Why are we forced to pay for electricity and water?

you don't HAVE to have these things hooked up. no one is stopping you from filling up buckets in a river but you. no one is stopping you from heating your home by burning wood and lighting it with candles... but that would be pretty inconvenient, wouldn't it? so i say don't cry about it and pay your bills...

reply to post by ararisq

You do realize that most people that have lived on the Earth lived without electricity? I don't think it is something you cannot live without. By the same logic within a few years you'll be making the case that you cannot live without the internet, or without a mobile phone..

No, I did not realize that people have lived on the Earth without electricity. I thought electricity was created by God and has existed since the creation of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis, and that when God said "Let there be light," he was simultaneously flicking the light switch that turned on the first Sylvania light bulb.

No, I will not be using the same logic to make a case that I cannot live without the Internet or without a mobile phone. Frankly, I wish we could return to the days before these two pieces of technology existed. (And this I am saying with all sincerity).

It's probably best if you refrain from making these types of assumptions about me.

reply to post by 2weird2live2rare2die

you don't HAVE to have these things hooked up. no one is stopping you from filling up buckets in a river but you. no one is stopping you from heating your home by burning wood and lighting it with candles... but that would be pretty inconvenient, wouldn't it? so i say don't cry about it and pay your bills...

I'm sorry, but that comment is not only silly, but it's insulting. Besides, no one said anything about me having any intentions of not paying my bills.

Where I live we have well water, we don't have that much infrastructure. We have electric well pumps but many people have backup generators to generate their electricity (running on diesel or propane.)

Even if you live in a dense suburb, as long as you have any land at all, can't you put down a well? Then at least you're not buying water, although you're using more electricity to run the pump.

You can also add a hand pump to your well and use muscle power. For a lot of people, they can probably use well water even though their area has piped water. You won't get the fluoride added then either!

especially when alot of these energy companies to pay taxes. or atleast didnt have to for a few years. but they make record profits.

It's simple, governments need to keep people in perpetual debt otherwise they would become rich and retire early.

Slavery evolved just like everything else to its current more palatable form, where the slaves as can be seen in this thread will actually defend the reasons for their life of bondage.

[edit on 31-8-2010 by mc1km]

Originally posted by Myendica
especially when alot of these energy companies to pay taxes. or atleast didnt have to for a few years. but they make record profits.

Power companies are not particularly profitable. They are ranked 37th in the list of most profitable industries.
money.cnn.com...

If you want free water, drill a well. That is what we did. Of course you still need the electricity to pump it, unless you want to use a hand pump.

You are stuck with the electricity though, unless you get a generator. But then you have to pay for gas. UNLESS, you by a diesel generator, and make your own fuel. That works well.

Look, kids, let me tell what is the real Golden Rule regardless of where you are in the world or what government you live under.

There ain't no free lunch.

The Universe is not setup to sustain you without effort on your part. Find the niche you want to survive within or or have one picked for you and make the most out of it.

And if you know of a better system than that in which you live (suffer) under, then change it.

But a word of warning: that takes work!

reply to post by NightGypsy


oh, it's insulting? it doesn't make sense to you that you don't have to pay for these things? let me try to make this a little more simple for you. you don't have to pay for water, you don't have to have it in your home. you pay for the convenience of having it pumped directly into your house. if you don't like it, then don't pay. you can still get it from any natural water source, and you don't have to pay. how does this not make sense again? how is this insulting to you?

[edit on 31-8-2010 by 2weird2live2rare2die]

Hi guys.... I lived in a cabin in the 90s for 3 years...no running water, an out house, and one light bulb and an outlet...it was actually a horse barn converted to a cabin. best lifestyle ever and I am seriously considering going back to it in the near future.

In fact, I just finished splitting another pickup truck load of firewood for winter. I am seriously thinking of having the gas company come and get their gas and tank... then they will have to pay me back for the gas they were paid last spring.

Electricity and running water are luxuries, not necessities. You are paying for the maintainance and treatment and distribution of these commodities. The costs are high, take the weekly wages of just one lineman...maybe what 2 customers pay per month on average. So it takes at least 8 customers to pay one month's pay... maybe 12.

Muliply that by a crew...a driver/groundsman...a supervisor...a couple of actual linemen...say 4 men...plus the two trucks for tools and equipment and bucket lifts....whats that for one week? $2500-4000?

Multiply that by the number of crews... trucks...line equipment, transformers, poles, drill/augers...maintainance... meter readers....office and computer people...the costs of operating multiple branches...plus...building maintainance...rent...lights... clean up crews...outside contract help to cut and maintain right of ways...plus assessing new developments and adding/expanding infrastructure... plus tyhe benefits/insurance/sick pay..etc

it doesn't take long to see where the money goes...and then to stay in business...they have to have at least some profit.

The technology is such now that you could maintain a comfortable lifestyle on solar and wind power...heat with wood or solar... water? We waste so much water..I lived on about 3 gallons a day back in the cabin.

If you can't live that lifestyle in an urban area...move. I did.

Originally posted by NightGypsy
It just hit me like a ton of bricks how inhumane it really is for us to have to pay for the very things we cannot survive without.

Just to clear this up.
Yes we can survive without it.
We might be forced to think this, though.
Life wouldn't be so civilized...

It's asinine that a family has to stress over the fact that if they don't come up with "X" amount of money by a specific date, their water or electricity will be shut off regardless of whether they have little ones to care for or what the weather conditions are going to be like.

Based on my beliefs....if you wanted it any different, then you should've made choices that benefit your lifestyle. Maybe those people should've made sure they can afford to raise children in civilized society.
If you can't afford to raise children according to a certain "standard", then you shouldn't try to reproduce.
Don't take offense to this statement, it is purely my opinion.
As far as weather is concerned, where you live, or where you choose to move should determine what expenses you account for.
Responsibility.
People should determine what they can afford before they make choices.
Maybe I'm just spouting off....

I realize that we need funds to operate water treatment and electrical plants and that the employees have to be paid for the work they do at these facilities, but aren't the ungodly amount of taxes we pay on everything (with the exception of maybe the kitchen sink and our own offspring) enough that we could cover these costs without having to pay monthly fees in addition?

Of course not. As you can clearly see, taxes are never enough.
That's why they always raise them.

We have to have electricity. We have to have water. Why should a human being be charged for these things when they are required for our survival? Why should any family endure the trauma of being cut off from these necessities because they couldn't pay the bill? And why in the world do we see charges for these services in a single family home ranging from $200 per month and up?

These statements are opinions and not facts.
We are lead to believe this.
You have to have these things in order to live by a certain 'standard'.
So that's a personal issue.

Please, if anyone can give me some insight on what I'm missing here, I can take all the jokes and embarrassment you can throw my way. Show me how these astronomical profits are necessary to maintain these services.

That's the problem here. Astronomical profits?
I'm not sure, but I know things are pretty cheap where I live.
But I chose to live outside of city limits.
I hear too many stories of people who can't afford their electricity bill.
It seems that those who make poor choices in life have it the hardest.
(excluding the elderly)

I made responsible choices to make my living situation affordable.
I don't spend money beyond my means....etc.

I don't go into debt to pay for things I can't afford.
I don't have a huge house, or a brand new car.
Again, I made these choices because I thought the exact same things you did.





If you think you are forced to do something then make sure you can opt out!
Or make arrangements to be able to live more sensibly.
(advice for all people)


[edit on 31-8-2010 by havok]

reply to post by AlreadyGone

it doesn't take long to see where the money goes...and then to stay in business...they have to have at least some profit. The technology is such now that you could maintain a comfortable lifestyle on solar and wind power...heat with wood or solar... water? We waste so much water..I lived on about 3 gallons a day back in the cabin.

Frankly, AlreadyGone, I would prefer to live in a situation like yours. And I absolutely agree with you about the waste of water. The energy and water situations are two of many examples of how more technology doesn't always add up to a better (or more affordable) way of doing things.

reply to post by NightGypsy

Who'd have thought it? Public-listed, profit-driven multinational firms attempting to maximise their revenue by charging high costs for their services. Welcome to capitalism. The prices are probably too high, but meh. At the end of the day, electricity isn't necessary for survival, I could easily survive without electricity and probably be psychologically better off without it. Water is necessary for survival (stating the obvious), but I don't think that costs much money, at least not where I live, and these companies that provide water to us need money to continue functioning efficiently.

Most corporations do exhort their customers though. I agree. Case in point: I watched a programme a few years ago about Nike, and how they get third world countries to make their shoes for pittance and then sells them for 100 times the production value. Back on topic though, there are lots of support organizations that provide support to families who are struggling financially, at least there are here in the UK. Not so sure about America. Also, think of it this way: if we were given electric and water for free and the bare-essential things we needed for survival without paying, no-one would bother working and the economy would collapse.

It costs money to provide the infrastructure to deliver water and power to your residence.

People work for those companies to maintain the facilities and/or fix them when they break. Look at the news coverage after any big storm and you'll see the power companies out there trying to restore service.

Who will pay those people if you don't pay for electricity or water?

life isn't a hippy commune. things don't work that way. we have to pay because it costs money to provide these services. they build water lines, power lines, treat our water, pump it to your house, when a water pipe busts they fix it, these things cost money. it's not just the actual product itself you are also being charged for these peoples labor. i doubt most people who work at the water company or power company are philanthropists, they have bills too... if this doesn't make sense to you then you must have some kind of warped view of reality.

[edit on 31-8-2010 by 2weird2live2rare2die]

The only answer I can give here, that I might have missed, is this.

Water and electric companies employ people to maintain services, so, if we did not pay for these things, their employees would not get paid.

You don't actually expect those people to work for free, now do you?

reply to post by RKWWWW

Power companies are not particularly profitable. They are ranked 37th in the list of most profitable industries.

That may be true, but in my area, Pacific Gas and Electric owns a monopoly on the energy business and has no other competitors to contend with. In 2009, their revenues totalled $13.4 billion and they posted a net income of $1.23 billion.

reply to post by Blanca Rose

The only answer I can give here, that I might have missed, is this. Water and electric companies employ people to maintain services, so, if we did not pay for these things, their employees would not get paid. You don't actually expect those people to work for free, now do you?

Blanca, I am quite aware of the above facts. If I hadn't been, it has been reiterated numerous times in this thread for us by some who seem to have an aversion to reading the posts before deciding to enlighten us once again with these shocking facts. I don't expect people to read every post if we're talking about 10 pages worth of them, but I think it would be nice if they would do so if the thread is new and there are only one or two pages worth of responses.

No, I don't expect these people to work for free and I clearly stated this in my introduction. So why are you suggesting that I might expect them to?

If you don't like it start a company that provides free electricity and water. Let me know how that goes, k?