The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has confirmed that San Diegans are paying the highest electricity rates than any other city in the country.
San Diegans paid an average of 36.5 cents per kilowatt-hour last December. In comparison, Los Angeles residents paid 34% less (24 cents) and Riverside County paid even less, 23.8 cents per kWh.
San Diego even passed Hawaii, which is not even on the mainland. Hawaii’s average rate was almost 3 cents less per kilowatt-hour than San Diego’s rates.
Edward Lopez, Executive Director of Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN) told CBS8
“The price per kilowatt is the highest in the country. San Diego is even out-passing Hawaii.”
Why? An SDG&E spokesperson told Channel 8 that the company has spent $3 billion hardening their system, replacing wood poles with steel and undergrounding their wires. 2007 wildfires were started by the company’s power lines.
Lopez’s response was to question why ratepayers have to foot the entire bill, without any help from shareholders.
“SDG&E has implemented a number of mitigation measures that are good, but remember, SDG&E’s customers ultimately pay for this, not the shareholder of SDG&E.”
News8 reported:
SDG&E is owned by Sempra, a publicly traded company. In their most recent year-to-year figures, Sempra reported a profit of over $9 billion, but SDG&E recently raised our rates again.
“The profitability, the rate of return that SDG&E gives back to Sempra, is incredible,” Lopez added.
SDG&E is not allowed to simply raise rates on their own, they have to get permission from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
But Lopez says that the commission seems to always put politics over people. “UCAN has been around for at least three decades and during that time, we consistently argue rates are too high, program costs are too high, profits are too high, but yet the commission never really approves to go backward.” …
Lopez pointed CBS 8 to a chart that is actually from the CPUC. It shows SDG&E’s rate increases starting in 2013 are expected to outpace inflation by almost 70% by 2030.
News8 also reported that frustrated San Diegans can’t get in touch with company to complain.
FYI: here are the San Diego city council members who approved the city contract with SDG&E along with Tood Gloria: Campbell, Campillo, Cate, Elo-Rivera, von Wilpert, Whitburn.