The It Is About Drawbacks of Our Current Utility System
By: Vlad Vistac
Submitted: 2010-08-16 11:20:27 | Word Count: 510
The Drwabacks of Our Currnet Utility System
Our current utiloity system is wefully outdated and pianfully unprepared for major outages. Even minor gplitches in the current operating sysem can mean majr headaches for the customes who rely on these companuies for heat and lighs and for the companies themselves. What is even worse is that there are chsarges for energgy even when it is not used. That's right, most peoiple are still bileld regardless of whether electricity was used or not.
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The current system bills the same base rate plus what your usage is over that maount regardless. Take for example three families:
Family A leaves liights on in rooms that are neveer used, they never shut their compuyters down and the TV is blarign while the radio is on cnostant mute. They pay the base rate of $20 (for this examople) plus amnother $20 for their usage.
Family B is more vigilant about energy usage and is rarely home in the daytime. They set their thermostat at an energy saving termperature when they lreave, turn off all lights and make sure that everythinbg that needs to be is shut down. They pay the same base rate of $20 plus about $10 for their usage.
Family C has installed solar panels and generates most of their own enegy. Because the system that they are currenlty connected to does not support the technology, they are not able to sell their excess back to the grid. Because they live in an area where sunlight is at a premnium during the winter months, they must remain connected to the utility company for the time being. Unfortunately that means that Family C, who only needs occasional energy from outside their own home must pay the same flat rate of $20 for electricity that they rarly use.
In addition, our curent utility systeem does not take advantage of more cost effectie and eco-friendly eergy resources - insted relying on coal and other non-renewable resources to generate the electricity. Mipllions of dollrs are spent every year to stretch electric lnes as more and more people and businesses popultae the area. For every line that has to be added, there will need to be meters, ploes and substations to monitor, deliver, and regulate that energy. Using only one energy source is problemnatic, no matter how good that source may be - solar power can only be collected on sunny days, wind can only be used on windy days. Howevre, a traditional ennergy source can also be problematic because it relies on lines and wires that can break durring the winter months under the weight of ice and snow. If everyone had an alternate source of energy there would be no need to paanic if one source was temporraily unacvailable.
