I would get excited about this except that what typically happens is that BPU makes these announcements but often forgets to mention that it will not apply to the level-pay customers. A vast majority of their customers are just that, so really...what's the big deal again??? Oh, yeah the level-pay customers are about to get the shaft...again.

I have been paying over $65.00 a month for this so called Recovery Fee. When I first moved to Kansas City Kansas 4 years ago my electric bill was never more than $95.00, now it's over $300.00 every single month and I wonder how on earth anyone can afford to keep their electric on in this city especially in light of my home being only 1800 square feet. I have been fortunate enough to be able to pay this bill to date, but the fact is my electric and gas bills are higher than my house payment per month and it's also one of the reasons that my family and I are now going to move out of Kansas City, Kansas to Florida. I do not think that the Government of Wyandotte County cares one bit about the people they serve, they care only about filling their pockets with our money. So no don't get excited about the decrease because they will make up for it by raising your property taxes or water bill or in some other form I can pretty much promise that.

Tammy, what happens when BPU increases fuel and energy recovery charge? Does your bill stay's the same...sounds like a good deal to me.

Timothy, Good god...if you are using over $300/mo on electricity, especially this summer was cool& mild, you need to invests in some new appliances. What are you doing? running in air conditioner with the windows open? My highest bill this summer was $170 for both Elec./Water/taxes/PILOT, my house is over 2600 sq feet.

I personally over time invested in my own time to insulate my walls/attic and upgraded my furnace all windows and doors and also added a c/a (without a rebate) and rarely see a bill over $150.00 during the summer months and wintertime.Some one needs to really update thier own house.

Skelator

Wow! I live in a neighborhood where we never see bills less than $300 per month. I thought it was just me, but I started talking to the neighbors and it's our whole neighborhood. We are in ALL electric homes and on heat pumps (which btw suck in the winter). I guess I shouldn't complain though, because I'm not getting a gas bill, so really except for the really hot hot months (which we didn't have this year)or really cold cold months my bill is about the same year around. I am just amazed at the difference in what we are charged opposed to other counties.

Over $300 for electricity?

Are you folks sure you're not just looking at the total bill and not subtracting the water and trash portion?

Oh no Roger, my total BPU bill is over $300, sometimes as high as $500. I do know that includes trash, water and electricity and some other crazy over the top taxes.

Customer's on level payment get their bill adjusted every year so you do see the increase. And I don't know about anyone else, but we usually end up paying more once they "average" out the usuage for the previous year. An electic bill over 300.00 is not unusual for a lot of customer's. It would be very nice to buy new aplliances, new window's, update the furnace and a/c, etc. but a lot of people don't have that kind of money. What about people that rent? We have a pre WW2 furnace and I would like to see get you get our landlord replace it. We have no central air so we use window unit's. Even so, a lot of the neighbor's I have talked to did have electic bills over 300.00. Not counting water, trash etc. Do you know how much money the employee's of the BPU make? I do, and it is a lot. Some of them also had electric bills over 300.00. So yes, they do get that high.

Maybe I'm just lucky...

I have a very old furnace, but it's gas, so that has nothing to do with BPU.

My house is over 100 years old and I think the highes BPU bill I've ever had was $350 or so, and I used a great deal of water on my lawn that month.

Granted, I use a lot of fans rather than turning down the AC in the spring and summer, but still... I feel bad for you folks that have a $350 electric bill, especially in the winter.

How can you not afford to invest in making your home energy efficient? With those kind of bills it would pay for itself in a couple of years. Are you trying to do something about your consumption or just complaining about it. I hate to tell you but the price of electricity is not going to get cheaper.

Jackson, when you rent you don't have the option to change some of these things, and I don't know what kind of job you have or how much income you have per month, but a lot of us don't have a lot of money and are doing good to make it from paycheck to paycheck. It has nothing to do with not working, it has to do with pay cuts, no raises to keep our job, and having one main income because of a disabled spouse or being single rather you are a parent or not . It is not easy to change jobs especially as you get older. We all know electricty isn't going to get cheaper, neither is anything else. That's just it, prices are going up, but wages are going down. I am glad you can afford to do everything you can to keep your utililies low, and we are doing the best we can too. Maybe you can offer up some of your money to help a lot of those people that can't upgrade anything. I am not talking about myself, but look around you. You will find someone you can help. There are plenty of poor people that are doing the best they can. It isn't their fault they don't live in the most updated economical houses, duplexes, or apartments. We are all doing the best we can. I don't know about some people, but we have done everything we can to lower our bills. Mine was never 300.00, but I know a lot of people's who were.

Yes I have done things to lower consumption. We go around everyday before we leave and unplug everything that doesn't "have" to be plugged in, turn off all lights and we usually sit in the dark to watch TV, so that we aren't wasting electricity. We also watch what we throw in the wash to cut back on water consumption. I do live in rental property, but we have pretty good windows and we make sure we cover anywhere that feels it has a draft. I am fully aware that things will not get cheaper and I am trying to teach my kids now that less is better. Thanks for all of your input.