Increasing Costs for Those on the Grid

Note - This article is by the newest member of the One Stop Green Team, Max Schweber.

South Dakota legislators are backing a so-called “metering bill” that will adversely affect utility companies and regulators, along with their customers. The bill proposes a cost increase for utility companies. Currently, utility companies pay a wholesale cost on service for residents who produce their own electricity, mainly through renewable energy means. The bill would increase those companies’ costs from wholesale to retail, significantly increasing their cost structure

However, utility companies and opposing legislators claim that the increase in cost would be passed down to customers on the grid who currently rely on utility companies for energy. This would thereby anger the great majority of residents in South Dakota who will be paying even more to cover the cost of those not currently using the grid for electricity. Although the bill has been called a “long-shot” by several sources, there is still a possibility that utility prices will increase for the greater part of South Dakota residents.

To avoid this increase in price, people should consider the possibility of using renewable energy sources for their electricity and heating in their residences. Sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal are renewable and therefore allow the user to be self-sufficient. Being self-sufficient, not just in South Dakota, will reduce one’s utility costs, reliability on the grid, and long-term impact on the environment.

Source: http://www.argusleader.com/article/20130125/UPDATES/130125023/
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