Surcharges on Illinois Electric Bills Pisses Off Consumers

Utility providers that own and control the electric poles and wires in Illinois are pushing for a new surcharge that will come on everyone’s electric bill.

No one likes surcharges and when you lock in at a "fixed electric rate" you intend to be charged that rate and nothing more.

Now thousands of electricity customers in the Com-Ed and Ameren electric utility areas will soon have to pay $3 - $5 as an extra surcharge on top of the electric rate they pay.

For a small electric service customer in Illinois they may only use 700 kilowatt hours of electricity. When less than 1,000 kWh there is usually a meter fee assessed by most Illinois electricity suppliers of $5 - $15.

When you add the additional $5 to the high of $15 on a meter fee you get $20 extra dollars an Illinois electricity consumer pays on top of their advertised rate they agreed to.

If you are anything like me surcharges, hidden fees, meter fees, and anything even close to this type of thing really chaps my hide.

I see all charges at the gas pump when I go to fill up my tank and so I know what I am paying for even if I don’t like it.

The Illinois electricity companies want to tack on a $5 improvement of the electric grid fee before it has even been improved and I get to be their bank.

I say no thank you, go use our tax dollars effectively and take out a loan for this project and maybe think about reversing the global warming CO2 legislation that Europe has already reversed because of it crippling on their own economy.

last time modified: Sept. 14, 2011, 5:39 p.m.