WAPA RATE DECREASES

but arent the prices going to increase when it changes over to propane

Hodge isn't happy about it.
Watch for outages coming to your location!
Be prepared.

I wonder if PSC has data on the number of outages each island suffers and the amount of time WAPA does not provide power or specific generators are down?

The whole point of converting to propane is to reduce the cost and this reduction is the first step.

I thought maybe in the holiday spirit we could enjoy a little positive news without the "yeah buts"!!!!!

Thinking of "yeah but" I was suddenly reminded of a horse I once boarded at my stable. When he first came came to live there I thought his name was "Yabbut" but quickly learned that the proper spelling was "YeahBut" due to his ornery reluctance to obey any simple command without first planting his hooves firmly on the ground and thinking about the request for a considerable period ...

Yeah but is because WAPA SUCKS. Notice that the 10 cent decrease is for the first 6 months of 2015. Meanwhile, previously, Hodge had claimed that the propane conversion would bring down rates by 30% in 2015. I have to find this article to back up my statement, but I do remember reading that claim.

However, yes, any reduction is positive news, so thanks for posting it.

but arent the prices going to increase when it changes over to propane

Yes, they aren't. WAPA has been publicly stating for a while that a significant rate reduction would happen around this time BECAUSE they are converting to propane, not IN SPITE of it.

Yeah but is because WAPA SUCKS. Notice that the 10 cent decrease is for the first 6 months of 2015. Meanwhile, previously, Hodge had claimed that the propane conversion would bring down rates by 30% in 2015. I have to find this article to back up my statement, but I do remember reading that claim.

Yes, WAPA has been predicting a 30% rate reduction, and we actually got a roughly 19% reduction. WAPA says further rate decreases are coming as the propane conversion work continues.

Is the decrease due to drop in oil or propane conversion? At current oil prices, propane might not offer predicted savings since I assume their price assumptions were based on $100+ barrel for oil. Oil is now $5x.00 barrel. Huge decrease!

1) rate drop is due to drop in fuel oil prices due to crude price drops

2) propane is made from crude so expect a drop in propane prices as well.

Is the decrease due to drop in oil or propane conversion? At current oil prices, propane might not offer predicted savings since I assume their price assumptions were based on $100+ barrel for oil. Oil is now $5x.00 barrel. Huge decrease!

You could read the article which says, "The lower charge is due, in part, to WAPA’s ongoing propane conversion project, which will begin utilizing the more affordable fuel in the first quarter of 2015, as well as the reduction worldwide in fuel oil prices."

Yeah but PSC had to make Hodge/WAPA lower the price. He didn't go in there and willingly offer to reduce the price due to lower price per barrel costs.

I am sure we are all delighted to be paying less for whatever reason.
Now let's see if it reflects lower costs on other things like groceries?

WAPA did willingly offer to reduce the price, and the PSC dropped it by another 2 cents/KWHr.

"Effective Jan. 1, the electric LEAC will drop to $0.279991 per kilowatt hour, instead of the $0.301191 proposed by WAPA..."

http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2014/12/17/psc-sides-consultants-lowers-electric-leac-and-takes-out-money-ma

I guess I had a different take on this article from VI Source:
http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2014/12/17/psc-sides-consultants-lowers-electric-leac-and-takes-out-money-ma

Now if the VI government would pay the $34.6 Million it owes WAPA,
things would vastly improve. How they can owe so much money boggles the mind.

Can't anyone just be happy that your electric bill is going to decrease by 10¢ per kWh come January? If you use 1000 Kw/month that's a savings of $100 a month. SURELY that's cause for at least a glimmer of a smile without piling on the misery? :S

We're delighted, OT!
Happy now?

Yes. Enjoy it and save the WAPA miseries for another thread on another day. 😀

You know how this forum is.
Topics tend to go all over the place as everyone chimes in.

We love to chime in on WAPA, good and bad!

Yes I'm happy for the savings...

...but for me they only amount to about $13.65 per month since I have been averaging about 145 k/w hours per month for over the past year.

Good for you! But it's still better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick and, "every little helps", as the old lady said as she peed into the sea ...

Anything is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!! LOL

And yes every little bit helps. $13.65 x 8 = $81.90, which is better than nothing!

hey, i am glad it seems i was wrong. just thought that was what i heard this morning

Is the decrease due to drop in oil or propane conversion? At current oil prices, propane might not offer predicted savings since I assume their price assumptions were based on $100+ barrel for oil. Oil is now $5x.00 barrel. Huge decrease!

You could read the article which says, "The lower charge is due, in part, to WAPA’s ongoing propane conversion project, which will begin utilizing the more affordable fuel in the first quarter of 2015, as well as the reduction worldwide in fuel oil prices."

Another significant part of the rate drop is due to the solar farm recently installed on St. Croix.

Another significant part of the rate drop is due to the solar farm recently installed on St. Croix.

Is that operational yet? There's a huge one being installed on STT too.

STT not operational yet.

All those new homes/project, up above Cost U Less now face the entire denuded hill with the hundreds/thousands solar array panels have a fantastic view!

Back to a comprehensive zoning plan!