HELCO
HELCO
What a difference
a decade makes
I heard it once more today, someone bemoaning the fact that HELCO’s rate went up yet again. I concur that it did increase, but the question, however, is how much.
To get a feel for exactly how much it has increased, I went back a decade. Since electric utility rate structures are my specialty, I archive all data. In March 2002 our residential electric kilowatt/hour rate here on this island was 18.6116 cents per kWh; this month (March 2012) we are billed at 40.4293 cents per kWh for the first 300 kWh. Wow — 2.17 times as much. Or in another perspective, what we got for $100 back in 2002 now costs us $217.
While I was at it, I looked at what occurred with the cost of gasoline during this same 10-year interval. During that same month in 2002 we paid $1.699 per gallon of regular. Now, 10 years later, that same gallon is posted at $4.479. This is 2.64 times greater; $100 of fuel back then will today require a payment of $264. The fuel to power our vehicle is 21.5 percent more than that which powers our home. Unlike electricity which comes to us, we have to go out and fill up the cars and trucks ourselves.
So, what exactly is the difference, aside from the cost? While our electric energy provider is a monopoly (they are the only game in town), we have the ability to shop for the lowest price and purchase our automotive fuel from any number of sellers. What a deal, thanks to competition.
Michael L. Last
Naalehu
Recycling
Offer a prize
Paying people to recycle sounds like a workable plan, but very expensive.
Here is an option that might be affordable. The county is already required to have someone supervise each dump site. The person could give out door prize tickets to each person who deposits a certain minimum quantity of recyclables in the bin. Once a month a drawing is held and a prize of say $100, maybe $100 per transfer station. Winning number published. Once a year a drawing is held with a larger prize. If people will stand in line to pay a dollar for a lottery ticket with a 1 in a million chance to win a hundred thousand, what will they do if the ticket is free?
This would not cost much, since the employees are in place, but the benefits could be huge.
Ken Obenski
Kaohe
Response
When did common sense require a sign?
Regarding Tom Haggerty from South Dakota’s complaint on why there are no warning signs alerting visitors to seat belt and cellphone laws, and his claiming tickets are bogus — gimme a break.
He claims tourists were set up. There were “dozens of rental cars fleeced by the police,” I find this very hard to believe. I live right where consistent police ticketing happens and I never see more than three or four cars at a time. Then he spent the remaining days of his trip searching out warning signs.
Maybe South Dakota is not as concerned about road safety as Hawaii is. Furthermore, when did common sense require a sign?
Gary Honey
Kailua-Kona