SDG&E;’s Rates Protested at PUC Hearing in San Diego

Maureen Grega marched for fun during Saturday’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. But Grega marched for a more serious purpose on Monday along with about 50 disgruntled San Diego Gas & Electric customers.

“SDG&E;’s bills are too high,” complained Grega, who lives in the Allied Gardens section of San Diego. “SDG&E;’s electric rates are just too high compared to other utilities in the state.”

Marchers, who handed out leaflets as they wound their way through downtown, listened to speeches at SDG&E;’s headquarters before doubling back to the County Administration Center.

There, representatives of the state Public Utilities Commission heard from an overflow crowd of more than 250 disgruntled SDG&E; customers who filled the county commission room, an upstairs auditorium and two other nearby rooms.

If first impressions count, the crowd scored a victory with PUC Administrative Law Judge Stan Ferraro, who chaired the meeting along with first-term PUC member John Ohanion. “In the 15 years I’ve been in the utility business, this is the largest crowd I have ever seen,” Ferraro said.

‘Dedicated to Reducing Rates’

The crowd cheered and clapped when disgruntled utility customers complained about bills. But they booed and laughed when an SDG&E; representative said the utility was “dedicated to reducing rates.”

Alan Huber, who organized the pre-hearing march, told Ferraro and Ohanion that the pre-hearing march included “a group of ordinary citizens who just got mad . . . and we’re going to keep on raising hell because we are mad.”

Huber complained that fuel oil costs have dropped from $35 a barrel in 1981 to just about $15, but “our rates haven’t even come down a little bit.”

“We’re sick and tired of it, and we ain’t going to take it any more,” Huber told the PUC representatives.

Utility Consumer Action Network executive director Michael Shames told the PUC representatives that it was not “adequately protecting” SDG&E; customers from the “monopoly utility.”

Representing the People

Several SDG&E; customers complained that the utility and the PUC were allied against the utility’s customers. “We want the (PUC) to represent us, the people, not the utility,” complained San Diegan Howard Greenebaum.

Representatives from various senior citizens’ groups complained that older San Diegans have been receiving larger utility bills since SDG&E; introduced a monthly $4.80 service charge.

SDG&E; “has turned simple logic on its head . . . (with) the absurd and ridiculous $4.80 charge,” complained Max Sparer, the president of one San Diego-based citizen club.

“Every step SDG&E; takes to cut our rates ends up costing us more money,” complained Joe Stern, the representative of another seniors’ group. “And this happens with the cooperation of the PUC.”

The PUC will hold another hearing at 7 p.m. today at Escondido City Hall.

The utility has 67,000 customers in southern Orange County.