Florida solar customers, others shocked over new charge on electric bills

Told for DECADES that we're using too much water and electricity, now we're charged for using too less. The audacity of these people

Another point that everyone seems to be missing is: This “minimum charge” is only the opener for higher “minimum” charges down the road.

What they don’t tell you is that it is illegal to be completely off grid in many states. They actually force you to use the local electric companies which forces you to have to pay the electric companies even if you don’t need them. I think that is called a monopoly.

At the very least, I now grasp the concept of leverage. Creating wealth and financial freedom isn't as tough as many people believe. Building wealth and remaining financially stable indefinitely is a lot easier with the appropriate information. Participating in financial programs and products is the only true approach to make a high income and remain affluent indefinitely.

It's retaliation for people disconnecting from big electricity, plain and simple. At least the female reporter has the balls to say it.

“This is called a minimum bill.” I’d call it ripping people off.

I'm sure the lawmakers that push this bill are making a profit or kickback from the power companies.

The fees always starts small and only affect a few... That is how the income tax started. What you really have to worry about is local governments taxing solar at a higher rate like they have started doing with electric cars.

The fact that an electrical company thinks that they can charge you money if you're not using their service should be illegal in the first place

"....customers called our news room trying to find out what is wrong." I can tell you what's wrong. They are losing revenue so they decided that since you found a way around a huge electric bill, they've decided to steal the money from you instead. It's wrong, unethical and should be illegal.

For decades we were told to cut our electricity usage: turn the lights off when you exit a room, buy energy efficient appliances, forced to buy LED lightbulbs, turn your thermostat up in the summer, on an on. Electric companies pushed the business model of "stop using so much of our product". Now that people have found a way to stop using so much of their product they have a minimum charge.

I live in Alberta, Canada. My natural gas bill has increased from $97 per month to $155 per month starting in August. A 60% increase. This province is the largest producer of natural gas in Canada!

People trying to lower their environmental impact by going solar are being punished for it, in some areas its illegal to collect rainwater to water your garden, to have large food gardens, to keep a couple of chickens. They don't want people to be at all self sufficient.

“People,we’re thinking about solar, now they are pulling back” That’s the point. ….. they don’t want you to be self sufficient. Here’s an hint, stop electing sociopaths that hate you

Simply report this extra fee(s) to the IRS on your taxes. If the IRS see this as a way the utilities are making extra money from you and they don’t report it, they will get audited. (You can do this with every bill you have to make sure companies don’t take advantage of you. Up to you to show how much money you send to each biller per year on your taxes. They do it to us.)

The bit that caught my attention was the money saved through the solar panels. Worked out to be about $1,200 a year saving. He had a ton of panels which cost... $20k? That's over 16 years to offset the initial cost. Assuming the panels don't need replacing. What a total waste. The panels do put energy back in the grid which generates income. But it's not going to be anywhere near enough to cover the $20k, especially since his bill is still in the positive. Which means he's taking out more than he's putting in. His bill will only go up as the solar panel efficiency decreases and generate less electricity.

"It really doesn't generate much revenue at all" - Then, obviously, the reason for charging the fee is to discourage people from installing solar panels, not to make a profit.

Duke says "only a small number of customers are affected," people are missing the point. Duke and other power companies are conditioning the public for such "minimum charges." Once customers are use to this charge it will start to be raised. Next thing you'll know the $25 charge will become $50 and so forth.

Love how the lady had more balls to speak the truth than the, so called, men. She said,”I said it!”

When I was a kid (in the midwest), our electric company was a co=op. When they made too much money they had to give it back to their customers as a dividend.