Letter to the Editor: Avista's cost comparison advertising misleading?

To the Editor:

Avista spends THEIR money advertising OUR electric service cost as “33% lower than the national average.” Duh!; so what?

Here’s what! A more local comparison puts our residential cost nearly 300 percent HIGHER than Wenatchee’s (9.3 vs. 3.2 cents/kwh, respectively). But, so much for the ridiculous comparisons. Let’s do this more reasonable comparison: My own Avista cost “consumption rate” is more than 200 percent HIGHER than it was in 1999 (9.3 vs. 4.5 cents/kwh respectively).

Yup! Right here! And that 200 percent rate increase is all Avista experience. Yup! Executive compensation, bonuses, future liabilities covered (pensions?) and all the justified “costs” finally made Avista attractive enough to be bought out. Well, just considering some of the possibilities for a public entity…regulated, however, as it is.

Jay Birge

Odessa