNorthAnymore]

Not so fast there,I don't dispute that hydro rates here might be somewhat lower than other places,but the rate hike is another hike in the cost of living in BC ,that does matter to a lot of people and does effect a lot of people in their daily yearly lives.Hydro rates being lower than someplace else,doesn't really matter to most people,so yes that part of the discussion is done like dinner.But Hydro rate hikes and how it effects people's lives,along with the reasons for such a hike discussion are not over.

IMO
Then you should start a new discussion about the cost of living in BC.
You are derailing the thread by injecting multiple items that have nothing to do with the cost of BC electricity.
This discussion is about Hydro - not about the general cost of living in BC.

And electricity in BC is lower - not might be somewhat lower.
All of the links are posted in the thread.
We are even lower than Grammafreddies's friends in the US - when you take into consideration the exchange rates and the fact that she quoted the price without taxes and fees.
My quotes are for what actually comes out of your pocket - taxes and fees included.


NNA

[maple leaf]

IMO
Then you should start a new discussion about the cost of living in BC.
You are derailing the thread by injecting multiple items that have nothing to do with the cost of BC electricity.
This discussion is about Hydro - not about the general cost of living in BC.

And electricity in BC is lower - not might be somewhat lower.
All of the links are posted in the thread.
We are even lower than Grammafreddies's friends in the US - when you take into consideration the exchange rates and the fact that she quoted the price without taxes and fees.
My quotes are for what actually comes out of your pocket - taxes and fees included.


NNA

The thread is not just about weather or not we have lower rates or not.It is about BC Hydro -Yikes! and that includes how Hydro rate increases effect me and why Hydro rates have been raised.All things relative to these hikes and that includes another hike to the cost of living caused by Hydro rate increases.

[flamingfingers]

All things relative to these hikes and that includes another hike to the cost of living caused by Hydro rate increases.

Yep. Wonderful BC (Bring Cash).

[Captain Awesome]

*off topic remark removed*/ferri

[featfan]

*Removed Trip*

[LoneWolf_53]

maple leaf it's about time you clued in to the fact that rates do go up. They have for most other things I can think of. Heck potato salad at the grocery store has more than doubled in the last two to three years.

My gasoline costs have skyrocketed over the last five years as well, as have many other commodities, so what in your mind makes hydro rates so special?

I said it once and I'll say it again, the discount prices are over, and you should just be happy that you had them as long as you did.

Do increases like this affect people? You bet they do, I'd be happy to attest to that. Then again I'm the type that tries hard to look at the bright side of things, and as such many should be thankful that they are for the most part living in milder winters here in BC than for example Steven's post mentioning Saskatchewan power rates, a place where it's winter 9 months of the year, and by far more extreme than here.

Plain and simple your expectations are unrealistic, to say the least.

[maple leaf]

I am unwilling to let this government off the hook for their mismanagement,and incompetence,in running our electrical utility into the ground.They need to be held accountable.Because of this governments bungling many struggling families now have just one more weight placed upon already limited incomes.The rate hike may not be a big deal to some people and probably they may not be effected or are able a to absorb the extra cost,but to others it is a big deal and a burden to struggling families.There are no reasons for this rate hike besides Liberal mismanagement.

[LoneWolf_53]

Actually much as I hate government, not to mention rate increases, I still like to think that I possess the ability to be logical, and fairly reasonable.

I'm afraid that's something your hate, for all things Liberal, has robbed you of. What dreamland do you live in, that you are under this misguided notion, that you can keep getting something, for half the cost of what everyone else in North America is paying?

What I've seen you demonstrate time and again is an inability to be reasonable or open minded to any facts that support what's happening, or removes blame from Liberals, whether it's legitimate or not, and it's been that way for quite some time.

Broken record comes to mind.

I'm no fan of inflation but it's been a reality all of my six plus decades on this earth, but apparently not yours.

[maple leaf]

There seems to be two types of people on here,Those who will bend over and assume the position and those who will stand up and speak up to the injustice forced upon us by mismanagement and incompetence.
It looks like the government is finally cluing in to what many have been standing up to and speaking up about,instead of just bending over.This is a start and has a long ways to go.

Independent power projects in crosshairs


BY VAUGHN PALMER, VANCOUVER SUN NOVEMBER 30, 2013

Snip;
Missing from Energy Minister Bill Bennett's announcement this week on hefty rate increases at BC Hydro was any update on those controversial contracts with independent power producers.

Bennett confirmed much of what critics had been saying about B.C. Liberal mismanagement and interference in the giant utility: Stop siphoning dividends from Hydro, square up the accumulated billions in the deferral accounts and let the utilities commission regulate rates once again.

But it took a separate request to get a progress report on Hydro's effort, approved by Bennett three months ago, to get rid of some of the projects being developed with independent power producers, or IPPs.

As of last month, I was told, Hydro had taken aim at about two dozen IPP projects - half the number now in one stage of development or another.

Ten are being terminated outright. Two others will be downsized. Another 11 will be backburnered to later in the decade, in case Hydro needs the power at a later date.

Hydro is not naming the projects in its sights because talks are still at the agreement-in-principle stage. The utility intends to cover some sunk costs in relation to the projects, particularly where consultations with First Nations had gone ahead. But the ularly total cost, when made public, is expected to be relatively small.

The 12 projects being terminated or downsized down-would have delivered a combined 1,800 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, about 15 per cent of what Hydro purchased privately last year. The 11 on hold represent a one-time reduction of 1,900 GWh, between now and 2017.

Hydro pegs the savings at $80 million a year at the outset, rising to $150 million at the peak for a cumulative $1 billion over the next decade or so. The savings allowed the utility to scale down those projected rate increases (28 per cent over five years, 45 per cent over 10) by 1.2 percentage points.

."

[dreamon]

Blaming partisan politics for the looming rate hikes is pointless as blame could be attributed to both parties.

The issues facing BC Hydro are a neglected infrastructure that is in dire need of upgrading, they are a net importer of electricity when they should be a new exporter and they are run like the Crown Corp that they are as opposed to a regulated utility company.

Having lived in BC Hydro towns and seen infrastructure from the inside, observed some of their work force (I use the work very loosely), listened to employees and management I can see the issues. Much of the work force is lazy, with a strong sense of entitlement, no real check ad balance system, expend more effort avoiding work then doing do it, using company time, equipment and supplies for personal use.
Site C needs to be built to make BC a net exporter of power (to AB and CA) as opposed to sometimes exporting and sometimes importing. BC should be beyond self sufficient for power generation and supply.

BC Hydro needs to be privatised and effectively regulated just like many other utilities are, think cable, satellite, telephone for examples. The Hydro company needs to be held accountable for power generation and supply through effective regulation. The privatised company needs to have a hard working and accountable work force.

[Logitack]

BC Hydro needs to be privatised and regulated just like many other utilities are, think cable, satellite, telephone for examples. The Hydro company needs to be held accountable for power generation and supply through regulation. The privatised company needs to have a hard working and accountable work force.

ever heard of BCUC? well bc hydro WAS regulated, and still are to some extent by BCUC, but much of their power was removed by the stroke of the pen by the lieberals. privitizing BC Hydro wont change that....nice try though

[dreamon]

ever heard of BCUC? well bc hydro WAS regulated, and still are to some extent by BCUC, but much of their power was removed by the stroke of the pen by the lieberals. privitizing BC Hydro wont change that....nice try though

Very much so, and I have appeared in front of them.

BCUC needs teeth. I should have added the word effective in front of regulation.

[Rwede]

I see the union flunkies support keeping BCH suckling the government teat instead of privatizing it and having it run like a real business.

Ratepayers would be much further ahead if the parasitic union weren't dictating that employees work inefficiently, too, causing even further increases in our Hydro bills. I, like Dreamon, have witnessed the work (cough) ethic (cough), and it's sickening.