ComEd owes us better answers, service
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the “forum” in Highland Park last week to state my complaints to the damage control squad from ComEd. With the information I was able to obtain from the News media and the internet about what occurred there, I have concluded that ComEd’s response to customers” concerns was the same tired, scripted rhetoric that I’ve been hearing for the last 32 years; and, the solution to ALL the problems is (here’s a big surprise), ComEd needs more money.
This, they say, will enable them to upgrade the technology, improve the infrastructure, etc., etc., etc.. Almost every time they’ve requested a rate increase from the ICC, that “technology upgrade” phrase comes into play. Are they really going to do it this time?
Their plan for this $2 billion smart grid will tack an additional three dollars onto everyone’s bill, with an assured 10.25 percent profit for ComEd for the first three years. I don’t think they mentioned what their profit will be for the 3-5 years after that.
We just got hit with a rate increase that took the customer charge for a single family home without electric space heat from $8.45 per month to $14.28 (a 75 percent increase). Some years ago, a good friend of mine who was employed by a utility company explained to me that the “customer charge” on our bills was composed of many different costs, one of which is a guaranteed return to the stockholders. A simple definition of this customer charge is that this is what we pay for ComEd to make electrical power available to us, whether or not we actually use any electricity.
That explanation came directly from ComEd customer service. However, for 6 days in July, ComEd did not make any power available to me. The storm itself was an act of God, twist of nature, call it what you will. But the length of time it took to restore the power can only be blamed on the human factor. So I divided the $14.28 on my July bill by 29 days of service. I multiplied that answer by 6 days. I am deducting the $2.95 from my July bill.
ComEd should have pro-rated these amounts. Maybe we should all refuse to pay for what we did not receive.
Therese Matthies
Round Lake Beach