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Old 02-01-14, 08:47 PM   #193
where2
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pinballlooking View Post
Raising the base charge concerns me greatly. This last time the our electric went up a certain percent but the base rate went up a much higher percentage.
Raising my base rate just makes off-grid look more attractive. While I certainly don't like the thought of having to maintain and replace batteries, the thought becomes less of an obstacle the higher my base rate goes. I have reached the point in my life where I recognize everything around me evolves from getting up and working. If it is more productive for me to get up and maintain batteries and set aside money to replace batteries than to get up and work for the shareholders of the utility, then I will get up and maintain batteries.

If my electric base rate was $40+ per month, as my water utility base rate is, that becomes equivalent to quite a bit of my time and energy over the course of 10 years.

A co-worker of mine is in the midst of permitting to connect his house to city water. The time and monthly expense of feeding his water softener, using electric to lift the water out of his well and other expenses associated with maintaining your own water source reached the tipping point for him... The ~$4k connection fee to hook up to city water was not inconsequential. He'd much rather be following in my footsteps making his utility bills smaller each month.
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