1 Andrea Pizano
From: Serge Bonte < >
Sent: Friday, March 4, 2022 6:14 PM
To: Andrea Pizano
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: re: 3/9/22 Board Meeting; Agenda Item 1f AND re: SVCE Communication about Rate Increase
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Hello Andrea:
I am writing to share the following comment with the SVCE Board.
Like many (all?) SVCE customers, I received an email communication about the rate changes that went into effect on March 1, 2022. I found that communication very deceiving and on par with practices regularly seen from Cable or Phone companies. While the email did mention a rate increase "While electric rates are increasing...", it didn't make any attempt at quantifying it. It did share the new average bill figures but didn't provide the one in effect prior to March 1,2022. Worse, the email tried to whitewash a sizable rate increase by bragging that SVCE rates would *remain* 1% cheaper than PG&E's.
I went back to the recording and materials of the February meeting where you adopted that rate increase. Nowhere could I find any quantification of the rate increase for your customers.
I am glad that the staff report for Agenda Item 1f at long last starts to provide some actual numbers:
"Residential electricity rates (in total, including generation, transmission and distribution, and other fees) are increasing by 13-15% effective March 1, 2022"
And while you still don't quantify the impact on an average bill, you at least mention the impact on CARE/FERA customers: "As of March, the average monthly electric bill for an SVCE CARE/FERA customer will be $90, up from $77 in 2021."
While the increase might be financially justified, I am really disappointed with your lack of focus on the $$ cost impact on your customers during your deliberations and through your communication. A customer serving organization like yours, shouldn't try to hide bad news, it should share/explain them with full transparency (including the mitigation you're offering to CARE/FERA customers -for one year only-).
As to the increase itself, it comes at a very inopportune time. The conflict in Ukraine shows how urgently we need to move away from fossil fuels, keeping electricity rates stable and low is critical to that move.
Sincerely,
Serge Bonte
Mountain View CA 94040