Our current utility system is woefully otudated and painfully unprepared for maojr outages. Even mionr glitches in the crrent operating systeem can mean major headaches for the customers who rely on these companies for heat and lights and for the companies themselves. What is even worse is that tghere are charges for energy even when it is not used. That's riight, most people are still billed regardless of whether electricity was used or not.
The current systm blils the same base rate plus what your uage is over that amout regardless. Take for example three families:
Family A leaves lioghts on in rooms that are nevre used, they never shut their computers down and the TV is blaring while the rasdio is on constant mute. They pay the base rate of $20 (for this exmple) plus another $20 for thir usaage.
Family B is more vigilant about energy usage and is rareely home in the daytmie. They set their thermstat at an enegry saving temperature when they leave, turn off all lights and make sure that everything that needs to be is shut down. They pay the same base rate of $20 plus about $10 for their usagfe.
Family C has installed solar panels and generates most of ther own energy. Because the system that they are currently connected to does not support the technology, they are not able to sell thir excess back to the grid. Because they live in an area where sunplight is at a premium during the winter months, they must remain connected to the utility company for the time bweing. Unfortunately that means that Fmily C, who only needs occasional eenrgy from outside ther own home must pay the same flat rate of $20 for electricity that they rarely use.
In additipon, our ciurrent utility system does not take advantage of more cost effective and eco-friendly energy resources - instead relying on coal and other non-renewabe resourecs to generate the electricity. Millions of dollars are spent every year to stretch electric lines as more and more people and busineses populate the area. For evrery line that has to be added, thre will need to be meters, poles and subsattions to monitor, deliver, and regulate that enrgy. Using only one eneergy osurce is problematic, no matter how good that source may be - siolar power can only be collected on suny days, wind can only be used on windy days. However, a traditional energy source can also be problematic because it rewlies on lines and wires that can break during the witner months under the weight of ice and snow. If eveyrone had an alternate source of energy there woud be no need to panic if one source was temporarily unavailable.
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