There is a pending energy issue looming just beyond the horizon that is going to become a major issue very soon. Electricity rates, natural gas costs and home heating oil prices increased massively due to Joe Biden energy policy. However, things are likely to get much worse in a few months.
On the issue of oil and gasoline prices, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has dropped 40% since Joe Biden began using it to offset massive global prices increases in oil. However, Biden is doing nothing to increase production and has not engaged energy producers in conversation to expand domestic production. Non pretending warning HERE.
Ultimately what this means is another wave of sicky price increases for gasoline are coming fast.
Additionally, Mark Wolfe, director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), is warning that continued pressure on natural gas supplies by exporting U.S. production to Europe is going to make our electricity rates go even higher as more than 40% of U.S. electricity generated comes from the use of natural gas. Wolfe wrote a letter in October to Energy Secretary Granholm [SEE HERE], and the situation is unfolding exactly as he warned.
Electricity rates have jumped massively in the past year, and it looks like they are going to continue to rise. The spring and summer of 2023 looks to deliver another round of higher oil prices, higher natural gas prices, higher electricity prices and higher gasoline prices. Which brings me to the question…
It is challenging to find solid data (without noise) on regional electricity, home heating and natural gas prices. However, Treehouse readers consistently provide the most accurate assessments of reality on the ground. You guys are the experts in checkbook economics. So, I ask you the question:
How much have your electricity, natural gas and/or home heating costs increased in the past year?
NE GA mountains (120 miles +/- NE of Atlanta Metro):
We buy a year’s worth of propane for home heating every fall. Fall 2021 price $2.49 / gal ….. Fall 2022 price $3.49 / gal …. Current retail spot price $3.84 / gal. Our supplier is Superior based in Rochester NY.
Electricity is wheeled to our local co-op from TVA. February 2021 price was $0.132 / kWh including taxes. February 2022 price was $0.132 / kWh (unchanged from 2021). Current price is $0.143 / kWh.
Glad I bought two tanks for the grill last year because hurricanes require grilling.
Here’s a sticker shock… Electric bill has doubled since 2021. Last month’s bill of December is now $992.00 – Indiana
😲
I have written about this many times here, but this is a good reminder.
President TRUMP actually brought down prices on all of the above. And he brought them so far down all of the energy companies had no choice other than to bring down their ongoing prices and give us refunds for overpayment.
We got our refund/credits in Jan/Feb 2019 for the overpaid year of 2018. It amounted to almost a 1 1/2 month free ride. Meaning it wiped out a full month’s bill and about half of the next month. And that is during a midwest winter.
Biden’s Corporate Tax Hike Will Raise Utility Bills
By John Kartch and Michael Mirsky
18 Mar 2021
https://www.atr.org/bidens-corporate-tax-hike-will-raise-utility-bills
FYI, this was very difficult to find again because the search engine only wants to take you to Delusional Joe’s Inflation Reduction Act boondoggle, which allegedly is supposed to save us money on electric bills.
Interesting, now historical link!
When I copied and pasted “Biden’s Corporate Tax Hike Will Raise Utility Bills” into a new tab on my browser bar, Presearch, My default search engine that works in the browser, came up with this: https://presearch.com/search?q=Biden%E2%80%99s+Corporate+Tax+Hike+Will+Raise+Utility+Bills+
https://www.atr.org/bidens-corporate-tax-hike-will-raise-utility-bills
was the first hit on the page (under 2 small link hits to ads)
Try it. You’ll like it. (it also has icons (clickable links) to the other top search engines that will take you to their pages with the search term already filled in if you don’t find what you need in the Presearch results..
Edit: I’m not an endorser. I simply like it the best out of all the search engines i’ve used over the years….except maybe for a few of the very old defunct engines in the pre Intel 486 pc days:)
I seldom find it biased one way or the other. If anything it’s a tiny bit right leaning, at least for the right leaning things I search:)
Change search engines, Google and many others are biased. Of the big ones, Microsoft’s Bing is fairest. Brave’s is better but Brave is niche.
And there’s more, THANKS to President TRUMP…
“1,233 examples of pay raises, new job creation, facility and product line expansions, special bonuses, utility rate reductions, 401(k) match increases and employee benefit increases attributed to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”
List of Tax Reform Good News
By John Kartch
3 Jan 2023
https://www.atr.org/list
Biden is fleecing the american people. We need President Trump……BADLY!
In the failed State of California, our gas bill has tripled, our electricity bill had doubled plus, even our water bill has gone up. Turned off everything we could, wear layers of clothes. Can’t even use our great gas stove fireplace, that might be gone for the duration. So, Thanks Joe, we are cold, missing most of our favorite foods, and mostly in the dark to save on our bills. I dread seeing the bills, been seeing the bill trackers, very scary stuff! Down with Gavin Gruesum too.
Had to do some research to answer this.
Last year January power bill (electric and gas, natural gas heat) the bill was $207
This year January power bill (same, electric plus natural gas) the bill is $345.
However, this past year the power company applied for a rate hike of 8% for home customers and was approved in November to take effect starting this January.
The math part comes in yes, the bill is higher, BUT, last year average Jan. temps were lows of 26 degrees, highs of 49.
This year, so far for January the lows are averaging 14 degrees and highs barely reaching 34 degrees, so the heater has been working a bit more this year.
Thankfully I live in Oregon where the only thing they got right in the past was hydro-electric power. If prices have gone up where I live it’s been so little I have yet to notice it.
I live in Oregon, too. If you haven’t seen it yet, you will.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=PGE+price+increase+2023&t=chromentp&atb=v318-1&ia=web
Southern California. Latest natural gas bill shows I used 17% LESS energy compared to the same time last year. But my bill was 70% HIGHER.
Interesting, same dynamic for me 3,000 miles away in MA
Heating oil up about 70% as of last summer. I have not noticed much increase in electricity cost .
On another note I would like to be added to any confidential info list that is password protected here with CTH group. I have been on site for over6 yrs and have donated well over a thousand dollars over time. I can be trusted. Please let me know how I can gain access to this trusted group.
Apparently you already have as we are seeing your comment. That I am aware of (and I’ve been here for 12 years), no password is required……yet.
Marxist city, El Paso, in far west Tx. Gas has only increased by $3.00 and the bill was $27 monthly. Only use gas for stove top.
Electricity has increased 30% but I think they are scamming the citizens. Power is derived from a nuclear power plant in Arizona and our grid is not connected to East, Tx. Don’t use electricity for heating. Only use for light, the oven, an occasional electric blanket and 2 heat lamps for pets.
Washington. Electric rates have stayed the same. Heating oil up 51% since Trump left office.
Denver- 70%. and that’s with part of my main level feeling like a meat locker. Argg!
…Overall with gas heating and electric.
I know what your meat locker feels like….. 🙂
I have only lived here a year, so my seasonal frame of reference is non-existent. There is also a hydro plant in my backyard, but most of FPL is from natural gas. I bought a freezer last January and kept it in the unconditioned laundry room. For 750, I had a vent added to the laundry room. My bill dropped $25 per month on a bill running about $125/month. It’s a thousand square feet. I put LED lighting in in January. I put bubble wrap on two some windows, need to do the slider and another south facing window. I use a towel in the dryer. These save me some money, but it is difficult to track the exact amount because these small savings occurred when there were small increases. I tried coming off of the always on lights, PC, etc. but was largely unsuccessful. My son said it is about a 25% yoy increase. My current bill is $110 and I am not looking forward to the summer increase. I reduced both heat and AC a few degrees already.
I drive very little, so although it is obviously going back up at the pump (50 cents) that is not my personal shocker. My biggest increase is groceries. Eggs are $5 and up, beef is double, chicken is almost as bad, but even fresh produce is giving me sticker shock every time I go both veggies and fruit. Then there’s the 1.25 store. Although, I am no longer faced with empty shelves. I am so glad I stocked my freezer when beef was half what it is now, but I need to do a refresh and that is going to cost.
Also, I have been growing lettuce and tomatoes and onions and garlic and some other herbs, so that has helped. There are however startup costs – soil and fertilizer – and things are not necessarily ripe when I run out, so I still buy some at the store.
I buy lettuce sets from Walmart, they and herbs used to be $3.xx and now they are $5.xx and some are even $8.xx. I bought two lemon grass plants and propagated them into a full line of lemon grass in front of my white rocks in front of my house. They are filling out nicely. Most bush/vine/bunching plants can be propagated into multiples – tomato, pepper, spices – lettuce/carrots not so much. I ate 3 bell peppers from my garden that I grew from store bought seeds. I have many more bell pepper seedlings. Peppers are very slow to germinate and reproduce (9 months), so if you can buy a plant, it is worth it. They can be propagated and they can be over wintered. I bought my hot peppers as plants and they have been so prolific, I will not be buying more.
If I had not been stocking up on most regular things during this time, especially food and over the counter medicines, I would be squeezed right now, instead I am saving money. My Zero water filters for a years supply are up 30 from 100. My Vital Proteins has kept my price for collagen/hyaluronic acid delivery the same all year. That stuff is pricey but worth every penny for my arthritic knees, forget all the other pluses. The current price for the same product through them is up 30%. My BJs fee doubled for the year, first year they increased it. I saved much more than that just buying gas there. They are also good for meats. Their produce is good but in quantities I can not use. There coffee prices are good but I have been stocked up for 2 years. Probably because that is what I started prepping with.
Sounds like you did a great job Lolly!
76.5%…I heat with wood….gasoline more than doubled since Trump was prez…. Great North Woods NH
Thank you Sundance. Missed the last feedback session on vax so wanted to be sure to respond here.
Piedmont NC region- a private community listserv of neighbors (we are a member) are reporting a doubling of costs for gas which we have also experienced.
Thanks for all you do!
past 6 years my avg utility bill for Jan was $148 jsut got my bill this year and it is $204
Both Comed Electricity and Nicor Gas bills for me have DOUBLED. I am a minimal user of both.
Thank God that I do not have TV (Got rid of that 15 years ago).
Also, I do not have “Smart/Connected Devices” at all.
There used to be Analog meters for electricity and gas where an employee came out to read the meters for billing purposes.
Now they are WIFI Smart Meters that emit EMF (electro magnetic frequency) which is unhealthy, and sweep every 15 seconds to read every “Connected device”. They know how much each device in each room is using at any time.
Big Brother is watching
Arizona as high as 45 to 50% its insane! people cannot afford it enough and its been cold as hell this winter!