Consumers have come to expect higher prices over time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, prices in 2019 are more than 19 percent higher than average prices in 2009. If you are a Coast Electric member, however, your energy costs have decreased over the past decade. How is this decrease possible?
Just like you have made efforts to practice energy efficiency in your home, Coast Electric is committed to maintaining and improving our electrical distribution system for maximum efficiency and lower costs. While the cost of doing business goes up over time, we develop solutions that keep costs steady for our consumers. While things like right-of-way maintenance, improved system capacity and more technologically advanced meters cost money, they help save over time as they create a more efficient electrical system. Much like buying a new, energy efficient washing machine will help save energy costs for you, maintaining a more efficient system helps reduce costs for us and, in turn, our end-consumers like you.
Of course, as a cooperative, our members are always an important part of the equation. That’s why we’ve partnered with you on energy efficiency measures. From building efficient homes to your participation in our Time of Use rate, your commitment to reducing your energy use has made an impact on our overall costs.Our recent member satisfaction survey shows that our members rate us as a 4.44 (on a scale of one to five, with five being excellent) in taking actions to keep costs low and a 4.53 in helping consumers be more efficient in their electric use. That’s the cooperative way.
Imagine turning on your TV to see an advertisement for Coke that tells you to drink less Coke. Or a Chick Fil A cow that encourages you to eat less chicken. Most companies don’t make an effort to encourage less consumption, but that’s exactly what we do at Coast Electric. We are your partner in energy savings and we will continue to work with members like you to keep costs steady over time.