New Solar Plant Opening north of Baldwin

[ChriswUfGator]

I agree.

I'm sure JEA is reluctant to enact the FIT model because of their current rate structure.  They are still one of the lowest priced electric utilities in the state.  Hopefully they will start to catch on and incentivise buisness owners versus trying to generate the power themselves using massive tracts of land and costly infrastructure.

I know they keep claiming that, but in reality it's not so. By the time you add in all of JEA's numerous fees, the fuel surcharges, etc., they wind up being higher than what we pay FP&L for the other house down south. Those claims rely on comparing one utility's base rates to another's, and in JEA's case this kind of comparison is completely meaningless since their fuel surcharges and various fees now account for a big chunk of each bill. I suspect if you compared the total amount of JEA customers' bills to other utilities, they are probably one of the highest in the state, not the lowest.

[ChriswUfGator]

Well naturally, but initiatives like that would cause JEA to lose revenue and control. Can't have that...

That's the beauty of having a publicly owned utility... we the people have a say in what they do and how they operate.

Well yes, I am aware that's how it's supposed to work. But that's not how it actually does work.

[Jason]

Compare my average monthly bill to your's.

1,350 sf house in Saint Augustine with a new highly effecient AC, modern construction, well insulated, 9 years old.  I pay about $170 a month to FPL.  Over $200 during a peak month.

[ChriswUfGator]

Compare my average monthly bill to your's.

1,350 sf house in Saint Augustine with a new highly effecient AC, modern construction, well insulated, 9 years old.  I pay about $170 a month to FPL.  Over $200 during a peak month.

You should feel real lucky you don't have JEA...

My smallish 2br pad in Riverside with 1 ac unit, no laundry equipment, and updated windows is normally $200-$300. During really hot months, it's $300+. All the neighbors in the building and most JEA customers you talk to have identical complaints with JEA, their billing is mind-boggling. I have a good friend with a 1-bedroom pad in Springfield with 1 ac unit, updated windows & insulation, and his bill is $300+ a month.

By comparison, my family's house in Daytona Beach is with FP&L and it's about 7k square feet, 6 a/c units, automatic lighting and pool filtration, detached poolhouse with a/c, air conditioned garages, laundry room, and the FP&L bill is usually <$400. The difference is that JEA tacks on a bunch of user fees, fuel surcharges, storm fees, they even pass along the COJ franchise fee! You name it they have a fee for it, and when it's finally tallied up a big chunk of your bill is nothing but B.S.

I get annoyed when people are always saying JEA has the lowest rates per KWH in the state, because that's a total scam. The base rate may be O.K., but after you add in all the extra crap they charge you they are, IMO, the most expensive major utility in the state that I've dealt with (and I've used almost all of them living in different places).

[ChriswUfGator]

And while I'm on the topic, let me also say I'm infuriated every time I read the news and they're disconnecting power to some 100-year old woman's house when she was late with her bill because she had been in the hospital. Then they demanded a $1k deposit to turn her power back on, plus a reconnection fee. A church finally raised the money for her.

There is one story or another like that about JEA pretty much constantly. They certainly don't work for us taxpayers.

[ChriswUfGator]

On my current electric bill, the amount is $214.54 for 1763 KWh, which equals a true effective rate of $.1217/KWh. JEA publicly discloses a base rate of $.03786/KWh. The true effective rate is nearly 400% higher than the "advertised" rate per KWh, when you add in all the fees and add-ons.

[Jason]

Well Chris, I'd say you have aducated me!  I'll shut my mouth about JEA's rates. 

Apparently a LOT has changes since I lived in Duval almost 7 years ago.  My bill was in the $90-$120 range for my 2 bed, 2 bath apartment off of Powers Ave.

[Doctor_K]

Also depends on how cold you keep your house in the summer months (i.e., March-December) too.

I've got a 3-story townhouse @ 2100+ sq ft and our JEA bill is hardly ever above $200.

[ChriswUfGator]

You got me there, I keep it at 70 all year. That certainly takes power when it's hot out. But still, I understand that when I crank my a/c down, I'm going to have to pay for that. I'm certainly not objecting to that. It just bugs me that if you look at the actual KWh used compared to other utility companies, JEA's rates aren't as low as they lead you to believe.

[Doctor_K]

Understood and agreed. 

One of the hardest things for me to adjust to was taking my usual 72 and bumping it up to 76-77 because the fiancee is so cold-natured.

(shrug) Not so bad now that I'm used to it.  But the higher thermostat setting certainly helps the usage (and the budget!).

[Dog Walker]

They also base their credit rate for those of us who are producing electricity for them on their artificially low base rate, not on the rate with all the fees.

[Dog Walker]

70 degrees!  Brrrrrr!  Chris, you need to lose more weight or take off more clothes!  

[MusicMan]

WE are the "Sunshine State" for God's sake. Florida should be one of the world leaders in the development and application of solar energy
in residential and commercial use. It has been said if every home in Florida had a 400sq foot solar array on their roofs we could cut the amount of coal, gas and other fuels burned to cool our homes in the summer by 30-40%. And don't forget, any power created but not used turns your meter backward, effectively paying you. Add it up over 20-30 years and the value would be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

[Dog Walker]

The building codes in the State of Hawaii now require a solar water heater on all new construction.

If all of the houses in Florida had solar water heaters on them, that alone would reduce our energy consumption by 20-30%.  Besides structural standards, our building codes already require water heaters, heat and air conditioners.  Should be no big deal to add another appliance.

[Doctor_K]

What about tankless water heaters?

Does anyone have one?  Do they work as well as they're advertised?  Is there a substantial savings on utilities with one in place?  

Can they be powered with/by rooftop solar panels?

(Kind of off-topic, I know... just curious...)