Excessive Spending Driving Edison Rate Hikes

How Much Could Bills Go Up, and Why?
SoCal Edison wants to charge about $100 more a year per customer.  

What is the increase for?
Edison’s justification for this astronomical increase is that it is necessary to meet the needs of a fast-growing economy and population base in southern California.

Why does TURN object?
Edison claims it will face increased costs for connecting new customers, even though current economic conditions mean they will have fewer new customers than before.

How Will Customers Be Impacted?
Edison’s request could not come at a worse time for customers. Unemployment is high, housing values are dropping, gas prices are skyrocketing and food costs more. We don’t need to add higher electric bills to the troubles.  

Is electricity affordable now?
Not for everybody.  Edison shut off close to 300,000 households in 2007.

Could bills go up even more?
They could and they will.  Well-meaning but expensive programs to increase rewnewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are driving rates up, and are expected to require huge increases in the coming decade.

Where could Edison cut spending?

Excessive executive salaries and stock options:
•    Chairman and Chief Executive John E. Bryson will retire this summer with a pension plan and stock options worth almost $65 million.
•    CEO Alan Fohrer’s cash compensation in 2007 was $3,754,446, with
     stock options worth $9,957,803

Gold-plated urinals:
•    $925,000 for “Camp Edison” improvements, including 7 toilets and 2 urinals.

Luxurious new offices:
•    $80-85 million for renovation and remodeling, including new furniture
•    171 million for deluxe new headquarters

Can customers fight the SCE rate hike?

Customers who want to fight the SCE rate hike can:
•    Testify at a public hearing
•    Write to the CPUC at 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco 94102
•    Log on to www.turn.org for schedule of hearings and sample letters, or call 800-355-8876.

Tell the CPUC you oppose Edison's Rate Hike