TELL NATIONAL GRID THIS MONDAY:
On Monday, August 31, 2020, at 9:30 AM the RI Public Utilities Commission will vote at a public hearing about a proposed rate change. For a typical residential customer using 500 kWh per month, National Grid’s proposal would increase their rates by $10.78 per month, or 9.8%. This means that the average customer’s bill could increase by almost 10%, during a pandemic!
At the public hearing, please make your voice heard to the PUC and National Grid: tell them to cut CEO salaries & corporate profits, and no rate hikes during a pandemic.
You can make a difference by speaking up and offering public comment on Monday because the PUC has the authority to approve different rates that may be higher or lower than those proposed by National Grid.
The hearing will be streamed live:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/WqQyXw296dg
To provide public comment at the meeting click this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82850262038
Or call in, preferably 5-10 minutes prior to the hearing.
Call 929-205-6099 and enter meeting number 828 5026 2038 ,
followed by the # symbol when prompted.
The timing for the rate increase is not right. When some corporations are finding ways to withhold, reduce, or share their profits, here in Rhode Island National Grid is asking for more!
It is outrageous that, while we still face unemployment at the highest rate since the Great Depression, National Grid would even ask for a rate increase.
They have already profited enough and continue to reject the George Wiley Center’s proposal of a Percentage Income Payment Plan that would make utilities more affordable. Instead low-income, unemployed, and struggling families are burdened with increased debt during this pandemic.
National Grid should be finding ways to forgive utility debt and our Public Utilities Commission needs to hold them accountable to bringing back PIPP.
Although the George Wiley Center is glad that in RI we finally increased our discount rate to be more on par with MA, discount plans are not enough when the rate structure is not based on a percentage of rate payer’s income.
Consumer usage has increased during the pandemic because more people are working and going to school from home. People are struggling. We also find it unacceptable the lack of corporate transparency which has not given details about how much federal assistance they have received for Payroll Protection Plan or CARES ACT. Although the George Wiley Center has asked the PUC to gather this information last month, we still haven’t received this data.
It would be irresponsible to consider rate increases that would impact the public without considering how our taxpayers’ funds have already assisted National Grid