Spokane7
50°
March 23, 2010 in Business, City
System upgrades behind rate-hike requests, Avista says
Avista Utilities is seeking to raise the price of electricity and natural gas for its customers in both Washington and Idaho.
The requested rate hike would add $10.62 to the average Eastern Washington homeowner’s monthly electric bill and another $4 a month for natural gas, according to Avista.
In Idaho the request would add $11.40 to the average homeowner’s electric bill and $2.77 a month for natural gas.
The Spokane-based utility signaled earlier this year that its rates need to rise. Executives said the extra money is needed to pay for improvements to the company’s dams, transmission systems and network of neighborhood distribution lines, along with locking in new long-term contracts with outside electricity providers to meet the needs of a growing population.
The company filed its requests with regulators in both states Tuesday. Specifically, Avista seeks a 13.4 percent rate hike for electricity and 6 percent for natural gas in Washington, and a 13.1 percent electric rate increase and 4.1 percent increase for natural gas in Idaho.
If the requests are approved, Avista would collect an extra $63.8 million in revenues from Washington ratepayers. In Idaho, Avista would collect an extra $34.7 million.
Scott Morris, Avista’s chairman and chief executive, acknowledged the sting higher rates would have on residents at a time of double-digit unemployment and a struggling economy. He said in a news release that the company has conservation programs designed to help lower energy usage along with financial assistance in paying bills.
Kelly Norwood, Avista’s vice president who oversees state and federal regulations for the utility, said the company also has taken measures to trim costs.
“We know the economy is tight,” he said in an interview, noting that Avista has a hiring freeze in place and has shelved plans for a new office building, opting instead to remodel and occupy a building in Spokane Valley. “We’re in a situation where people have said to us `Tighten your belt,’ and we have.”
However, Avista also reiterated its position that ratepayers must shoulder much of the significant costs — up to $200 million annually — of upgrading and preserving assets such as replacing 50-year-old equipment at the Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids dams.
These projects, Norwood said, provide Avista customers with some of the cheapest electricity in the country.
This new filing includes paying for electricity generated by the Lancaster power plant, which burns natural gas, along with replacing a handful of cheap power contracts set to expire.
Rate cases typically take 11 months to be decided by Washington regulators and seven months by Idaho.
Last year Avista reported profits of $87.1 million – an 18 percent gain over the $73.6 million in profits recorded in 2008.
Executives have credited the strong performance, in part, on the company’s ability to recover its costs of upgrading the electrical system.
Parishes giving $1.5 million toward settling sex cases 
empyrius on March 23 at 1:53 p.m.
“Socialize” Avista and the BPA immediately!
Rivers of this earth are the embodiment of common property, and virtually all dams were built with taxpayer money: this electricity is ours!
deacon46 on March 23 at 2:07 p.m.
Take it out of your profits not out of our pockets. The earlier rate reduction was a teaser to get us to think this is fair. How about reducing some salaries and do some cost reductions first to show us that you are not just using this as an easy means to pay your execs more.
joshter4 on March 23 at 2:19 p.m.
Once again we as taxpayers get a swift kick from Avista with no say so about what they do. Of course if we did this would not be happening. An additional 14.62 a month they are taking from our pockets. If you live on a fixed income should you cut your food bill back another 14.62 every month and stand in the lines of food banks more often or start using lanterns and go without heat so you can survive. I sure hope the 14.62 rate hike gives them the raise or bonus they need and when they come to shut everyones power off that can not afford the increase of already sky rocketing bills I sure hope they dont lose any sleep over it. Fat chance of that happening. Some people are more fortunate than others and have a comfortable income , if you do then just try for one moment and put your selves in our shoes. A lot of us are already struggling with more than a full plate.
Albert on March 23 at 2:32 p.m.
May I provide you with a recent quote from the SR pertaining to the year ending 2009: “Meanwhile, Avista reported an 18 percent gain in net income last year. The company earned $87.1 million last year, compared to 2008’s earnings of $73.6 million. For the fourth quarter of 2009, Avista reported $22.1 million in earnings, compared to $17.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2008.”
Business worldwide is in a massive decline and Avista is returning an increase in earnings - big time. William is correct and the FACTS prove his statements to be true. Why must we put up with Avista and their pillaging of the citizens of Spokane? Can’t we see some competition please???? This absolutely reeks of selfish greed at the hands of the captive market, i.e. “me”, my neighbors, and friends who are BROKE. Time to put a stop to this - not kidding.
gotcha on March 23 at 2:41 p.m.
How many people are making 13% more this year????? Sorry Avista, No Can Do…….
west on March 23 at 2:46 p.m.
You notice lately all the Avista web PR ads in the SR, and local TV stations ? All quick links to make you feel good, warm and fuzzy…then they hit ya over the head!
Loudin on March 23 at 2:51 p.m.
If you don’t like this 13% rate increase, call the Congressional offices of McMorris-Rodgers: Avista is one of her “big-3” campaign contributors. Of course, that puts you Wingnuts in a spot, eh? I mean, she’s a rubber stamp for your 1920’s view of the world (ie, health care reform). But then she’s in bed with the company that is getting ready to bend you over. Does that make your head hurt, Tommy Teabagger?
Dan_at_Avista on March 23 at 3:14 p.m.
I really do understand the frustration shown in the posts above (for the most part). Raise your hand if you really want to pay more for energy. I don’t. The truth is there’s nothing sinister going on with this request and nobody around here is happy that we have to do it.
But the fact remains, that these requests are necessary to continue to provide you with the energy you depend on. I’m not going to rattle off all the reasons for these requests, but you can listen to our podcast if you’d like to get all the facts. Listen here: http://www.avistautilities.com/community/blog/archive/2010/03/23/032310_podcast.aspx
We’ll continue to talk about these requests on the Avista Blog over the next 7 to 11 months while the regulatory commissions review them, and in the end, set your rates.
-Dan
spokelooneh on March 23 at 3:16 p.m.
Figured as much, after seeing all their “We’re really good guys!” advertising lately.
No, Dan, I don’t want to listen to some marketing podcast, what I want to know is, if these increases are granted, how much more revenue over a year’s time will Avista “earn”?
misjustice on March 23 at 3:30 p.m.
Hey, where’s the AG Rob McKenna when we really need him???
How does AVISTA expect us to pay for their obscene profits? Many of us struggle to pay the current rates, let alone higher rates.
Thanks, Albert, for the flash back…how about AVISTA forgoing an increase in rates and paying for the alleged “improvements” with a little of their profits? That’s how I run my business…
I gotta go, I’m going to call Rob McKenna and ask for his help on this; since he cares so much about the citizens of this state I’m certain that he’ll take the call!
LMFAO! ; )
Not_woriking on March 23 at 3:32 p.m.
Drive by Avista’s parking lot. No hoopties in there.
Reduce Avista employees pay.
Dan_at_Avista on March 23 at 3:43 p.m.
spokelooneh,
I can always count on you to ask the pointed questions. You can find the answer here: http://avistacorp.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1024
Will we “earn” more if we charge more? There are a lot factors that go into that, but I suspect we would, but the real question is what do we do with that money? Yes, some of it goes to investors because we’re an investor-owned utility and it’s one of the ways we raise the funds we need to invest in the system that serves you. But making that return isn’t the sole reason for requesting a rate increase. If you want to know why we’re filing, visit us here: http://www.avistautilities.com/community/blog/default.aspx
deacon46 on March 23 at 3:44 p.m.
Dan, with all due respect, we as taxpayers will get to pay your salary for another year and no doubt the profits will climb. Your money has bought the best politicians and the fanciest pod casts of the facts but the truth is not for sale. Enjoy our tax payer money.
misjustice on March 23 at 3:44 p.m.
What’s a hooptie, notworking?
misjustice on March 23 at 3:57 p.m.
Dan at Avista,,,not “buying” it. I feel sorry for you. Does Avista pay you to be their pimp? Or is it just something that you do in your spare time for fun?
Just curious…
Still not buying it…
LMFAO! ; )
Dan_at_Avista on March 23 at 4:07 p.m.
William,
you do not pay any taxes to Avista. We’re a private (publically-traded) company, not the government. In fact Avista is one of the largest taxpayers in the communities we serve given the amount of infrastructure we have to serve our customers. For example, we have nearly 275,000 poles in our system. Some of those poles are 60-70 years old – which is why we need to replace them.
Misjustice,
I do work for Avista, in the communications department. I host our blog and answer questions online, amongst other duties involving customer and employee communications. You can find out who I am here: http://twitter.com/Dan_at_Avista
GValley on March 23 at 4:08 p.m.
Well, I certainly don’t want to pay more…but I also have look to myself to find ways to reduce my electrical/gas usage.
How many big screen tv’s do I have? How many cell phones, chargers, computers/laptops do I have that are plugged in, and a hot tub…all these little energy thieves…are they necessary…do I need three flat screen TV’s? Am I turning off my lights? Is my water heater set to the right temperature? What about my gas fireplace…it’s nice for a visual, but does it really add to the overall warmth of my house? And air conditioning…do I really need air conditioning. Why? for 1, maybe 10 days out of a year? What’s different today than when I was a kid - my parents certainly didn’t have it and we survived.
Maybe, if we weren’t such a technologically advanced society, and we really lived like our parents did, we wouldn’t be so dependent on electricity and gas.
Just my two cents…
Scoutster on March 23 at 4:11 p.m.
Dan..
I”m curious as to how much Avista has paid out to politicians in the last 3 election cycles and who that money went to.
I mean direct campaign contributions, of course, not the brown paper bag or corporate junket payoffs, just the election money.
johnclarke on March 23 at 4:15 p.m.
Hello Dan_at_Avista;
Thanks for your posts. I’m wondering if you would be so kind as to post the compensation packages for the top 20 executives at Avista? Total compensation please. This is most likely listed in your 10k. Another request - please post the median compensation for all employees, non executives. Also, just out of curiosity - when the CEO fly on business - does he by chance use a private aircraft? Thanks very much, have a good day.
GonzagaLaw08 on March 23 at 4:29 p.m.
With all due respect to Avista and their PR man, Dan, this is ridiculous. My wife and I pay an average of $100+ per month for Avista electricity in our APARTMENT…I can’t imagine the kind of bills the rest of you have to pay. Is it time for Spokane to switch things over to a PUD?
crader72 on March 23 at 4:32 p.m.
Dan the spin man, I am not surprised that they claim they need money, but pay a guy to spin the comment boards. Will you be turning up on facebook, twitter and craigslist too? How much does the PR department cost them every year? Maybe some savings there, because I really can’t see how much goodwill they will really earn the company with already high and increasing profits and large executive compensations and then hitting up everybody for a 13 percent hike too. Some crooks wear hoodies and others wear three-piece-suits.
misjustice on March 23 at 4:34 p.m.
Thanks, Dan Dan the Answer Man…
Another quick question, what’s a hooptie?
GonzagaLaw08 on March 23 at 4:35 p.m.
GValley - Have fun not charging your cell phone, selling your HD tv(s), not being able to charge your laptop, and only using AC for 1 day per summer, all for the sake of saving you the extra dollars Avista is squeezing of us. Your point may be valid, but nowhere near realistic. Now if the Avista execs and employees could do all of that and set an example…
flutieflakes on March 23 at 4:42 p.m.
So is any of this going to go to a smart grid system or is it to just ensure Avista’s ever-increasing dividends?
Diana on March 23 at 4:46 p.m.
Hey, Dan, what’s your CEO’s pay package again?
west on March 23 at 5:16 p.m.
Well, Avista looks at it like this, Spokane is ranked very low as to the cost of electricity as compared to the rest of the US. So…if the folks back east can pay 33-50% more for electricity than Spokane does.. so can Spokane……this is the methodgy. Capitalism at its finest…just like food..ya gotta have it.
Orange on March 23 at 5:22 p.m.
RATES HIKES, AGAIN!!!??? Man I wish this was Grant County PUD. It’s so unfair, it should be illegal.
cowboy on March 23 at 7:01 p.m.
Dan, didn’t Avista get a large sum of money from the stimulus package to update their grid? Are these improvement that we now must pay for with the increase over and above that update?
To all you Obama lovers out there if you think 13% is a big hike just wait for the cap and trade bill to get shoved through like the health reform bill. Once that cap and trade bill is law we will be dreaming of the days when we complained about 13%.
Imagine being forced to buy over priced health insurance and paying out a grand a month to heat your home. Let freedom ring!
Not_woriking on March 23 at 7:03 p.m.
A hooptie is an old beater car. You know something from the 70’s with bailing wire holding the doors on.
Dan from Avista must be the sphincter control exec. I concur lets see the pay/compensation of the top 20 lackeys. Just how many chair clowns do they have in the nice big building?
deacon46 on March 23 at 7:51 p.m.
Dan,
I understand my taxes don’t go directly to avista. My point is that we pay enough and you folks get enough from all the hand outs you get from the state and feds. Which is my money. Avista pays taxes and buys politicians and pays huge salaries. If the Grid needs repairs of this magnitude it would seem to me that there is more than a little mismanagement going on.
Dan, I must say you are the company man. Learned your lines very well. You are just the sort of person we as customers and tax payers need to deal with. Salute the avista flag, Dan !
Mr_Bloggy on March 23 at 8:28 p.m.
Now, now, go easy on Dan. If he actually took a second from planning his next Mexico vacation or asking his wife what color interior she wants on their new 40 foot boat, he might visualize some elderly grandmother with daily arthritis pain he can only imagine, shuffling slowly in her cold little post war home on the north side of Spokane to prepare a can of liver alpo for her dinner, her hands blue from poor circulation and cold, and that would totally bum him out, man.
LOL.
He wouldn’t give a crap. Who am I kidding?
D Statler on March 23 at 8:35 p.m.
The UTC is funded by AVISTA and other large utilities and companys.This is the same UTC that will render a decision on the rate increase AVISTA just requested.I filed a complaint against AVISTA and the UTC with the attourneys general office.Needless to say,I never even received a response from Mr. McKennas office. MsJustice, please don’t hold your breath on help from the AG’s office. He is buisy grandstanding the healthcare reform our government just passed for us.Please remember how Rob McKenna is handling things when standing in front of the ballot box.Our votes are our only answer to these greedy corporate pigs and their umbillical cords to public officials.A forced PUD or local CO-OP in Spokane is a great idea.AVISTA is not too big to fail !
empyrius on March 23 at 8:49 p.m.
Wow! Dan “the man” immodestly, proudly even, shoveling the corporate talking points! What does Scripture say, “serve Mammon rather than God” . . .
Time to storm the Bastille folks, b/c that energy is ours!
We can do our own “maintenance” thank you!
johnclarke on March 23 at 9:04 p.m.
I can help out Dan_at_Avista…how about 2.2 million a year for the CEO?
http://people.forbes.com/profile/scott-l-morris/9094
Whenever you can get to the rest of those salary numbers, I’d sure appreciate it.
BTW, how much did you guys lose on Avista Communications? How much did Greg Green walk away with?
Dan_at_Avista on March 23 at 9:07 p.m.
A few folks have requested to know what salary Avista employees make. Releasing this information would violate many privacy laws, obviously – but as a publically traded company we are mandated to release the compensation packages of certain executive officers, which you can find here: http://investor.avistacorp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=97267&p=irol-reportsAnnual
It’s easy to mentally link executive pay to profits and the rates you pay, but consider this – the salary and incentives of all company officers account for one-half penny of every dollar you pay in rates. If each officer worked for free, the cost difference would be rather small. And that scenario just isn’t realistic.
A couple people asked about smart grid and stimulus funds. The stimulus funds were matching funds. The company fronts half, to receive half. The details of our smart grid projects are still being finalized and I’m not really an expert in this area, but I’ll update the blog when more info is available.
So why am I on this discussion forum? Why has Avista asked someone to talk with customers here? It’s because without any context, simply saying that Avista is requesting another rate increase doesn’t make any sense. Of course no one wants to pay more, but it’s easy to be blinded by the numbers and ignore the reasons why. You can find the reasons why, including power supply costs, infrastructure upgrades and other mandates at www.avistautilities.com/blog.
If anyone wants to talk specifics at any time, e-mail the Avista Blog at conversation@avistautilities.com I promise to answer directly and promptly.
misjustice on March 23 at 10:12 p.m.
Thanks notworiking for the definition…no, I have never seen a hooptie in Avista’s parking lot.
How do you sleep with yourself, Dan, Dan the Answer man?
So corporate mouth pieces are now monitoring blogs in order to try and sway public comments? I think that sickens me more than the rate hike.
What new low will Avista sink to next? Oh, don’t answer me Dan, Dan the Corporate Answer man, that was a rhetorical question.
LMFAO! ; )
misjustice on March 23 at 10:21 p.m.
Johnclarke, thanks for the link to Forbes…amazing income info for all top execs at Avista in the right hand bar. Just click on the name and you’ll get total compensation packages…sickening.
I’m still waiting for AG McKenna to call me back on this…
LMFAO! ; )
Censored on March 23 at 10:23 p.m.
Dan @ Avista. please be frank with the people whom fail to read the backs of their bill. Let them know there is a way to protest the rate increase by contacting the WUTC at the following link.
http://www.wutc.wa.gov/
The WUTC will let you all know that unless enough people file a complaint to the increase they WILL PASS IT. So, start reading all the ink on the paper and do your part other than cry and VOICE your concern to the proper entity that will prohibit the increase.
Dan please be sure to explain your pdcast is paid by the utility user and you are a company whore as well.
What I and many other would expect to see is honesty and the full link to the consumer form to fight the increase.
Scoutster on March 23 at 10:32 p.m.
So, Avista is PROUD to be able to say: “We pay for infrastructure out of current rate payers to maximize profits!”
Once again this is not about us, the consumers, it is all about providing the biggest quarterly profits possible to the shareholders.
It’s not personal, its business.
This is what corporations do and there is nothing evil in it. But it is up to us, the people, to coop this energy (sucked out of publicly owned infrastructure) and get the profit motive out of it.
Profit for a monopoly for an essential service will NEVER favor the consumer. It’s how the business model is designed.
JusticeForAll on March 24 at 7:42 a.m.
Ahhh, the vocal progressive minority up in arms using typical libtard logic to stoke the flames of hatred. It’s hard not to notice a trend in who posts what on different articles. The UTC sets rates; they answer to the populace. You may want to do a bit of research before you begin making physical threats online (which, by the way, is a jailable offense. I hope TJ gets a good public defender.)
SugarShane on March 24 at 8:57 a.m.
Justice, TJ didnt say he was going to do anything but let them know how he feels, but hey, you know, bad stuff happens. He could fall down some steps or get in front of a moving bus or sumthin.
cowboy on March 24 at 9:13 a.m.
The best way to battle high prices is to stop buying the item. This year dont run your AC all day and night. Turn off your computers when you are done with them. Get the kids into family games instead of sitting in front of the TV 8 hours a day. I lived at 66 degrees all winter and cut my heating bill by a 3rd. The winter of 2009 i used oil filled space heaters to heat the cold areas of my home, I did away with them this year and saved 50% on my electric bill.
I am going to buy a generator that runs on propane, that way two or three days a week I can run off the generator and heat with propane from a tank in my yard. This way i can control the costs.
If they cant make money because we refuse to pay the price they will have to lower costs.
johnclarke on March 24 at 9:15 a.m.
TJ, your comments are out of line and disturbing to say the least. Dan does not have to answer questions, and should not have to put up with threats, veiled or otherwise. If you can’t be civil, please stop.
Dan, I apologize. I appreciate the links to Avista’s proxy.
addyh on March 24 at 9:24 a.m.
I just took down a handful of comments that I thought crossed the line. Please re-read the guidelines, folks - don’t post comments that are obscene, defamatory, threatening, off-topic, etc.
Addy Hatch, city editor
eagleproducer on March 24 at 9:52 a.m.
Again, I”m extremely puzzled ( and a little sickened) how a snowflake, falling on public lands high in the CDA National Forest turns into a drop when melting, which join other drops to form trickles, who join other trickles to make a stream, which join other streams to become rivers, gets turned into hundreds of millions of dollars of private profit?
I’ll bet Dan Dan the Answer Man has a nice canned reply for that one!
The energy sector should have been nationalized a long time ago. Unfortunately, the sway of corporate powers like Avista have tabled such notions for decades under the guise that competition provides incentives for economization.
Blah, blah, blah… The W.U.T.C. will rubber stamp this increase, like they ALWAYS do!
I’m going to find the remaining, un-dammed rivers in the West, have the government build me a few dams with hydro-electric plants and hire the best Bluetooth experts I can find so that electricity no longer needs a greedy grid but can be distributed and used wirelessly. Anyone else want on the gravy train?
D Statler on March 24 at 10:41 a.m.
Hi Addy! It would be best to remove the posts in question and let everyone start over.Dan the AVISTA man has alot of guts stepping into the lions den.We all need to remember that the WUTC is the enemy here. They are directly responsible for what AVISTA charges.They seem nice to talk to in person.The problem is the leaders of the WUTC are paid with funds collected from utilities and transportation companies.They forgot everything we talked about at the top of Snoqualmie pass on the way home.At the last WUTC meeting in the Spokane Valley,The AG’s office was present also.They are very aware of the conflict of interest in the WUTC office and have yet to do anything about it.I filed a complaint months ago with no response.Please remember this when standing in front of the ballot box.AVISTA’s ceos are just taking everything they can get for the money they contribute to campaigns. I would suggest that all AVISTA’s officers make some very public and generous contributions to visible charities. Kinda like giving a spoon full of sugar with bad medicine to help it go down easier.AVISTA is a very vibrant and healthy company.It is good to see them successful.There is however the question of being a good neighbor.Hard to like a neighbor when he is drinking all the water out of the canteen before it gets passed to the next guy.Corporate greed in America is running rampant.Eventually, the rich will notice that the working class needs to be healthy to keep supporting the rich’s lifestyles.There truely is enough water in the American canteen for everyone :^)
misjustice on March 24 at 1:25 p.m.
I’ve done a little research on the top earners at Avista…I’m sure that Dan, Dan the Corporate Answer Man can correct or udate these figures as some were from 2008; and I could not find an actual comp total for Christy Burmeister-Smith but I did find her SCC filing showing that she holds > 17,370 shares of Avista stock and purchased 1,300 shares in Feb 2010…you do the math.
Scott Morris > 2,221,905 which includes stock
David Meyer >519,930 which includes stock
Marian Durkin >719,542 which includes stock
Malyn Malquist>693,171 which includes stock
Roger Woodworth>248,739 which includes stock
Karen Feltes >694,036 which includes stock
Please correct, Dan, as I am sure your figures are more current/accurate…awaiting your reply…
LMFAO! ; )
Dan_at_Avista on March 24 at 2:02 p.m.
misjustice,
See my previous reply with a link to our 2009 proxy, which includes the most current information you seek. I’m curious about obvious your concern with what other people make in compensation. Is the feeling that the rates you pay are at their current/or proposed levels because of what our exectives make? That just doesn’t make any sense to me. Like I noted previously, the salary and incentives of officers makes up 1/2 cent for every dollar you pay in rates. Its not a rate driver, while the costs to provide you energy are what is driving rates.
Seems like this concern is with the pay of any top-level executive anywhere, not just Avista, right? What do you propose as an alternative?
And as a side note - defending my bosses pay, isn’t why I’m out here, but we should be clear about what’s driving rates, and its not their pay. You can find all the factors here: http://www.avistainfo.com/Home/RatesInAction.aspx
misjustice on March 24 at 3:19 p.m.
Well the compensation for your corporate execs isn’t pulled out of thin air, Dan, Dan the Corporate Answer Man. The money that they “earn” has to have a source, has to come from somewhere. And it comes from US, the ratepayers.
You can spin it anyway you want…I don’t believe that corporate greed has nothing to do with rate hikes. And I don’t care if it makes sense to you or not. You are being paid to monitor this site, take our dollars, take our hollers!
And I pulled all info relating to compensation from public sites, such as the SCC and Forbes; who’s figures I would tend to believe are accurate even if some of the income data is only current to 2008. I won’t be linking to any of Avista’s propoganda, but thanks for making the link available. ; )
You’re doin’ a heck of a job, Dan!
LMFAO! ; )
misjustice on March 24 at 4:19 p.m.
Oops! I meant to state that I obtained stock information from the SEC not the SCC as previously stated.
Interesting, public information on stock options, purchases and sales made by corporate officers (and others) in publicly traded companies.
Sorry for any confusion.
And as to Dan, Dan the Corporate Answer Man’s question about WHY there is such interest in what top earners at Avista make; it is the timeless struggle between the have and have mores’ versus the don’t haves. Especially since the have and the have mores’ tend to get what they have from the don’t haves, ie. through continued rate hikes, fees, and other ways that they devise to squeeze everything that they can from us.
At some point the don’t haves won’t have any more to give, and I am afraid that many are at that point. Are you?
momof2colbert on March 24 at 4:49 p.m.
Wow, People on here are nuts… Dan is just doing his job. I am sure he is educated and works very hard for the money that he makes, just like all of you. He pays to heat his house just like you do. He is providing a service, he is answering the tough questions that you all have.
Question for you MisJustice- do you like having hot water and power? When your power is out is it restored in a timely fashion? I know that mine is and if Avista doesn’t fix the stuff that is broken you will not have fast service and your lights turned back on. In the early 2000’s a big mac meal was like $2.99 now its almost $6.00. The cost of things go up, do you yell at McDonald’s for raising their prices? Probably not.
Maybe you should step back and reevaluate. You seem very angry. But Dan is not the person to be angry with he is just a person like you and me.
misjustice on March 24 at 5:22 p.m.
Dear Mom:
I am not YELLING, oops… unlock caps…I am posting relevant and timely information in response to the article that starts this thread. Maybe you should reread all posts, I have not blamed Dan for anything. I understand that he has chosen to take a job that at times is difficult, but he has chosen to put himself out there and is monitoring a public blog where citizens that are impacted by the corporation that he works for are venting their frustration over YET (oops, now I’m yelling) another rate increase.
I am a small business owner and I can not just keep jacking up the cost of my services, if I did I would be out of business. There is such a thing as charging only what the market will bear, and that applies to Avista also. But since they hold a monopoly in this area, and we don’t have an alternative business to chose to buy energy from then the usual laws of business do not apply to them. Get it, Mom, Avista is a protected monopoly!
So you can cheerfully send in more money to Avista, that is your right. But I can also voice my dissent, as that is my right also. And I can ask pointy questions from Dan, Dan the Corporate Answer Man…he’s a big boy that put himself out there by monitoring public commentary. He doesn’t need a MOM to defend him or attack others that voice their disapproval.
Love,
MisJustice
D Statler on March 28 at 5:10 p.m.
I wish that everyone who posts here would file a complaint with the Attourney Generals office against the WUTC.Please mention the fact that the WUTC is funded by utilities and they should be investigated for their rulings in favor there of. The agreement to give a 10% rate of return without regard to performance is unjust to say the least.Allowing a tiered billing schedule is wrong and should be illegal also. We should pay the same for all the energy we use as buisness and residential consumers.The one size fits all rate would be alot more fair.Please remember that AVISTA will take all that the WUTC will give them.Maybe after AVISTA gets turned down cold a few times.They will sharpen their pencils and be more realistic in their requests.Our complaints to the WUTC and the Attourney Generals office are our only hope short of a PUD takeover.