Unitil Executives Twirl Comically Villainous Moustaches, Prepare to Tie Fitchburg Residents to the Railroad Tracks
posted by
1970s Abraham Lincoln
posted
8/21/2007 4:17:03 PM
According to this week’s Fitchburg Pride, universally-reviled local utility provider Unitil plans to
substantially increase its base distribution rate for electricity. Despite consistent annual growth and the highest distribution rates in the state, Unitil claims this increase is necessary because the company thinks they can probably get away with it “incurs significant operating and construction costs for personnel, equipment and materials.”
Observant residents have wondered whether these significant costs are related to the botched installation of two completely separate city-wide meter reading systems in as many years, or perhaps from the additional manpower required to manually read meters for months after the latest system failed to produce accurate readings. Regardless of the reason, Unitil's monopoly status has effectively enabled them to nickel and dime consumers to whatever extent they please.
Unhappy with Unitil?
1. Use less energy. Replace all of your old incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. Insulate. Get a wood-burning stove. If you can afford it, go solar. When you’re paying almost as much in utilities as you are for your mortgage or rent, you’d be surprised how quickly these investments pay off (in some cases, one season).
2. Buy a Kill-A-Watt. For about $20, you’ll have a meter that tells you exactly how much electricity you’re consuming per outlet. Use it to make informed decisions on energy usage.
3. Pay by credit card. Unitil loses +/-2% of credit card transaction totals to bank fees.
4. If you even suspect an error on your bill or your meter, contact Annie DiMartino. Annie, a longtime city councilor, is making it her mission to hold Unitil accountable for questionable business practices. Despite my initial suspicions that any investigation was probably futile, I actually saw a Unitil executive shudder when her name was mentioned in polite conversation. So whatever she’s doing, it seems to be working. After you contact Annie, be sure to call the Mass Department of Telecommunications and Energy at 800-392-6066 and tell them how much you enjoy the freedom to choose energy suppliers.
Tags: unitil, $700 utility bills, annie dimartino
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