Comments on: Gulf Power Requests Customer Surcharge To Pay For Hurricane Michael Recovery http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery Local News for Molino, Bratt, McDavid, Century, Walnut Hill, Cantonment Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:39:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rufus Lowgun http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382483 Rufus Lowgun Sat, 09 Feb 2019 02:05:33 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382483 How can you live in Florida and be against this? It could be us next time. It was us in 2004 when Ivan rolled through. Do you all not remember? Or did you live somewhere else then? How can you live in Florida and be against this? It could be us next time. It was us in 2004 when Ivan rolled through. Do you all not remember? Or did you live somewhere else then?

]]> By: FLGirl31 http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382476 FLGirl31 Sat, 09 Feb 2019 00:21:57 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382476 @Line Wife. You are correct, linemen work their tail off, but I guarantee you the 342 million is not going to them. GP has made billions since Ivan, and got millions in surcharges then. Why are utilities not responsible for carrying insurance to cover damages like this? Small businesses and corporations must carry the loss and insurance costs. We pay VERY high rates for utilities in this area. We have no competition, they keep jacking the rates to pay for upgrades to their equipment. That is the cost of doing business, that should be their burden, not an added surcharge to consumers bills. They expect us to budget for their shortfall, but they don’t plan for this situation. If they only saved 40 million out of the 50 million they collected in 2004, and now they say it is 342 million??? There is something majorly wrong with this picture. The surcharge is so their shareholders don’t take a hit for damages that consumers are required to carry insurance for. Why are they different? Why is the utility company not responsible for their loss and piss poor planning? @Line Wife. You are correct, linemen work their tail off, but I guarantee you the 342 million is not going to them. GP has made billions since Ivan, and got millions in surcharges then. Why are utilities not responsible for carrying insurance to cover damages like this? Small businesses and corporations must carry the loss and insurance costs. We pay VERY high rates for utilities in this area. We have no competition, they keep jacking the rates to pay for upgrades to their equipment. That is the cost of doing business, that should be their burden, not an added surcharge to consumers bills. They expect us to budget for their shortfall, but they don’t plan for this situation. If they only saved 40 million out of the 50 million they collected in 2004, and now they say it is 342 million??? There is something majorly wrong with this picture. The surcharge is so their shareholders don’t take a hit for damages that consumers are required to carry insurance for. Why are they different? Why is the utility company not responsible for their loss and piss poor planning?

]]> By: Did I Read http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382459 Did I Read Fri, 08 Feb 2019 19:24:25 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382459 Did I read, when Gov. Scott left office, he had 300 million in cash out or stock in the Next step, (gulf power) ? I could be wrong . Did I read, when Gov. Scott left office, he had 300 million in cash out or stock in the Next step, (gulf power) ? I could be wrong .

]]> By: nod http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382445 nod Fri, 08 Feb 2019 16:22:27 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382445 told you when they supposedly gave us a rate cut to watch out, they would get us back in short order. they always do. if they had to compete they would be out of business/ told you when they supposedly gave us a rate cut to watch out, they would get us back in short order. they always do. if they had to compete they would be out of business/

]]> By: Devil’s advocate http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382438 Devil’s advocate Fri, 08 Feb 2019 14:12:21 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382438 I keep reading a lot of complaints and whining over this in the comments. It’s $8 per 1000 kilowatt hours a month, “The proposed increase would translate to about $8 a month for a residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours a month of electricity”. How about let’s be a little more efficient, turn off stuff not being used and set HVAC at reasonable, recommended settings by GP to save costs. Just a few degrees difference will greatly affect ones usage. Many want to dislike, trash talk, and hate on GP when the power systems are up and running; then on the other hand when one is without power and they get one going again then GP is the “hero” and being thanked. If that approximate $8 per 1000 kilowatt hours is going to break you; how about eat out less by 1 time a month. I’m not saying I’m excited about the fee but it is what it is and complaining isn’t going to fix the problem. I keep reading a lot of complaints and whining over this in the comments. It’s $8 per 1000 kilowatt hours a month, “The proposed increase would translate to about $8 a month for a residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours a month of electricity”. How about let’s be a little more efficient, turn off stuff not being used and set HVAC at reasonable, recommended settings by GP to save costs. Just a few degrees difference will greatly affect ones usage. Many want to dislike, trash talk, and hate on GP when the power systems are up and running; then on the other hand when one is without power and they get one going again then GP is the “hero” and being thanked. If that approximate $8 per 1000 kilowatt hours is going to break you; how about eat out less by 1 time a month. I’m not saying I’m excited about the fee but it is what it is and complaining isn’t going to fix the problem.

]]> By: Line wife http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382435 Line wife Fri, 08 Feb 2019 14:00:12 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382435 Bill: "When you calculate what we pay the union employees to do about a hour of work in a 12 hour work day." Let me share something with you. My husband was there for 2 weeks working 16+ hrs a day. There was no 'lunch breaks' he had a sandwich and bag of chips and kept on working. He would get off about 8 at night, eat another small unfilling meal, go shower in their shower trailer shower (very unclean), then go to their bunk trailer. (It looks like a semi trailer with fold down bunk beds.) He was absolutely exhausted, and hungry. So ya know what he worked his butt off for 2 straight weeks away from his family and a 2 yr old son who didnt understand why daddy wasn't home and when he would be back. Some men were out there way more than 2 weeks or made several trips down there to help. Yeah the lineman made some money working down there but it was hard, hot, nasty, and sometimes unsafe work. They earned every penny of it! So if your gonna complain about a rate hike to cover a necessary fix/replacement of poles/upgrade to the system, then you need to get your butt out there and fix it yourself (let me know how that works out), use solar panels, or do without. The linemen work hard every single day keeping our power on and try to give us the best quality and fast response during storms as possible. I can PROMISE you that they dont do 1 hr of work in a 12 hr 'union' day. They are the unrecognized first responders and most people don't see all the hard work they put in or how much they are away from their family. So, until you know for a fact what your talking about it's best you don't say anything. Bill: “When you calculate what we pay the union employees to do about a hour of work in a 12 hour work day.”
Let me share something with you. My husband was there for 2 weeks working 16+ hrs a day. There was no ‘lunch breaks’ he had a sandwich and bag of chips and kept on working. He would get off about 8 at night, eat another small unfilling meal, go shower in their shower trailer shower (very unclean), then go to their bunk trailer. (It looks like a semi trailer with fold down bunk beds.) He was absolutely exhausted, and hungry. So ya know what he worked his butt off for 2 straight weeks away from his family and a 2 yr old son who didnt understand why daddy wasn’t home and when he would be back. Some men were out there way more than 2 weeks or made several trips down there to help. Yeah the lineman made some money working down there but it was hard, hot, nasty, and sometimes unsafe work. They earned every penny of it! So if your gonna complain about a rate hike to cover a necessary fix/replacement of poles/upgrade to the system, then you need to get your butt out there and fix it yourself (let me know how that works out), use solar panels, or do without. The linemen work hard every single day keeping our power on and try to give us the best quality and fast response during storms as possible. I can PROMISE you that they dont do 1 hr of work in a 12 hr ‘union’ day. They are the unrecognized first responders and most people don’t see all the hard work they put in or how much they are away from their family. So, until you know for a fact what your talking about it’s best you don’t say anything.

]]> By: FLGirl31 http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382430 FLGirl31 Fri, 08 Feb 2019 13:22:39 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382430 Surfing has found the following: “After Hurricane Ivan, the huge contingent of linemen working on behalf of Gulf Power installed or replaced more than 22,000 miles of wire, 5,000 poles, 3,000 transformers and 48,000 fuses. “ https://www.wuwf.org/post/gulf-power-more-storm-ready-10-years-after-ivan Paraphrased: Gulf Power residential customers in northwest Florida are going to have to pay a little more each month over the next two years to pay for hurricane damage. The company will increase monthly bills by an average of about $2.70 a month. The state's Public Service Commission approved the residential rate increase Tuesday. The approval allows Gulf Power to recover $50 million in damages caused by Hurricane Ivan. https://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/1320177.html So yeah, 7,000 poles, 200 miles of line and 4,000 transformers for 342 million sounds about right, not! Surfing has found the following:
“After Hurricane Ivan, the huge contingent of linemen working on behalf of Gulf Power installed or replaced more than 22,000 miles of wire, 5,000 poles, 3,000 transformers and 48,000 fuses. “
https://www.wuwf.org/post/gulf-power-more-storm-ready-10-years-after-ivan

Paraphrased:
Gulf Power residential customers in northwest Florida are going to have to pay a little more each month over the next two years to pay for hurricane damage.
The company will increase monthly bills by an average of about $2.70 a month.
The state’s Public Service Commission approved the residential rate increase Tuesday.
The approval allows Gulf Power to recover $50 million in damages caused by Hurricane Ivan.

https://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/1320177.html

So yeah, 7,000 poles, 200 miles of line and 4,000 transformers for 342 million sounds about right, not!

]]> By: joy bryant http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382429 joy bryant Fri, 08 Feb 2019 13:17:13 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382429 NO WAY JOSE!! I freeze during the winter and sweat during the summer EVEN ON THE Energy Select Program of theirs and being retired (or if you are raising a family) the bills are TOO HIGH AS IT IS! Get it from your HUGE bank account or Trump cause I will go to every public meeting to say NO NO NO I am trying to lower my bill not increase it - you add taxes and the rest of the BS that they put on your bill-it will be $20 @ month. they are worth a FORTUNE - the only kid on the block and NO NO WAY JOSE!! I freeze during the winter and sweat during the summer EVEN ON THE Energy Select Program of theirs and being retired (or if you are raising a family) the bills are TOO HIGH AS IT IS! Get it from your HUGE bank account or Trump cause I will go to every public meeting to say NO NO NO I am trying to lower my bill not increase it – you add taxes and the rest of the BS that they put on your bill-it will be $20 @ month. they are worth a FORTUNE – the only kid on the block and NO

]]> By: Bill http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382410 Bill Fri, 08 Feb 2019 04:23:51 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382410 When you calculate what we pay the union employees to do about a hour of work in a 12 hour work day then yes I can see it costing the company that much to fix the power lines in the system. Instede of getting mad at Gulf Power get mad at the unions When you calculate what we pay the union employees to do about a hour of work in a 12 hour work day then yes I can see it costing the company that much to fix the power lines in the system. Instede of getting mad at Gulf Power get mad at the unions

]]> By: MR REALITY http://www.northescambia.com/2019/02/gulf-power-requests-customer-surcharge-to-pay-for-hurricane-michael-recovery/comment-page-1#comment-382400 MR REALITY Fri, 08 Feb 2019 03:01:46 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=352577#comment-382400 Since Ivan, which GP got to recover all they spent there too...GP has has generated nearly $20,000,000,000 that's 20 BILLION dollars (13 years times $1.5 billion average rev per uear) yet only had $50,000,000 set aside in their storm fund? HUH? This company sticks it to us at every turn. its time we DEMAND some alternatives.... Since Ivan, which GP got to recover all they spent there too…GP has has generated nearly $20,000,000,000 that’s 20 BILLION dollars (13 years times $1.5 billion average rev per uear) yet only had $50,000,000 set aside in their storm fund? HUH? This company sticks it to us at every turn. its time we DEMAND some alternatives….

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