BRACING FOR BIGGER BILLS CONSUMERS RELUCTANT TO PAY MORE FOR POWER.Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - From those who can weather a rate hike to those who question why they should, SoCal Edison customers grumbled Wednesday about a proposed increase set to be decided today. Residential and business customers across Santa Clarita - some who have already dimmed the lights to conserve power - are unhappy they are being called on to resolve the power crisis. ``We don't have a choice. I can't tell Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 11 million people with electricity. , I don't want to buy your power anymore,'' said Jerry Rossiter, whose electric bill averages $80 to $100 a month at his Canyon Country home. ``It's a rip-off,'' he said. ``I've got four kids. Of course it's going to affect me.'' The state Public Utilities Commission is expected to vote today on a proposal that would hike residential customer rates about 9 percent. Business rates would increase from 7 percent to 15 percent, depending on the size of the company. The expected decision comes after days of hearings on rate hikes of 30 percent requested by SoCal Edison and 26 percent by Pacific Gas and Electric. Last week, the Valencia Town Center cut the power on its decorative fountains and shut down escalators after-hours to conserve power on its $1 million annual bill. Tracey Greaves greaves cracklings, an edible raw fat from the meat trade. The skimmings from the preparation of this fat are also called greaves. They represent a low grade of meat meal. , who is moving to her new home in Santa Clarita in three weeks, said a 9 percent hike on an average $50 household bill may not seem like much - $4.50 - but it counts. ``It's a trip to McDonald's though - (for) the kids.'' Senior citizen Angie Palmer said she already makes sure she turns out the lights when she leaves a room, but that she needs to keep the air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. running because she suffers from allergies Allergies Definition Allergies are abnormal reactions of the immune system that occur in response to otherwise harmless substances. Description Allergies are among the most common of medical disorders. . ``I pay $81 a month now, and I don't appreciate them doing this,'' said the Friendly Village resident. ``It's their problem, not ours.'' Some worried locals will be hit with a double whammy double whammy Noun informal a devastating setback made up of two elements double whammy n (col) → palo doble double whammy n (inf - a hike to their own bills at home plus higher prices for goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. as businesses pass along their own rate hike. Paul Roques Roques is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:
``I think we would probably absorb the 7 percent for a while then look at it down the road and look at our pricing,'' said Roques. Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital had installed energy efficiency devices years ago but is looking to see if it can further reduce its $658,000-a-year Edison bill. ``Unlike perhaps a more commercial use, we can't decide we're going to dim the lights - we're a 24/7 operation,'' said spokeswoman Lisa Foust. The hospital bought $568,732 worth of power last year from Edison - not counting electricity it uses for offices and power it gets from its co-generation plant. At the Way Station Coffee Shop in Newhall, owner Jeri Bronstrup is concerned about locals coping with the rising cost of living. And while she was planning to raise prices this year anyway - after six years without a bump - it won't be the 7 percent Edison may get. ``I think there's something not right here,'' said Bronstrup, who has owned the coffee shop for 30 years. ``I'm questioning, how did this come about so suddenly?'' She added, ``I'll find a way to stay in business - I assume I'll find a way to stay in business. I just think there should have been a better way. I don't think it should have come to this.'' The Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. contributed to this report. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion