Whenever they have a spike in demand, the de-regulated prices go up by several hundred percent. Example

  • Pasta Dental@sh.itjust.works
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    4 months ago

    The article and comments here make me very happy to live in Quebec where the electricity is 0,067CAD per kWh for the first 40, then after it is 0,103CAD per kWh, and most of the time, that electricity is 100% renewable. In Québec we have many problems but the electricity is one big point to be proud of as a nation

      • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
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        4 months ago

        If you want to talk about taxes, include cost of your healthcare. Because that’s included in our taxes.

        Fun fact, America pays as much per capita for healthcare through taxes as Canadians, but that only gets you Medicare and Medicaid. Americans sure get angry about a lot of things, but I never see them get angry about that.

      • Pasta Dental@sh.itjust.works
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        4 months ago

        The last bracket which starts at 235k is about 58% (but there are many ways to put money aside to lower your income bracket). But don’t lose our hair worrying if we will have to file for bankruptcy to get basic healthcare. In Montreal we have a top 10 world university that costs less than 1000$ per semester for citizens. We also don’t have to worry about people carrying guns around. But go on I guess

  • Curious Canid@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    Energy pricing in Texas is managed for the benefit of the utilities, not their customers. Some of the people on non-fixed plans who got charged insane amounts just went bankrupt.

    Texas is a nearly perfect example of how the Republicans think everything should work.

    • sartalon@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Close but not correct.

      It’s an established marketplace, where legislated “middlemen” buy from the utilities and then sell to the consumer.

      You can’t actually buy directly from the utility generating the power without going through the marketplace.

      It is sold as a “free market” that would drive competition and keep prices down. In actuality, it just allows leaches, who don’t actually produce anything, to sit in the middle and suck money out of the economy.

      Sure some of them will lose money, while others will make a billion, but the system works just fine as a regulated controlled monopoly.

      Texas is a perfect example of Republican hypocrisy. The Governor, Lt Governor, State AG, etc… are quite literally the worst kind of politicians.

      I seriously dislike Sheila Jackson Lee, but I feel bad about her situation.

      I would laugh if that wheel chaired, piece of shit rolled off a cliff.

      I would laugh if Dan Patrick caught on fire.

      On second thought, I might use Ken Paxton to put out the fire, by that I mean, push him onto Dan, hoping he would catch on fire too.

      Shit, that went a lot darker than I intended.

      • trolololol@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Oh right I see here the old fallacy that economic agents have a full thorough understanding of all the choices and make fully rational decisions based on all the facts that exist, because why would you have facts not accessible to everyone?

  • BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    Most residents aren’t on these types of plans. The ones that are turn shit off, or pay through the nose.

    • TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Generally the ones that are on those plans are the most vulnerable. I’ve got a fixed TXU plan. The up front cost of being on it was a couple of hundred bucks because I had bad credit at the time. The pay as you go variable rate places don’t have that up front cost and when it’s not peak times they’re significantly cheaper.

      Unfortunately they don’t always let people know in time when the rates spike. So these vulnerable people don’t even realize they should be turning shit off or they’re not home to do it or it’s a heat wave/ice storm where they could just fucking die if they turn off climate control.

      It’s been a fucking mess down here in Houston. My electricity came up pretty quickly and I was able to head west and grab a hotel for a night so I didn’t get heat stroke. I’m lucky. I was able to come back and eat the brisket I smoked before Beryl came through (I’m a stereotype, sue me). But there are people who still don’t have electricity in this fucking weather and there are others who have to decide between their fridge and their AC.

      I’m drunk, bitter, and pissed off tonight. So I’m gonna ramble.

  • Triasha@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Most of us don’t pay the market price hour to hour. Our electricity provider absorbs the risk of price spikes and raises our rates if the math stops working for them.

    Griddy was a provider that sells at the market rate, which is usually below the general price you would pay, but you take the risk of price spikes during peak demand.