Prepaid electricity vouchers

Switching to prepaid electricity—is this about exercising absolute control over our consumption patterns, or is it just a move by the utility companies to protect themselves against unpaid bills? And why on earth are they rolling this out right before the next rate hike?

That’s essentially paying in advance. I am not entirely certain if they will still require a flat monthly fee of $6.75 after this change takes effect. It could be a beneficial move for owners of vacation homes that sit vacant during the winter months.

I fail to see why they never implemented a similar structure for landline services

Kevin Gonzalez79 said:That’s essentially paying in advance. I am not entirely certain if they will still require a flat monthly fee of $6.75 after this change takes effect. It could be a beneficial move for owners of vacation homes that sit vacant during the winter months.

I fail to see why they never implemented a similar structure for landline services

The real question now is whether these vouchers will have an expiration date, much like how prepaid minutes work with major US mobile carriers.

As long as there’s money in the account, the lights stay on.

Just some nonsense I saw over on CNN.

So what happens when your balance hits zero? Does your barber stop showing up too?🤣

People are going to stockpile enough cash to ensure they aren't sitting in the dark, which honestly doesn't change the math at all. Right now, we're already paying our utility bills by the 15th for the current month. It's a cycle.

And you really have to consider that reality...

silvercrane38 said:The real question now is whether these vouchers will have an expiration date, much like how prepaid minutes work with major US mobile carriers.

Honestly, even if they only last a few months, you just pay the $17 and spend it whenever you actually arrive.

Once they actually start billing based on what we use—without tacking on all those extra fees—I might consider switching to prepaid.

With Pacific Gas and Electric, even if you go down to the service counter just to report your meter reading so the bill is accurate, they hit you with a $20 or $10 service fee. Then you get a slip to take to the bank or a CVS.

So, a trip to an Exelon office costs you at least $6.75, and when you look at the yearly total, they basically eat up about $80 of your budget.

If they’d just simplify the billing and stop charging for nonsense, I’d be all for prepaid meters for certain households.

In principle, I think the concept holds water, but it really makes me wonder about the mechanics once you actually hit that threshold—does the whole system just trip a breaker like a built-in limiter?🤷🤷🤷

This is nothing short of a blatant shakedown... an absolute slap in the face.
I can already see where this is heading—utility rates are going to skyrocket by at least 100% once they implement this "revised billing structure" nonsense and other similar bureaucratic garbage.
Essentially, we’ll all just be paying a premium for even less power than we have now.

briskdrifter3 said:This is nothing short of a blatant shakedown... an absolute slap in the face.
I can already see where this is heading—utility rates are going to skyrocket by at least 100% once they implement this "revised billing structure" nonsense and other similar bureaucratic garbage.
Essentially, we’ll all just be paying a premium for even less power than we have now.

The rate won't go up—the electricity will! Rates fluctuate, they aren't "expensive" or "cheap." The core of this system is that you "use what you pre-paid" via voucher. Almost every news outlet is reporting that you pay for what you consume. That's what I have now. So, consumption plus a flat fee equals the bill. With these new meters, you prepay, and the meter runs until the credit is gone. The kWh will definitely be pricier since they’ll bake the flat fee right into the price. Some people might benefit, but looking at the news, most Americans don't even understand how this works. Everyone thinks they're just paying for usage, but the reality is quite different: you're limited to whatever amount you've already put down.

Henry Gonzalez67 said:The rate won't go up—the electricity will! Rates fluctuate, they aren't "expensive" or "cheap." The core of this system is that you "use what you pre-paid" via voucher. Almost every news outlet is reporting that you pay for what you consume. That's what I have now. So, consumption plus a flat fee equals the bill. With these new meters, you prepay, and the meter runs until the credit is gone. The kWh will definitely be pricier since they’ll bake the flat fee right into the price. Some people might benefit, but looking at the news, most Americans don't even understand how this works. Everyone thinks they're just paying for usage, but the reality is quite different: you're limited to whatever amount you've already put down.

and those corporate monopolies are basically going to be the ones calling all the shots on how much we spend.
wrapped up real pretty, isn't it?😁

Charles Lopez3 said:and those corporate monopolies are basically going to be the ones calling all the shots on how much we spend.
wrapped up real pretty, isn't it?😁

Consumption should be determined by simply paying a set amount upfront. It's just like a cell phone plan. If you don't pay, you don't get service. Some people will prefer this method of electricity usage and billing, while others won't. Everyone would choose the most cost-effective option based on their own needs.

If I recall correctly, those kinds of meters have been around forever... they were basically designed for summer homes or people who constantly blow their fuses. I don't really get why they're suddenly digging up this old pricing structure that never actually gained any real traction.

Here’s the specific section from their website:
http://www.exxonmobil.com/customers/tariffs.aspx

Do you rent out residential or commercial properties?

How can you dodge the risk of getting stuck with the electricity bill left behind by a tenant who moved out?
The fix for your headache might be picking the Orange tariff model. Basically, if you go with this model, the power usage won't be billed to you as the property owner; instead, it gets paid directly at the meter using a prepaid (card-based) meter. The Orange tariff features a unique electricity rate of $0.31/kWh (pre-tax) and doesn't include a fixed monthly fee. Just keep in mind, if you decide to roll with this Tariff model, you'll need to have the right meter installed at your location.

driftingtinker said:If I recall correctly, those kinds of meters have been around forever... they were basically designed for summer homes or people who constantly blow their fuses. I don't really get why they're suddenly digging up this old pricing structure that never actually gained any real traction.

Here’s the specific section from their website:
http://www.exxonmobil.com/customers/tariffs.aspx

Do you rent out residential or commercial properties?

How can you dodge the risk of getting stuck with the electricity bill left behind by a tenant who moved out?
The fix for your headache might be picking the Orange tariff model. Basically, if you go with this model, the power usage won't be billed to you as the property owner; instead, it gets paid directly at the meter using a prepaid (card-based) meter. The Orange tariff features a unique electricity rate of $0.31/kWh (pre-tax) and doesn't include a fixed monthly fee. Just keep in mind, if you decide to roll with this Tariff model, you'll need to have the right meter installed at your location.

Well, maybe it finally will gain some traction now.🙂

2008.

The reality is that energy and food will never be as cheap as they were yesterday. That is something America needs to figure out how to address—the President emphasized.