Seasonal electric rate increase.

[polarisrider1]

For those of you who have seasonal cabins up north and have Great Lakes Energy as your electric supplier please take a look at your bill.
They decided back in March to raise seasonal at service rates from $14 per month to $32 per month. This is the same as regular residentual at service rates. At first I was upset with this, but it is only fair. I use way less electric but the cost of the pole, meter, lines and tree trimming for my place is the same as the regular customers up there. So i view it as fair and I had a deal for the last 25 years from my elec. coop.

Now since Great Lakes is also co-opping with Alger Delta, Cherryland, Cloverland, Homeworks tri-county, Midwest Energy, Ontonagon, Presque Isle and the thumb electric cooperatives, expect them to follow suit if they have not already.
I am not complaining about the increase, but was shocked by the monthly bill going up by $20 when I average $7 worth of actual electric used per month. The at service and all the surcharges and taxes and misc. add on fees are 400% higher then the electric use itself.

So just trying to give you seasonals a heads up. and John if we catch up to what they charge in the Keweenaw I will be in the dark! lol

 

[chords]

I'll have to take a more closer look for changes to my Pres Isle cabin elect bill. I was not aware of any at seasonal service rate or even what it is. . Just pay every month for 45 years and I do read the COOP newsletter
I wish I got a seasonal tax break

 

[polarisrider1]

I'll have to take a more closer look for changes to my Pres Isle cabin elect bill. I was not aware of any at seasonal service rate or even what it is. . Just pay every month for 45 years and I do read the COOP newsletter
I wish I got a seasonal tax break

I called them (Great Lakes Energy) today and said it had nothing to do with my temporary power pole and temporary permit I pulled 25 years ago. They simply gave a discounted rate for seasonal meters over residentual meters. The res. folks got a little better rate then the seasonal. Now everyone is the same. Then I read the Co-op newsletter and it went into great detail. It does not say the above mentioned co-ops will do the same or how they bill, but they all are co-op's and listed in my newsletter as a co-op. I suspect they work together on this stuff since they buy power as a co-op. But again I could be wrong since they are individually run co-op's with each having their own board of directors. Point is watch for an increase and never a decrease when it comes to energy.

 

[ezra]

what would it cost u to get off the grid?
I have a bud in N MN who is working to that goal now.
he built a water turbine for the large creek for summer.
built a small windmill for all season and some solar for water heater
and some solar for battery charging
propane gen set.
overboard prob but he likes to tinker becoming more of a obsession for him.
we were talking about a small windmill for trailer may be a nice way to keep battery s charged when parked and camping . better than burning gas.
heck we can ez burn 5 gal a day charging battery's and running tv and what not if U could get that down to say 2 gal a day could be worth it

 

[cuzzinolaf]

So this should mean that an increase in the cost of a trail pass is also OK. Phew! At least we don't have to hear about that this winter.

 

[polarisrider1]

what would it cost u to get off the grid?
I have a bud in N MN who is working to that goal now.
he built a water turbine for the large creek for summer.
built a small windmill for all season and some solar for water heater
and some solar for battery charging
propane gen set.
overboard prob but he likes to tinker becoming more of a obsession for him.
we were talking about a small windmill for trailer may be a nice way to keep battery s charged when parked and camping . better than burning gas.
heck we can ez burn 5 gal a day charging battery's and running tv and what not if U could get that down to say 2 gal a day could be worth it

I looked into all of the above. no running water and DEQ would want an enviromental impact study done. Lake Association said no to the windmill idea due to the possible devaluation of surrounding properties due to noise. (I figured the whoop whoop noise would only remind me of my wannabie riding buddies). I can do an outside wood burner with boiler and solar stuff on the roof but would need to cut a bunch of trees down. Looks like naural gas is going around the lake soon. Gas everything, stove lights, heat, fridge, dryer not sure how a washing machine would run on gas or if there even is such a thing. for now I will pay the $42 a month electric bill.