Southern California Edison could hike electricity rates
If you don’t use much electricity, get ready to start paying more. If you use a lot of electricity, get ready to start paying less.
That’s the gist of a proposed decision released last week by officials at the California Public Utilities Commission, who largely endorsed a utility industry proposal to fundamentally reshape how Californians pay for electricity. Critics say the new electricity rates, backed by Southern California Edison, would limit the incentive to save energy and discourage consumers from going solar.
Under the current rules, homes served by Southern California Edison pay higher prices for higher electricity use. That would still be true under the new rules, but the pricing differences wouldn’t be nearly as stark, with costs rising for those who use the least and falling for those who use the most. The new rules would also mandate a minimum bill for all residential consumers, set at $5 for some low-income customers and $10 for everyone else.
