Electricity demand sputters; bills may fall

Decline is a measure of recession's damage to U.S. economy

AP - updated 1 hour, 12 minutes ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Consumers and businesses may finally be seeing some relief from rising utility bills, thanks to the biggest decline in U.S. electricity demand in decades.

Prices on wholesale markets are expected to decline for the rest of 2009, according to the Energy Information Agency. While rates will probably begin edging up again in 2010, it will likely be less than half the 6.2 percent jump recorded last year.

For decades as Americans bought more electronics, more appliances, air conditioners and other gizmos, energy demand has only moved in one direction and prices have followed suit.

The decline in power usage over the past year is a rarity and also an indication of how badly the recession has jolted the economy and changed the way Americans spend.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32709382/ns/business-oil_and_energy/

Around here, if demand goes down, prices go up.

"The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department says water consumption is down almost 12 percent this year.

The Detroit Free Press reports Saturday that rates for the department's customers in southeast Michigan are expected to rise next year to help make up for the recent decline in revenue from lower use.

Officials say everything from wet, cooler weather to the weak economy is behind the drop in consumption. "

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-detroitwater-rate,0,242856.story

Gotta love that. People can't afford water, so they use less. So the city raises the rates to ensure they still collect the same amount.

with that said,

your state Public Utility commission,
will adjust prices, to keep
utilities in business

...due to the recession.

I sit in the dark most of the time and have my rarely used appliances plugged into power strips which I turn off when not in use (TV for Conan O'Brian, converter box, etc).

It is heartwarming that gas power is dropping in price (no doubt due to the warm winter we had last year and the warm one we're looking at this year). I once had a $600 gas bill when I lived in a house that was better at heating the outside than the inside (lots of gaps, little insulation, etc).