RESULTS TOGETHER WITH ERIK VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 5 GETTING RESULTS.
>> MATT: IN OUR CONTINUING
LOOK AT HOW THE WEATHER IS
IMPACTING CENTRAL FLORIDA
FORECASTING CHANGE SOME DUKE
ENERGY CUSTOMERS GOT A PRETTY
BIG SHOCK WHEN THEY OPEN THEIR
JANUARY ELECTRIC BILL. THE
UTILITY BEGAN REQUIRING
CUSTOMERS SPEND AT LEAST $30 A
MONTH IF THEY DIDN’T. THEY
WERE CHARGED MONEY TO MAKE UP
THE DIFFERENCE. NEWS 6
INVESTIGATOR ERIK SANDOVAL
FOUND OUT THAT IS MAKING A LOT
OF CUSTOMERS ANGRY.
>> QUITE A FEW GUYS. THESE
CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY CALLED OUR
NEWSROOM TRYING TO FIND OUT
WHAT WAS GOING ON. NOW, THIS
IS CALLED A MINIMUM BILL. DUKE
SAYS ABOUT $30 A MONTH.
FLORIDA POWER LIGHT JUST
APPROVED A SIMILAR MEASURE. 25
$1 MINIMUM BILL PER MONTH.
THERE WE FOUND OUT THIS COMES
AS THE LEGISLATURE IS LOOKING
AT GREEN LIGHTING THIS FOR ALL
UTILITIES. SO HOW MANY PANELS
YOU HAVE UP TO 27 SCOTT
WEINSTEIN SAYS THE SOLAR
PANELS INSTALLED ON HIS WINTER
GARDEN HOME GIVEN THE POWER TO
SELL SOME OF THE ELECTRICITY
HE GENERATES BACK TO DUKE
ENERGY.
>> THAT HAS DROPPED HIS
MONTHLY ELECTRIC BILL FROM
$127 TO $23. SO WHEN HE OPENED
HIS DUKE ENERGY BILL AND SAW
HE HAD AN ADDED CHARGE OF $17,
I IMMEDIATELY CALLED DUKE
ENERGY INTO WHAT IS THIS? AND
THEY SAID, OH, THIS IS A NEW
FEE THAT WE PUT ON.
>> AND I SAID, ARE YOU KIDDING
ME? AND THEY SAID NORTH. SO
WHEN DID THIS COME FROM? MY
NEIGHBOR CALLED ME AND SAID,
DID YOU SEE THIS CHARGE? BILL
HACKETT ALSO HAS SOLAR ON HIS
HOME AND SELL SOME OF HIS
POWER BACK, MAKING HIS MONTHLY
BILL AROUND $12 A MONTH.
>> MATT: IN JANUARY, HIS BILL
WAS ALSO ADJUSTED TO $30. WHAT
DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU SAW
THAT CHARGE? I DIDN’T THINK I
GOT MAD. JUST MIKE, WHY WE
ASKED DUKE ENERGY. WHY THEY
SAID THIS MINIMUM BILL OF $30
HELPS MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY
IS PAYING FOR THE UPKEEP OF
THE ELECTRICAL GRID, WHICH
THEY SAY EVERYBODY IS STILL
USING. AS FOR CLAIMS THEY’RE
TARGETING SOLAR CUSTOMERS.
THEY SAID ONLY A SMALL PORTION
OF SOLAR CUSTOMERS ARE
IMPACTED.
>> THE LARGER PORTION THEY SAY
IS MADE UP OF A VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING
SEASONAL CUSTOMERS AND
CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE MULTIPLE
PROPERTIES. IS THIS SOMETHING
YOU’RE SEEING ACROSS THE
NATION?
>> IT’S DEFINITELY SOMETHING
I’M SEEING SUGGESTED IN MANY
PLACES. UC BERKELEY ECONOMICS,
PROFESSOR SEVERIN BORENSTEIN
SPECIALIZES IN THE ENERGY
SECTOR.
>> MATT: HE SAYS HIS RESEARCH
SHOWS THESE MINIMUM BILLS
DON’T GENERATE THAT MUCH
MONEY. THE PROBLEM IS.
>> IF YOU INSTITUTE A MINIMUM
BILL AT THE LEVELS, THEY TALK
ABOUT. THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT.
25 $35 A MONTH. IT HAS SO
LITTLE A FACT. THERE ARE SO
FEW CUSTOMERS WHO ARE BELOW
THAT LEVEL THAT IT REALLY
DOESN’T MAY RAISE REVENUE AT
ALL.
>> THE NEW MINIMUM BILLS COME
AS LAWMAKERS IN TALLAHASSEE
CONSIDER CHANGING RULES ON
SOLAR ELECTRICITY SENATE BILL
10. 24 AND HOUSE BILL 7.41.
WOULD END WHAT IS CALLED NET
METERING AND PREVENT SOLAR
CUSTOMERS FROM SELLING THEIR
EXCESS POWER BACK TO UTILITY
COMPANIES AT RETAIL PRICES.
THAT COULD MEAN HIGHER BILLS.
WEINSTEIN AGREES.
>> AND NOW WE ACTUALLY TALKING
TO FRIENDS WHO WERE SO AND NOW
THEY’RE ROLLING BACK. THEY SAY
WHY SHOULD WE? THEY’RE AFRAID
OF WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WHY SHOULD WE? THEY’RE AFRAID
OF WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. get an additional $750 >> AGAIN, FLORIDA POWER AND
LIGHT APPROVED THEIR $25
MINIMUM BILL AS WELL. BUT DUKE
IS ACTUALLY QUICK TO POINT OUT
THAT ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF
SOLAR CUSTOMERS ARE IMPACTED
BY THESE MINIMUM BILLS. THEIR
WORDS STILL, IF THESE PIECES
OF LEGISLATION THAT WE JUST
TALKED ABOUT ARE APPROVED IN
TALLAHASSEE, ALL UTILITIES
COULD SOON IMPLEMENT THESE
MINIMUM BILLS. IN ADDITION TO
THE MONTHLY CHARGES THAT THEY
ALREADY HAVE. SO LIKE DUKE HAS
A $12 MONTHLY CHARGE. THEY’RE
GOING TO TACK ON ANOTHER
CHARGE TO BRING YOU UP TO JUST
SEEMS SO COUNTERPRODUCTIVE
FROM WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO GO
HERE. THIS ALMOST SEEMS LIKE
AN ATTACK ON SOLAR ENERGY. IS
THAT WHAT IT IS? AN ATTACK ON
SOLAR IN THE SUNSHINE STATE?
IRONICALLY, AND THAT IS WHAT
SOME CUSTOMERS ARE TELLING US.
THEY SAY THAT THEY WANTED TO
SAVE MONEY. THEY ALSO WANTED
TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT BY
GOING SOLAR. NOW WITH THESE
MINIMUM BILLS AND THE
POSSIBILITY OF SOLAR USERS NOT
BEING ABLE TO SELL THEIR POWER
AT A HIGHER RATE.
>> THIS REALLY COULD DETER A
LOT OF PEOPLE. AND IT’S ALL TO
MAKE SURE THE POWER COMPANIES
KEEP GETTING THOSE CHECKS. I
DIDN’T SAY THAT.