This blog was written by Sarah Gilliam, former Communications Coordinator at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
Guest Blog | May 1, 2018 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Policy, Utilities
Join our Thunderclap Today: Say NO to TVA’s Rate Scheme!
On the morning of TVA’s next board meeting, held in a remote town in Alabama on May 10th, we need your help sounding the alarm on TVA’s rate scheme! With your help, we can reach our goal of 100 followers and ripple a loud message across social media: Tennessee Valley customers are against this rate proposal! It only takes a few seconds to join our Thunderclap, which allows you (and hopefully your friends!) to donate a Tweet or Facebook post that goes live at 8aM on May 10th, just as the TVA Board Meeting is getting started.
In case you haven’t heard, TVA is proposing changes to their rate structure that will mean less control over your power bill, more fees, and higher monthly bills. On May 10, the TVA Board of Directors will consider this rate proposal at their board meeting scheduled to be held in Muscle Shoals, Alabama – a very inaccessible place for the majority of TVA’s customers. Despite our request, TVA is not hosting public forums about this proposed rate structure and they denied our request to extend the public commenting period beyond 30 days, which we felt was way too short for a decision that will impact millions of customers in the TVA service territory. Join us in sounding the alarm!
With TVA’s proposed rate change, the average electricity customer could likely pay, in total, over $350/year before flipping a switch ($29.24/month). This charge comes from what is called a mandatory or fixed fee – a flat charge you must pay every month, regardless of how much energy you use (or don’t use). The amount of your exact monthly fee will depend on who your Local Power Company (LPC) is, and depending on their billing style, you may not even see this charge itemized to know what you are paying each month before you even flip on the switch!
The new proposal from TVA prioritizes large industrial customers, at the expense of residential and small business customers. Recent studies show that over the past 5 years TVA has shifted $1.4 billion in costs from industrial to residential customers, and this proposal will continue that trend.
JOIN US in sounding the alarm to let the TVA Board know that you do NOT support this new rate structure proposal.