CALL to ACTION
ADDED 4/11/19 - CALL TO ACTION - PROTEST ADVICE LETTER 532 - SJWC REQUESTING $9 MILLION RATE INCREASE.
Send Protest email to:
(Personalize your email for greater impact)
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
cc: [email protected]
Subject: Protest Advice Letter 532
Dear Water Division, Commissioners, and ALJ Bemesderfer,
I respectfully request that Advice Letter 532 be rejected as the relief requested in Advice Letter 532 is unjust, unreasonable, or discriminatory!
The customers of SJWC have once again seen our rates INCREASE, not decrease. The partial approval of GRC A1801004 has allowed SJWC to increase its 2019 revenue by $16M effective January 1, 2019. This translates to much more than the 1.48% increase SJWC claims. SJWC is now collecting 2019 Balancing Account Surcharge, 2019 Memorandum Account Surcharge and the Service Charge has increased more than 60%. And now, SJWC wants to increase our rates again with Advice Letter 532 claiming that they need to recover $9M of under-collection due to water conservation measures established by the State of California and the SCVWD.
The customers of SJWC were NOT on mandated drought conservation in 2018. We understand that conservation is the new way of life in California. Does SJWC understand this? If SJWC cannot manage their revenue numbers and operating costs by now, when will they? Why is the CPUC encouraging and condoning this behavior with all of these obscene memorandum recovery accounts?
I strongly request that CPUC revisit all safety net memorandum accounts as these accounts provide no incentive for SJWC to curb hiring employees, curb executive bonuses, reduce operating expenses, etc. CPUC allows SJWC to recover all of its excessive costs from the ratepayers.
With D.1811025 approval, the General Rate Case allowed SJWC to increase customer rates at an unsustainable rate. With misinformation presented by SJWC that customer rates would only increase 1.48% and that SJWC’s model of “a typical residential customer using 11 ccf” is an atypical customer and therefore a misrepresentation of fact. I also request that the Commission overrule decision D.1811025 because of legal and technical errors with SJWC's assertion that ratepayer bills would only increase by 1.48%.
I respectfully request that Advice Letter 532 be rejected as the relief requested in Advice Letter 532 is unjust, unreasonable, or discriminatory!
Respectfully,
WRATES
*******************************************
Send Protest email to:
(Personalize your email for greater impact)
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
cc: [email protected]
Subject: Protest Advice Letter 532
Dear Water Division, Commissioners, and ALJ Bemesderfer,
I respectfully request that Advice Letter 532 be rejected as the relief requested in Advice Letter 532 is unjust, unreasonable, or discriminatory!
The customers of SJWC have once again seen our rates INCREASE, not decrease. The partial approval of GRC A1801004 has allowed SJWC to increase its 2019 revenue by $16M effective January 1, 2019. This translates to much more than the 1.48% increase SJWC claims. SJWC is now collecting 2019 Balancing Account Surcharge, 2019 Memorandum Account Surcharge and the Service Charge has increased more than 60%. And now, SJWC wants to increase our rates again with Advice Letter 532 claiming that they need to recover $9M of under-collection due to water conservation measures established by the State of California and the SCVWD.
The customers of SJWC were NOT on mandated drought conservation in 2018. We understand that conservation is the new way of life in California. Does SJWC understand this? If SJWC cannot manage their revenue numbers and operating costs by now, when will they? Why is the CPUC encouraging and condoning this behavior with all of these obscene memorandum recovery accounts?
I strongly request that CPUC revisit all safety net memorandum accounts as these accounts provide no incentive for SJWC to curb hiring employees, curb executive bonuses, reduce operating expenses, etc. CPUC allows SJWC to recover all of its excessive costs from the ratepayers.
With D.1811025 approval, the General Rate Case allowed SJWC to increase customer rates at an unsustainable rate. With misinformation presented by SJWC that customer rates would only increase 1.48% and that SJWC’s model of “a typical residential customer using 11 ccf” is an atypical customer and therefore a misrepresentation of fact. I also request that the Commission overrule decision D.1811025 because of legal and technical errors with SJWC's assertion that ratepayer bills would only increase by 1.48%.
I respectfully request that Advice Letter 532 be rejected as the relief requested in Advice Letter 532 is unjust, unreasonable, or discriminatory!
Respectfully,
WRATES
*******************************************
ADDED 5/19/18 - CALL TO ACTION - Also see MERGER - SJW Group is looking to merger with Connecticut Water Service without CPUC review. Send letter now.
ADDED 5/17/18 - CALL TO ACTION - Attend General Rate Case (GRC) Public Participation Hearing
When: Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 6:00 P.M.
Where: San Jose City Council Chambers, 200 E. Santa Clara Street
Why: NO MORE RATE INCREASES - have our voices heard
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ATTEND THIS MEETING! This is a chance for our collective voices to be heard. Until the CPUC changes their culture of aligning themselves with the utilities and start protecting the ratepayers, WE NEED to be PRESENT and STAY INVOLVED. Our core WRATES group cannot do this alone. There is power in numbers and we all need to attend. Also, I was told by CPUC that our presence at the Cost of Capital hearing made a difference and our thoughtful comments assisted in reducing the returns that SJWC was asking for. We now have another meeting to attend.
SJWC is requesting an 18.63% rate increase for years 2019,20&21. As history has shown, SJWC achieves much higher rate increases than what they request in their 3 year GRC with all the additional balancing and memorandum accounts through Advice Letters.
For example, SJWC received a 17.8% rate increase for the 2013,14&15 GRC and a 17.8% rate increase for the 2016,17&18 GRC. Yet, since 2013, we have seen our Service Charge rate increase over 44%, our ccf charge increase over 72% and our line item charges increase over 200%.
Please take time to read the Public Notice. (Currently, it looks like only residents of SJ have received the notice in the mail.)
https://www.sjwater.com/sites/default/files/2018-05/SJW%20GRC%20PPH%20Notice%20Final.pdf
SJWC wants to substantially increase the Service Charge rate by a total of 74% over the next 3 years. This is the fixed rate on our bill which means, by 2021 we will be charged $88.68 bi-monthly for a 3/4” meter and $147.80 for a 1” meter without even using a drop of water. We cannot let the CPUC approve these increases. Please attend this hearing.
We are writing talking points and will have them available at the hearing for anyone who wishes to speak at the hearing or come prepared with your own talking points. You don't need to speak if you attend. We need to fill the room and have a large presence.
Looking forward to seeing you all there.
Rita Benton
WRATES, Water Rate Advocates for Transparency, Equity, and Sustainability
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Meade
When: Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 6:00 P.M.
Where: San Jose City Council Chambers, 200 E. Santa Clara Street
Why: NO MORE RATE INCREASES - have our voices heard
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ATTEND THIS MEETING! This is a chance for our collective voices to be heard. Until the CPUC changes their culture of aligning themselves with the utilities and start protecting the ratepayers, WE NEED to be PRESENT and STAY INVOLVED. Our core WRATES group cannot do this alone. There is power in numbers and we all need to attend. Also, I was told by CPUC that our presence at the Cost of Capital hearing made a difference and our thoughtful comments assisted in reducing the returns that SJWC was asking for. We now have another meeting to attend.
SJWC is requesting an 18.63% rate increase for years 2019,20&21. As history has shown, SJWC achieves much higher rate increases than what they request in their 3 year GRC with all the additional balancing and memorandum accounts through Advice Letters.
For example, SJWC received a 17.8% rate increase for the 2013,14&15 GRC and a 17.8% rate increase for the 2016,17&18 GRC. Yet, since 2013, we have seen our Service Charge rate increase over 44%, our ccf charge increase over 72% and our line item charges increase over 200%.
Please take time to read the Public Notice. (Currently, it looks like only residents of SJ have received the notice in the mail.)
https://www.sjwater.com/sites/default/files/2018-05/SJW%20GRC%20PPH%20Notice%20Final.pdf
SJWC wants to substantially increase the Service Charge rate by a total of 74% over the next 3 years. This is the fixed rate on our bill which means, by 2021 we will be charged $88.68 bi-monthly for a 3/4” meter and $147.80 for a 1” meter without even using a drop of water. We cannot let the CPUC approve these increases. Please attend this hearing.
We are writing talking points and will have them available at the hearing for anyone who wishes to speak at the hearing or come prepared with your own talking points. You don't need to speak if you attend. We need to fill the room and have a large presence.
Looking forward to seeing you all there.
Rita Benton
WRATES, Water Rate Advocates for Transparency, Equity, and Sustainability
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Meade