Utility bill hike
Chatting over yesterday’s newly arrived utility bill, a friend’s assertion that Ashland utility bills had nearly doubled during the past decade seemed exaggerated. So, I looked back at my own bills for the period 2008 to 2010, which averaged $1,003 annually.
Ten years later, my household is the same size and utility usage changed little if any. However, for the period 2016 to 2018, conservatively estimating the remainder of 2018, I’m averaging over $1,800 per year. This is an 80 percent increase compared with a 17 percent increase in my pension over the same time period — and a 15 percent decrease in my Avista bill! Why this astronomical increase in city charges in a largely flat economy with a low rate of inflation?
David Churchman
Ashland
