When a Co-op Becomes a mini-Enron
You would think that belonging to an electric co-op would shield you from radical and unexpected bill increases at the whim of the board of directors. It is a myth. In December of last year, Beartooth Electric double the cost of electricity with no warning. They raised the meter charge, the rate, and tacked on a surcharge with no advanced notice. The surcharge is for the Highwood Generating Project. This project was to save us money. Instead, it is costing us a fortune due to pay the bills on a plant that missed the funding deadline. The board blames the environmentalist lawsuits. I say, they failed to properly calculate the risk, when presenting the proposal. In any case, the members suffer and not the board. They are destroying the lives of those who live on a fixed income. They are destroying the ability to sell property by having fluctuating rates. The promise was they would go down. The reality is different.
The only real solution is to reduce our dependency on both propane and electricity. My goal is to cut our usage by at least 60%. It won’t be easy, but it is possible through a combination of energy conservation and shifting to alternate energy sources.
