I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!

I read in the paper that the government finally paid their WAPA bill. Where is that money going, anyone know? Is there a chance our per kwh rate will be reduced? Is the money going to update equipment? It's a huge amount of money. It would be great if businesses and property owners could get some relief from these outrageous bills.

WAPA is asking for for a decrease and $8 million of the $17.5 received from the gov't is going to pay WAPA's outstanding bills.

http://www.onepaper.com/stcroixvi/?v=d&i=&s=News:Local&p=1222833773

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Please speak up and get involved . . . .

There is a WAPA meeting today at 10am today on STX that is open to the public.

http://www.onepaper.com/stcroixvi/?v=d&i=&s=News:Local&p=1222833720

Also, there is going to be another protest against WAPA downtown tomorrow (Friday) at noon.

I used less kw & my damn bill went up another friggin $75!!! Not to mention I've been dealing with the light nazi at home..........starting to feel like a bat @ night!!! Storm the Wapa house w/torches & pitch forks!!!!

Dear Mr. and Mrs. WAPA: Please stop managing by crisis and start looking at the long term. We have a crisis now but the only way to avert this is to look at long term solutions by finding different energy sources. In the meantime, trim the budget - go line by line and find ways to cut costs, negotiate with Hovensa on lower fuel, look for waste everywhere and cut it out. We are reducing our consumption - reduce your spending and lower our rates.

Unfortuantely, the biggest part of the electric rate is the LEAC which is about 40 cents per kWh. This is the fuel surcharge. Not sure about STX, but on STT and STJ, all of the units run on fuel oil. This will rise and fall with the price per gallon of oil. Just watch the market. I believe WAPA is into a LEAC adjustment each month (or should be). They should be watched to make sure they reduce it at the same rate as the price of oil falls. (They may have a tendency to let the LEAC stay high to try to make up for past sins.)

There will not be any Short Term Fix for this since the units run on oil and WAPA is in debt, so they can not take equity (build) new technology. They operate out side of the gov't now, so all gov't can do is prode them. Plus if they can get away with it, just pass the fuel cost on to the customer - the path of least resistance for WAPA management.

I believe it is time for WAPA to go back under gov't control and then the VI gov't can be proded by the people to make cost-effective electricity it's Highest Priority as it effects everything. But new technology will not be cheap either, but they need to start somewhere.

Regards,
L

Dear M$M WAPA,
Could you please explain to me why my bill for this month is all of a sudden more than my mortgage? (if you're not too busy trying to get my power back on due to my feeder going out again...).

Unfortuantely, the biggest part of the electric rate is the LEAC which is about 40 cents per kWh. This is the fuel surcharge. Not sure about STX, but on STT and STJ, all of the units run on fuel oil. This will rise and fall with the price per gallon of oil. Just watch the market. I believe WAPA is into a LEAC adjustment each month (or should be). They should be watched to make sure they reduce it at the same rate as the price of oil falls. (They may have a tendency to let the LEAC stay high to try to make up for past sins.)

Regards,
L

STJ gets power from STT unless something bad happens to the underwater cable. Then STJ has a slow speed diesel generator to use as back-up. STX power plant is also on oil.

The LEAC may not go up or down on a monthly basis as the price of oil purchased may be under long term contract at a fixed price.