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Some Long Island Power Authority customers are charged up after they received their normal electric bill despite spending weeks without power due to Hurricane Sandy.

The New York Post reported that Long Island residents received an estimated rate that covered the entire billing cycle, and the statements made no mention of potential refunds to account for the prolonged blackouts.




'I guess they had power, so they could print my bills. Nice, right?'

- Jonathan Saporta, Long Island resident


"I can't get LIPA to acknowledge my existence on earth to talk to me about anything," Jonathan Saporta told the paper after getting hit with $649 for a home he left in October and $281 bill for his new place. "But I guess they had power, so they could print my bills. Nice, right?"

The paper reported that LIPA did not return phone calls seeking comment.

To be sure, the utility was widely criticized for its hurricane response and preparedness.

LIPA said in its defense that the storm was worse than anyone could have imagined and that it didn't just damage outdoor electrical lines; it caused flooding that touched home and business breaker boxes. LIPA also acknowledged that an outdated computer system for keeping customers notified has added to people's frustration.

But some say the government-run utility should have seen it coming. It was recently criticized in a withering state report for lax preparation ahead of last year's Hurricane Irene and for the 25-year-old computer system used to pinpoint outages and update customers.

At its peak, Sandy knocked out power to 8.5 million customers in 10 states, with New York and New Jersey bearing the brunt.

The paper reported that Con Ed, the utility that lights up Manhattan, wants to refund its city customers who lost power $3 and customers from the outer boroughs $6. Those figures represent a portion of customers’ fixed monthly bills, which exclude power usage, the report said.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/24/lo ... z2DD3bPPAw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

dbackjon wrote:You think PG#E would do any better? They have a sordid history.


Z -where do you get your power from?

Grizalltheway wrote:

dbackjon wrote:You think PG#E would do any better? They have a sordid history.


Z -where do you get your power from?

Hamsters. He don't need no government run electricity.

SuperHornet wrote:Yup. The city-owned utility in Lodi charges little old ladies on fixed incomes $400/mo and jacks up the rates on EVERYONE to cover budget shortfalls in other areas. It's freaking disgusting, but we have NO competition in town. Many of us want PG&E, but the city won't allow it....

FWIW, I'm a miser and won't touch the wall-unit A/C (which has bit the dust anyway) unless it's REALLY hot during the summer and don't bother with the crazy old fashioned baseboard heaters (so old I'm afraid they'll short, and there are no instructions, anyway), yet I STILL get slammed with $100 or more in a 1BR/1BA apartment no matter what I do. It's STUPID!!!

dbackjon wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote: Hamsters. He don't need no government run electricity.

Hamsters are so 20th Century. Z uses illegals.

dbackjon wrote:You think PG#E would do any better? They have a sordid history.


Z -where do you get your power from?

AZGrizFan wrote:

dbackjon wrote:You think PG#E would do any better? They have a sordid history.


Z -where do you get your power from?

APS.

dbackjon wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
APS.

So you pay higher rates, and get crappier service than from SRP

HI54UNI wrote:This has nothing to do with the fact that it is a govt run utility. The problem is that it is a govt run utility in NY. Some history/facts on LIPA:

It was a private utility that started construction of a nuclear power plant but then the state and others made it impossible for them to complete and use it. So they built a power plant and never used it to generate power. The state of NY ended up buying out the private utility and took over management. Because of this LIPA rates are among the highest in the country and they don't want to raise rates more so they can make improvements to the system.

LIPA doesn't have its own lineworkers. They are contractors.

The LIPA board is appointed by the governor and/or leaders of the NY legislature. It has become a "job" to reward friends. 8 of the 10 members have political connections to Albany. Only one board member has any utility background.

NY Gov. Cuomo has failed to fill the 5 vacancies on the LIPA board yet he is out criticizing and has started a special investigation.

They have had an "interim" CEO for 2 years.


They started all fucked up and will be all fucked up as long as the state of NY runs it.

AZGrizFan wrote:

HI54UNI wrote:This has nothing to do with the fact that it is a govt run utility. The problem is that it is a govt run utility in NY. Some history/facts on LIPA:

It was a private utility that started construction of a nuclear power plant but then the state and others made it impossible for them to complete and use it. So they built a power plant and never used it to generate power. The state of NY ended up buying out the private utility and took over management. Because of this LIPA rates are among the highest in the country and they don't want to raise rates more so they can make improvements to the system.

LIPA doesn't have its own lineworkers. They are contractors.

The LIPA board is appointed by the governor and/or leaders of the NY legislature. It has become a "job" to reward friends. 8 of the 10 members have political connections to Albany. Only one board member has any utility background.

NY Gov. Cuomo has failed to fill the 5 vacancies on the LIPA board yet he is out criticizing and has started a special investigation.

They have had an "interim" CEO for 2 years.


They started all fucked up and will be all fucked up as long as the state of NY runs it.

I see. Incompetence and cronyism only occurs in New York. I wasn't aware of that.

Grizalltheway wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
I see. Incompetence and cronyism only occurs in New York. I wasn't aware of that.

And in your fucked up version of reality, it only happens in the public sector.

AZGrizFan wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:
And in your fucked up version of reality, it only happens in the public sector.

Show me where I've said that. I never said it ONLY happens in the public sector. But I can guarantee you that it ALWAYS happens in the public sector.

HI54UNI wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
Show me where I've said that. I never said it ONLY happens in the public sector. But I can guarantee you that it ALWAYS happens in the public sector.

I can show you a group of municipal utilities in Iowa where it doesn't happen. I work with 13 of them, two of them go back and forth for the lowest rates in Iowa. Current leader is 5.4 cents per kwh. 3 cents cheaper than the lowest investor owned utility in the state, 8 cents cheaper than the highest investor owned and most of the coops. Their entire electric distribution system is no older than 10 years and it is all underground.

SDHornet wrote:

dbackjon wrote:
Hamsters are so 20th Century. Z uses illegals.

My gas and electric bill is rarely over $40/month here. Of course being in SoCal there is never a need to use AC or heat.