Electric service discount for medical equipment

[kempo]

If a person has a good job or income why would he or she feel they have a right to this $17. I mean if you are on a small fixed income, SS, yea it would come in handy. I am not rich by no means but I have a comfortable income and I would feel guilty knowing there are people on fixed incomes, SS, that are not getting a break on their bill because they do not qualify.

$17 multiplied by thousands of people who can in reality pay for it without really missing it adds up to a lot of money. I would venture to guess that the loss of money to the power company is spread over all the other none qualifying customers. In my humble opinion if you can pay your own way, pay it. If you are on a small fixed income take advantage of it. Just saying.

[allen476]

If a person has a good job or income why would he or she feel they have a right to this $17. I mean if you are on a small fixed income, SS, yea it would come in handy. I am not rich by no means but I have a comfortable income and I would feel guilty knowing there are people on fixed incomes, SS, that are not getting a break on their bill because they do not qualify.

$17 multiplied by thousands of people who can in reality pay for it without really missing it adds up to a lot of money. I would venture to guess that the loss of money to the power company is spread over all the other none qualifying customers. In my humble opinion if you can pay your own way, pay it. If you are on a small fixed income take advantage of it. Just saying.

The utilities that offer it either have an income guideline (which follows welfare guidelines) or it is a blanket offer (everyone qualifies). So how would anyone take away from someone that could use the break? All you have to do is apply for it and either you qualify or you don't.

I could understand if the discounts were on a first come, first served basis but they aren't. In this area, there are no discounts.

Allen

[kempo]

Example: Lets say your family income is $120,000 a year and you get a $17 discount because you use a cpap. A family that lives down the road from you has a family income of $18,000 a year but they don't get a $17 discount because they don't use a cpap. If there is no limit on income for the discount and I think that's the way it was explained, please justify that $17 discount that your getting.

[sleepycarol]

Our utility company, Aquila, doesn't offer any incentive/special rates, etc for their customers with medical needs.

They do offer, if you are housebound and have NO way of leaving your home -- meaning you are bedridden, they will not shut your power off without notifying someone you designate. As far as power outages and restoral of power there isn't anything in place for that according to the paperwork I was sent.

Cpap does not qualify for notifying anyone before the power is cut (say for nonpayment) unless there are other conditions that contribute to you not being able to leave your house to go to a shelter/neighbors/relative/etc.

[K5MOW]

WOW thanks for the great info. I am going to call on see if my wife and I can get this.

Roger

[allen476]

Example: Lets say your family income is $120,000 a year and you get a $17 discount because you use a cpap. A family that lives down the road from you has a family income of $18,000 a year but they don't get a $17 discount because they don't use a cpap. If there is no limit on income for the discount and I think that's the way it was explained, please justify that $17 discount that your getting.

I understand where you are coming from a little better. But the family that is making $18,000 should be able to qualify (at least in NY) for HEAP (Heat & Electric Assistance Program) where they get help paying their electric and gas.

The family that is making $120,000 is probably not going to concern itself with taking the $17 discount to begin with.

Since the utility company is offering it without restrictions, I would take it as it is no different than a manufacturer's coupon in the paper. Are you still going to feel bad for the $18,000 family if they didn't have a $1.00 off coupon for a box of cereal just because they didn't get the newspaper?

Allen

[Goofproof]

Example: Lets say your family income is $120,000 a year and you get a $17 discount because you use a cpap. A family that lives down the road from you has a family income of $18,000 a year but they don't get a $17 discount because they don't use a cpap. If there is no limit on income for the discount and I think that's the way it was explained, please justify that $17 discount that your getting.

I understand where you are coming from a little better. But the family that is making $18,000 should be able to qualify (at least in NY) for HEAP (Heat & Electric Assistance Program) where they get help paying their electric and gas.

The family that is making $120,000 is probably not going to concern itself with taking the $17 discount to begin with.

Since the utility company is offering it without restrictions, I would take it as it is no different than a manufacturer's coupon in the paper. Are you still going to feel bad for the $18,000 family if they didn't have a $1.00 off coupon for a box of cereal just because they didn't get the newspaper?

Allen

You are missing the point, XPAPS use little energy period. If they should get a discount, which they shouldn't $5 a year would be correct. What right do you have to force other customers to pay for your electric power. NONE!

As for your coupon idea, coupons are to get you to use one brand of a product, in most places you get only one brand, the flavor that comes out of the wire.

You are just asking that others pay your share of your electric bill, many of those others may be worse off than you are. Socialism pure and simple. Jim

[LoQ]

For me, it's not about any discount that might be available.

It's about being put on a priority list for getting electrical service in case of an area-wide loss of power.

Me, too. Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, my power company's answer to that is "get a generator." We lose power here all the time.

[allen476]

You are missing the point, XPAPS use little energy period. If they should get a discount, which they shouldn't $5 a year would be correct. What right do you have to force other customers to pay for your electric power. NONE!

As for your coupon idea, coupons are to get you to use one brand of a product, in most places you get only one brand, the flavor that comes out of the wire.

You are just asking that others pay your share of your electric bill, many of those others may be worse off than you are. Socialism pure and simple. Jim

I'm not forcing anyone to pay may share. Since most utilities have a published rate, any discount they give is off from the bottom line. They don't increase the rates on everyone else because I just signed up for a discount. And the coupon analogy does work because coupons that are used today aren't as much to get you to switch brands (that has proven that it doesn't work) but rather as a tax write off as an advertising expense and to get the public to try a new product. Most coupons are worthless today as compared to years ago.

Here we have our choice of 4 different suppliers of electric. Each one tries to get you to sign up with them. The rates are all the same so if any of them offer a discount, again it is off from their bottom line.

And by the way, we pay almost the highest rate in the country for electric. Any discount would be welcomed.

Allen

[Hose_Head]

Example: Lets say your family income is $120,000 a year and you get a $17 discount because you use a cpap. A family that lives down the road from you has a family income of $18,000 a year but they don't get a $17 discount because they don't use a cpap. If there is no limit on income for the discount and I think that's the way it was explained, please justify that $17 discount that your getting.

Goofproof has a point that the $17 per month rebate that's offered for cpap is higher than necessary to offset the electrical cost of cpap. The amount of the rebate is something that the power company might wish to reconsider. Whatever the company's motivation, it is free to offer whatever break in rates it wishes. However,why do you suggest one needs to justify asking for a break in rates that's freely offered by the company?

Would you advocate that a well-off senior not ask for a senior's discount where one is offered? Are you suggesting that those with a comfortable income should pay full list price for a car? Or if qualified, not claim for a disability deduction on income taxes? Or discard store, or manufacturer coupons?

Most families that are well off give generously to charity. Perhaps the break that's offered by the electric company will be given back through donations to those who really need them. The charity offered by the electric company is therefore redirected.

You can have the last word on this. I'm out of the debate. No sense in hi-jacking the thread further.

[chunkyfrog]

What is legal and what is moral do not always converge--It's just how things are. Life is not always fair.

[OceanGoingGal]

Wow, I am going to check out my power company. I do know that they will put us on a list for priority restoration of power after an outage behind the hospitals and nursing homes.

Laura

[LoQ]

I need an alert system for my grandfather. I searched many places but they all costs very much. These posts may help in approaching to a right place. Do any one know the supplier who can give certain discount on this. Medical alert system is recommended by many doctors and the same is done by my grandfather's physician also.

Yet more spam. Hopefully no one is fooled into clicking on your links and thereby rewarding you.