If there is one issue in the electric industry that gets more attention than all of the others it is the electric rates we all pay. Any electric rate increase will certainly be followed with a collective groan from ratepayers, myself included. Nobody likes to see their utility bill increase, but as rates inevitably go up, we should ask are my electric rates still a good value?
This month’s Working for Nebraska campaign highlights what a great value electricity is in our everyday lives. The campaign notes how far $3.45 cents (a day’s worth of electricity) will go when purchasing electricity. As our actor (NREA’s own Wayne Price-RE Magazine Editor, FYI) sips his $4 cup of coffee, it was clear to me that we have lost some perspective on the importance of electricity in our everyday lives and how much we get for less than four dollars each day.
When it comes to the electricity that we depend on, $3.45 can do a lot. Whether it is the .50 cents a day I spend on lighting, or the .04 cents per day I spend to recharge my cell phone, this video certainly got me to better think about and appreciate what a bargain electricity truly is for us all.
Considering the importance of electricity to our daily activities and the absolute necessity it has become in our high-tech society, if we were to sit down and assign a value to it, I suspect most of us would agree that it ranks higher than a daily cup of coffee or a drive thru hamburger. If you haven’t already, give it some thought. When you do, I suspect we will reach the same conclusion. When it comes to the electric rates we pay and the value electricity provides, public power is doing a pretty good job for all of us.
