New Optional Utility Rates

(subtitle: “We’re only In It For The Money”)

I recently got an email from my utility company that started out like this:

Announcing new optional rates from CPS Energy! You now have two new ways to manage your energy bill. Because you’re a valued customer that receives your CPS Energy bill online, you’re eligible for these new pricing options.

The two ways?

First is Flat Rate - I lock my rate for 12 months, somehow this lets me take control of your energy bill. Sounds fishy already. Furthermore, I’ll have no unpleasant surprises due to the fluctuating energy market. I can control my monthly bill based on my energy use. How? Turn off my a/c in South Texas and slowly roast to death?

Second is Fixed Bill - I pay one set price every month for an entire year with no true-up (emphasis mine). Uh-Oh. This sounds like trouble already.

I have to say that I’m already pretty sure I’m not interested. It sounds a lot like gambling. And anyone who knows me knows not to bet with me b/c I only bet when I know I’m right.

Besides, more than 20 years ago, I devised my own system for averaging my bills throughout the year. It accounts for mortgage, auto insurance, homeowners insurance, HOA fees, electricity, water, phones, and all those other bills you know you have to pay every year. So when a utility tells me they can help me out by averaging my bill, I say “No, Thanks. I already have that capability.”

A sense of morbid curiosity made me click the “Find Out More!” button in my email. But first, I opened my spreadsheet where I’ve tracked utility usage since June of 1988 when I bought my first house. (Yes, you can call me anal-retentive.) I took my last 12 months usage and compared what I paid with what I would pay with either of these wonderful, new options.

Guess what? Yup, either way I would be paying more. Specifically, about 30 dollars a month more (on average), or a total of $360 over the course of those 12 months. Good job, CPS Energy. I know you’re hoping I won’t even be able to do the math, much less have the information readily available to do so. Sorry, no deal.

Now, I’m sure some of you are thinking that I could be wrong and energy could go up enough so that this will be a good deal. But, in today’s world can anyone really predict that? Do you really think that CPS Energy believes that? I don’t. Either way, I’ll take my chances being a pay-as-you-use customer.

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You Can’t Always Get What You Want

When I was in high school, I read The Double Helix by James Watson. If you’re not familiar with it, it is the story of how Watson and Crick actually determined the structure of DNA. I found it fascinating reading. It wasn’t a story that glamorized what they did, it just told the story. It was then I decided that I wanted to do biological research.

I went on to obtain a BS in Biology and did work in research for about 7 years. I had a good understanding of the principles of good research: objectivity, repeatable results, openness to other ideas and a willingness to accept that the theory you set out to prove might be wrong. Sadly, I was disillusioned along the way because there were far too many researchers that didn’t follow those principles. They would throw out results that didn’t fit their theory. Eventually, I abandoned the idea of continuing my education in this area.

My point is that you have to be very careful about what you read. Seems like every other day stories come across with headlines like “Caffeine shown to increase brain power” and “Caffeine makes you stupid” - you get my drift. But you need to look further. And ask questions. Was it one study? Or many? How many test cases did they have? Did they have enough cases. To me, it seems like irresponsible journalism for the press to come out and report on a single study. The implication is that the results of this one study are definitive proof.

Prime examples are in the field of diet. Somebody sets out to prove that a Diet 998,122 is good for you. So they follow a few people for 6 months. But what about the people that dropped out, or those whose results were dropped from the study. And what about the next six months?

Bottom line? Never assume that a report in the news is the final answer. Look below the surface. Ask questions. Find out about other studies. And remember, If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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