As you pay your January SDG&E bill, remember those San Diego City Council members who voted back in 2021 to approve their contract. Why?
Because San Diego Gas & Electric just announced that its customers can expect their energy bill to more than double this January. It implemented new natural gas and electric rates on Jan. 1. SDG&E says the increase reflects the rising costs of providing reliable energy services.
The most significant contributor to price hikes, according to the company, is the ongoing rise in the natural gas market. Data shows the cost per unit of natural gas has more than doubled for the month of January, increasing from $2.36 per unit in January 2022 to $5.11 per unit in January 2023.
To put this in perspective, if your peak winter gas bill was $105 last year, you can expect January’s bill to be $225.
So, remember those San Diego City Council members who voted to approve the SDG&E contract. They were:
- Jennifer Campbell
- Stephen Whitburn
- Chris Cate (termed out and no longer on council)
- Raul Campillo
- Marni von Wilpert and
- Sean Elo-Rivera – Council President
Councilmembers who opposed the deal include Joe LaCava, Vivian Moreno and Monica Montgomery Steppe.
The increase in costs based on wholesale gas prices just doesn’t ring true. The current spot price of natural gas is currently $3.78 which is $.10 less than where it was on January 5, 2022. This stinks from the head and I, for one, would like to see some real investigative reporting into what is going on at SDGE rather than every news outlet just parroting what the company’s PR department is clearly trying to sell.
https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/natural-gas-price
Their salaries allow them to pay these crazy prices for utilities without feeling pain -public records show 2021 salaries – Mayor Todd Gloria $225,074 Jennifer Campbell District 2 $135,044. They voted for salary increases!
https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/2021statecompensationreport.pdf
Debbie actually we, as a city, voted for their salary increases in 2018 by passing Measure L (which got over 78% of the vote). We ensured that rich people who could afford a major pay cut because of the wealth they already had wouldn’t the only ones able to do a job that paid like $70K a year.
https://ballotpedia.org/San_Diego,_California,_Measure_L,_Restrictions_on_City_Salaries,_Campaigns,_and_Benefits_(November_2018)
Paul, thank you for your comment.
“They” literally did not voted for the increases however; the Council at the time voted to put the Measure on the Ballot. So in essence, “they” initiated their salary increases and the current government officials reap the benefit. Look at the fine group we get for our money!
The measure was championed by City Council President Sherri Lightner and placed on the November 2016 ballot by a vote of the City Council and Todd Gloria was a councilman who supported this measure. No doubt it boosted their pensions also.
Recall both Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilwoman Jen Campbell immediately.
The mid-billing period email SDGE sent me says I can look forward to a $600 bill, $100 for electricity and $500 for gas. This for a 1,400 sq foot 60 year old OB house. I run the gas from 5 am to 8 am, and from 5 pm to 8 pm to stay warm.
This is CRAZY!!
I should have mentioned that 5 of the 6 who voted to approve SDG&E’s contract with the city are Democrats.