Let’s say that your Florida house has solar installed. Your system is so good that you have enough power to be completely off the grid. You don’t need outside power, so your house only uses about $5 of electricity each month. Too bad for you, because Florida utility companies have recently instituted minimum billing. Even if you don’t use their product, you have to pay them for it.

You can’t even disconnect from them, because Florida law requires all homes to be connected to the electric grid.

This is one of those times where Florida law is a bit too draconian for my taste.

Categories: tyranny

11 Comments

Jonathan · February 19, 2022 at 10:48 am

So in Florida, off grid is illegal? Interesting; I know of several places in the Keys that it is in use…

Therefore · February 19, 2022 at 11:53 am

In my state, in order to get an occupancy permit you must have:
Electricity from the grid
Water: electric well pump or city
Sewer: septic system or city
Heating: electric, oil, gas or pellets.

I know a couple that had electrical to the end of their driveway, which counted.

They never used the septic system they paid to have installed. They had a gray water composting system. They used a spring water and not their required well.

I think that it cost then close to $30k for utilities they would never use.

And the real kicker? Are paying for things they would not use, they didn’t have money to pay to get internet extended to their home. That happened 5 years later when somebody pay them paid $25k.

Oh, they had to keep the electrical to the driveway or else the city would condemn their home.

Henry · February 19, 2022 at 4:51 pm

To be fair, there is a small cost to the utility to maintain each account, amortize the infrastructure cost, and have capacity available when the solar system can’t handle the load. $5 seems reasonable to me.

    Divemedic · February 19, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    But why FORCE people to connect to their service in the first place?

      Big Ruckus D · February 19, 2022 at 8:52 pm

      Because they can. Simple as that. The entire way of doing (big) business now in this country can he summed up as: BFYTW. No different than the classic mafia approach to extorting local business for protection money.

      Liken it to the shot mandates, or oscamacare or real eatate taxes. You will buy into the system, they will take your money, and you will bend over for it. And they won’t even give you a stick to bite down on as they sodomize you. They have the power via leveraging the law against you until it hurts, to force compliance (outsde of just going full Chuck Norris on their fat, bureaucratic asses) and so they do.

      The moat implied phrase in America today is “and just what are you gonna do about it, bitch?” What, indeed.

      Henry · February 20, 2022 at 8:35 pm

      I agree there is no valid reason to force every dwelling to be connected. It seems prudent to connect and pay a small monthly fee simply as an insurance policy for times when the primary solar system fails.

Don Curton · February 20, 2022 at 8:34 am

Similar situation here in Texas (I don’t know about being forced to connect), but the billing. There are people with vacation houses, fish camps, hunting camps, etc. They are “connected” to the grid but there may be months at a time when they are not using the property and the main power switch at the fuse box is turned off. As in they used exactly zero power. And still get a monthly bill of $30 or more (from stories I have heard). All those little surcharges, use fees, meter check fees, etc. add up. And then you think wow, a good portion of my regular bill is just those freaking fees. Kinda like how half the price of gas at the pump is nothing more than govt. taxes.

    Divemedic · February 20, 2022 at 10:08 am

    Which is why I don’t believe it when fusion proponents promise power that is too cheap to meter.

Milton · February 20, 2022 at 11:31 am

If mining bitcoin requires energy, and everyone must pay a minimum fee, even when they don’t need it, it appears that the invisible hand has just created lots of little, (one residential power drop each) PROVIDERS OF ENERGY for an entrepreneur willing to install the necessary hardware, and operate virtual mines.
Milton

J. Smith · February 20, 2022 at 8:58 pm

My basic service from chelco is $26 just for service. Frustration loading.

Travtorguy · February 21, 2022 at 8:37 am

So I take it there are no Amish people in Florida? How do they get around the ‘you will be connected to the grid, Comrade?’

Tractorguy

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