Did you know that a private company has a monopoly over your utility bill?  They are able to shut off your power, charge you whatever rates they want, and they aren’t currently even required to pay you if your solar panels produce more energy than your home uses.   Is this even legal? 

In 2007, San Diego Gas and Electric was blamed for 3 wildfires because of “shoddy maintenance” and agreed to pay out almost $15 million.  The fires destroyed 1,300 homes. Because of the payout, SDGE was forced to purchase $950 million of insurance coverage at a cost of $11 million this year.

SDGE’s parent company, Sempra Energy requested a 7% rate increase to cover the cost of the increased insurance to San Diego homeowners, even though Sempra just announced their 2nd quarter earnings of $222 million.  This just shows the greed of Sempra Energy.  They care more about their shareholders than their customers.

This increase does not take into account the price of current fuel costs, which are really cheap right now.  Natural gas is shipped in from overseas and accounts for a large portion of energy generation.  What will happen when natural gas prices increases?  Energy rates for San Diegans will go through the roof.

Sempra Energy recently set in motion a plan for a large wind farm in Montana, but SDGE won’t even get the energy directly from this farm.  The wind energy will mostly go to Canadians and residents of Montana.  SDGE will gain mostly from Renewable Energy Credits that will help them reach their goals of a certain portion of energy generated from alternative energy sources.  Shouldn’t these renewable energy projects be generated in San Diego?

I am here to tell you that you actually do have a choice!  You can continue to pay your utility company, or you can invest in a solar panel installation.  If your solar installation creates your own electricity for your home, you can liberate yourself from the private utility company.  Their rate increases will never effect you.  Solar panels are an amazing investment. 

To circumvent solar customers from ever seeing rate increases, it is important that they get set up on a net metering agreement so that they can offset the energy that they use with the solar power that they generate.  Those who are smart enough to invest in solar panels will hedge against future rate increases, because they are creating their own solar energy on top of their homes.

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