Does your electric company give you a discount or allow CPAP users to be on the priority restore list?

I notice that at least one California electric company, PG&E, allows CPAP users to get on a list to have their electricity restored ASAP in case of an unexpected outage, and also receive advanced warning of a planned outage, like when there is a wild fire. They also give CPAP users a monthly discount on their bills!!

https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/s ... ance.page

But in Nevada, NVEnergy does not allow CPAP users into their priority services program, unless the CPAP user is a minor. Plus there is no discount. Although when I called, a (clueless?) rep said CPAP users are allowed into the program, but the form they sent me below says otherwise:



My CPAP machine is a life-saving device. If I can't use it, I don't fall asleep. I am very groggy, especially on the second day of no CPAP use, and could crash a car. So it is life saving.

What are the policies of other states/power companies? Is everyone here on their electric companies list? Do you get a discount?

How much of a discount do you think you deserve? How much do you use? Let's work it out with some "napkin math": The pump uses about 50 Watt-hours a night. Make that 100 for the new ResMed power hogs. Triple it for heater and hose. Add some for the AC->DC conversion in the power supply. We're up to about 400 Watt-hours a night or 12 kWh a month. Rates vary greatly state to state - in MA we pay over 20 cents a kWh, NV is under 10. Some are even cheaper during the night. At 10 cents that's $1.20 a month or about $15 a year. It would seem that the PG&E allotment of 500 kWh per month at the lowest rate is overly generous by a wide margin.

On the other hand, this is not a "giveaway," its an allotment at the lowest rate. In MA I think this would be about a 10% discount or about $1.50 a year. Of course, with the 500kWh/month allotment its worth a lot more. But then, why don't we always get the lowest rate? It is a "public utility" isn't it?

Read this old post.. viewtopic/t5646/Special-Electric-Rates- ... c+discount

As the Cap'n states, cpap is cheap to run--so why offer a discount at all?
---PR for a greedy, bloodsucking, over-priced power company,
whose sole objective is profit for the stockholders--not service and value for the ratepayers.
Privately owned power companies vs public utilities:
Guess who gets better service at lower rates . . . (The one that only needs to BREAK EVEN)
In Lincoln, NE, we have one of the lowest rates in the nation--and some of the most reliable service.
No special group gets a discount--EVERYBODY gets the best service/best price.
PG&E has been owned by investors for over a hundred years.
Attempts have been made to privatize our power--always with great resistance--we won!

Best thing to do is to check the CPAP or BiPAP box and cross the part about a minor/child if it does not apply.

By crossing it out, you have not made an untrue or misleading statement!

Calculating a "discount" would cost more in clerical expenses that any amount you would save!

crab-legs wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 1:05 am

My CPAP machine is a life-saving device. If I can't use it, I don't fall asleep. I am very groggy, especially on the second day of no CPAP use, and could crash a car. So it is life saving.

If you're in a position where you are so groggy that driving a car is so dangerous, and you choose to drive a car, then any accident, injury or death is completely on you.

You need to stop believing that other people are responsible for negative outcomes because of decisions you make.

D.H. wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:33 am

Best thing to do is to check the CPAP or BiPAP box and cross the part about a minor/child if it does not apply.

By crossing it out, you have not made an untrue or misleading statement!

Calculating a "discount" would cost more in clerical expenses that any amount you would save!

The postage to mail the form may cost more than any discount on the CPAP electricity use..

crab-legs wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 1:05 am

I notice that at least one California electric company, PG&E, allows CPAP users to get on a list to have their electricity restored ASAP in case of an unexpected outage, and also receive advanced warning of a planned outage, like when there is a wild fire. They also give CPAP users a monthly discount on their bills!!

https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/s ... ance.page

But in Nevada, NVEnergy does not allow CPAP users into their priority services program, unless the CPAP user is a minor. Plus there is no discount. Although when I called, a (clueless?) rep said CPAP users are allowed into the program, but the form they sent me below says otherwise:



My CPAP machine is a life-saving device. If I can't use it, I don't fall asleep. I am very groggy, especially on the second day of no CPAP use, and could crash a car. So it is life saving.

What are the policies of other states/power companies? Is everyone here on their electric companies list? Do you get a discount?

XPAP isn't a life saving devise, it's a treatment device to TREAT Sleep Apnea, If worried get a power back up in place, on your dime...
Crap use little electric, as far as not having power you can make battery backup, big brother doesn't need to pay for XPAP! If you are put on a Iron Lung, call them..
Sometimes you need to take care of yourself. Jim

Nope. Mine doesn't

San Diego Graft and Extortion provides a discount by increasing the baseline allowance by a factor of about 5 in my case. I do use an ASV with heated hose, as well as an Oxygen concentrator.
With the rates here starting at about 25 cents per KWH and escalating quickly, it does make a noticeable difference on my monthly bill, even though I seldom use half the allowable tier one power.

Do I deserve the discount?
That is not up to me.
But I do honestly qualify under their terms.

bwexler wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:58 am

San Diego Graft and Extortion provides a discount by increasing the baseline allowance by a factor of about 5 in my case. I do use an ASV with heated hose, as well as an Oxygen concentrator.
With the rates here starting at about 25 cents per KWH and escalating quickly, it does make a noticeable difference on my monthly bill, even though I seldom use half the allowable tier one power.

Do I deserve the discount?
That is not up to me.
But I do honestly qualify under their terms.

You are using Oxygen which is a "life saving device".

Thanks to all who replied!

D.H. wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:33 am

Best thing to do is to check the CPAP or BiPAP box and cross the part about a minor/child if it does not apply.

By crossing it out, you have not made an untrue or misleading statement!

Calculating a "discount" would cost more in clerical expenses that any amount you would save!

That is a good idea. Thank you. Although it probably will lead to my rejection, lol.

Another issue, the program is not only for priority restoration, it is also for priority advance notice in case of a planned shut-off. I may not qualify for the restoration, but I would like to be notified in advance so I can make other arrangements, like travelling to an area that does have power. A few days notice would help, as I can't just pick up and go 4 hours away on the fly.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 8:11 am

crab-legs wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 1:05 am

My CPAP machine is a life-saving device. If I can't use it, I don't fall asleep. I am very groggy, especially on the second day of no CPAP use, and could crash a car. So it is life saving.

If you're in a position where you are so groggy that driving a car is so dangerous, and you choose to drive a car, then any accident, injury or death is completely on you.

You need to stop believing that other people are responsible for negative outcomes because of decisions you make.

The problem is sometimes you have to drive. My medical doctors are 4 hours away from me. And without my CPAP, I cannot fall asleep. Before I had CPAP, I spent all day at home sleepy. So sleepy I really didn't go out much. I slept for up to 20 hours a day and was still sleepy. I couldn't work.

Goofproof wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 8:39 am

XPAP isn't a life saving devise, it's a treatment device to TREAT Sleep Apnea, If worried get a power back up in place, on your dime...
Crap use little electric, as far as not having power you can make battery backup, big brother doesn't need to pay for XPAP! If you are put on a Iron Lung, call them..
Sometimes you need to take care of yourself. Jim

I appreciate your sentiments Jim. The problem with me is that is is life saving. If I can't use CPAP, I can't fall asleep. And without sleep, a person will eventually die. There was a case where a POW/hostage was interrogated and denied sleep for 45 days. Every time he began to sleep, the interrogator woke him up. After the 45 days, he died suddenly from lack of sleep.

Even if I do "sleep" a few hours a night, my life would be so miserable that I would not be able to function. As I said in my last post above, before CPAP, I slept up to 20 hours per day and when I woke up I was so groggy that I just sat at my computer at home and surfed the internet.

As for a battery backup, the problem is the CPAP battery by BPS lasts only for 1-2 days if you use the maximum allowed of two, which are 100W each. However, we have been warned to prepare for a planned power outage for up to 7 days due to a purposeful shut-off because of wild fire. (Our area had the devastating Camp Fire last year which killed 86 people; and PG&E caused it due to active power lines touching tinder. They are being sued for billions of dollars.) So we have to be able to survive 7 days with no power, no cell phones, no running water, and no sewer.

Also, I think it is so funny in that form I posted, NVEnergy considers an electric bed or chair a device that qualifies for the program, but not adult CPAP. If you don't have power for an electric bed or chair, you will still live and be able to function. Although I agree it should be listed, as you would be trapped at home otherwise, but you could still call for help.

babydinosnoreless wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:06 am

Nope. Mine doesn't

Your power company is really strict! Mine is medium, whereas PG&E in California is super liberal!

bwexler wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:58 am

San Diego Graft and Extortion provides a discount by increasing the baseline allowance by a factor of about 5 in my case. I do use an ASV with heated hose, as well as an Oxygen concentrator.
With the rates here starting at about 25 cents per KWH and escalating quickly, it does make a noticeable difference on my monthly bill, even though I seldom use half the allowable tier one power.

Do I deserve the discount?
That is not up to me.
But I do honestly qualify under their terms.

You are so lucky!