Letter: Climbing rates

To the editor:

As a retired person witnessing the contest between rising electric costs and stagnant cost-of-living increases to Social Security, the recent announcement about new Environmental Protection Agency regulations impacting power plants is alarming. I have been keeping accurate records of living costs for many years and here are some cost comparisons of various four-year time periods.

Between 2000 and 2004 my unit cost (KWH) electric rates went up 5.9 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2008, the unit cost rates went up 5.3 percent per year. Between 2008 and 2012 the unit cost rates went up 8.4 percent per year. Social Security COLA increases between 2004 and 2008 went up 2.3 percent per year. Social Security COLA increases between 2008 and 2012 went up less than 1 percent per year. This last two years, SSA increases were finally elevated to 1.6 percent per year.

This week, one of the many presidential campaign promises made in 2008 is now being pushed. You might remember that the campaign statement made in 2008 was that our electric rates will “skyrocket”! Some of us remember hearing that actual word used. The rate increases illustrated above will pale by comparison with what we will be paying in the future if the proposed EPA regulations are implemented and the promise kept. When I heard this promise six years ago, I knew then that we would all be stuck with future enormous electric rate increases for political reasons. Now, just watch it happen.