Christmas Lights? Electricity Price Index at All-Time High in U.S.

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CNS News:

CNSNews.com) - Turning on the Christmas lights on a house or a Christmas tree this November cost Americans more on average than it has before, as the seasonally adjusted electricity price index hit an all-time high in the United States in November, according to data released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 

The average price for a kilowatt hour of electricity also set a record for the month of November, according to BLS.

 

During the year, electricity prices tend to bottom out in the late fall, winter and early spring and hit a peak in the summer. Electricity prices followed that pattern this year, but in each month of the year they set a record for that particular month—n.b. electricity was more expensive in January 2013 than in any previous January, etc.

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Smart Grid Technology, Now Spreading Across U.S., Will Raise Energy Prices to Reduce Demand

 

(CNSNews.com) – The Obama administration is spending billions of dollars to modernize the nation’s power grid, with the goal of changing the way Americans use energy. Your electric bill will go way up, unless you allow the utility to control your energy load at times of peak demand.

“Smart grid” technology involves a wireless, two-way flow of information between individual homes and the power plant. This allows the utility to charge more for electricity, depending on when it is used; and it enables the utility to manage energy for the consumer, to reduce the impact on the grid.

For example, customers eventually will be able to program their “smart” appliances and thermostats so the utility company can turn them off at times of peak electricity usage.

 

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/smart-grid-technology-now-spreading-across-us-will-raise-energy-prices