ranting for fun and non-profit

Just got the “Your personal Time-of Use Dashboard is ready” letter from the hydro company. Well, now my life can begin.

God, I wish the company would take all the money for the letters and brochures (in particular the glossy coloured ones), which repeat the same information every mailing, - and oh yeah, the cost of the installation of “smart” meters – and apply those funds to its own damn dashboard. How much would costs of operating be reduced, and how much saving could be passed on to consumers?

Oh silly me. That must be brain damage from the cold that's talking there, since my house temperature is kept far below the 'comfort' zone. Savings would not go to consumers, of course, but, - still – the money could go to a CEO salary or severance package 'savings plan'.

Whoops. Shouldn't have reminded myself. The 'Delivery' and 'Regulatory' Charge. The 'Officers' Retirement', I mean, 'Debt Retirement' Charge. All the little payouts for those greedy little CEO's. Every time I get a bill and see those charges (which are always more than my usage, by the way), I think of that woman (someone say hello to her, if she's not out of the country on her yacht). You know, the one who got six million – that's MILLION – dollars when she left the hydro company. I remember too, the day I worked as a temp for hydro. It happened to be the day after another CEO voted himself a raise. I couldn't tell you the number of irate and upset customers that called that day. And I told each and every one of them they were right; that the salary raise was disgusting; and I suggested they write and complain.

To what avail, however? I'm just dashing my own board, and can't even raise enough heat of anger to eliminate the layers of clothing I must wear indoors. And I do get angry. Every day. Like when the rates are up at dinnertime (thanks for making life more difficult after work). Or when I long for a hot shower and have to wait for the tank to warm up, since I keep it turned off otherwise. And my feet! No basement in this tiny house, so they're like ice all the time. Am I a martyr? No, just a 'serf' of the 2000's. Gotta 'conserf' to pay the bills.

So thanks, hydro companies, for setting up a system that now lets me sit in front of my dial-up computer, so I can waste even more electricity, to be able to see just exactly how limited my life is when I consult your “charts and graphs that show your usage hour by hour, a day at at time”. “Putting you in control”, indeed.

I don't need the dashboard. I know I use heat when I'm desperately cold. I cook when I'm starving and can't wait for “off-peak” hours. And I write letters at a local library hi-speed computer, so my fingers are warm enough to work the keyboard.