True that. Tight supply could cause high prices and BK a REP. I was thought you meant the other way around, as in Breeze BK causing limited supply leading to brownouts.
Bernard
Not related. Breeze is a REP. They don’t own generation assets. They buy wholesale and sell retail. It seems they were not doing it profitably.
Bernard
Texas Power Guide's Rate Grinder Tool is suggesting the following based on the single data point (731 kWh usage in April) I have for my mom's account:
Express Energy
Express Energy Quick 12 Plan
Charge if you use at least 1 kWh: $31 per billing cycle
Additional charge if you use at least 1001 kWh: $94 per billing cycle
Additional charge if you use more than 1000 kWh: 12.50¢ per kWh in excess of 1000 kWh
Estimated annual average rate: $0.091 per kWh.
I probably should find out the actual usage for the other 11 months. Rate Grinder predicts she'll pay $31/month for 6 of the next 12 months. She has electric heat though, so her usage may be higher in the winter than the model predicts.
Bernard
Default risk is real, but the consequences are seemingly minor, and certainly hard to quantify. Yes, I have to find a new REP. Yes, rates may have increased since choosing the cheapest REP and now I have to pay more to the new cheapest provider. How much extra should one pay to avoid those risks?
Electrons jiggling on a wire are the ultimate commodity product.
I just signed up at Awesome Power .com to see what they have to offer. Awaiting their email now.
Bernard
I'm curious about that too, Close.
To date, OE has signed me up with: Pennywise Power (still in business); Star Tex Energy (sold to Constellation); Reliant (still in business); Breeze (lasted through my contract, but now gone); and Our Energy (jury is still out). I guess another benefit of OE that I hadn't even considered was the fact they they'll automatically switch me to a new REP if mine goes BK.
Maybe the Breeze founder can chime in again about what happened to them. Did the very recent switch of me (and who knows how many other OE customers) to Our Energy put them out of business?
Bernard
Looks like Breeze Energy is kaput. As noted above, Energy Ogre just switched me to another provider, but my mom still uses Breeze. This email hit her Inbox today from the PUC:
No idea if Reliant is going to honor the Breeze contract terms. Something tells me the answer is no.
Bernard
Nice Cherokee, Brat. Check out Lloyd's Mats for some quality floor mats if OEM is no longer available. Some of their mats are better than OEM quality.
Bernard
12 spark plugs? Nope. Try 24. Yes. 604 HP will eat tires. Some of the suspension components are practically considered consumables, but luckily not the expensive parts. The ABC suspension that plagued early 2000-era cars became more robust. There are also non-OEM options available to replace hydraulic lines at a tiny fraction of dealer costs. The convertible tops can be finicky, but not terrible. I'm unaware of substantial electronics issues. Budget a few grand for maintenance every year for sure.
Bernard
2006 Mercedes-Benz SL 65
604 horsepower
44k miles
MSRP: $179,000 plus options (sales tax alone is $11,200+)
Sold for: $36,501 + 5% fee
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2006-mercedes-benz-sl65-amg-3/
Plus the new SL is fugly.
Bernard
I’ve only had one new car in my life: 2005 Lexus ES330. Free to me. Boss told me to go buy one. He paid. Free car. Free gas. Free insurance. Cost $40k. Drove it 65k miles over 4 years. . Sold it for $15k, which went in my pocket, not his. Even though it didn’t cost me a penny, it seemed like such a waste. Any enjoyment was overshowed by the thought that I could have gotten so much more car by going used. Forget $40k, I could have had a better car for $25k. Never again.
Bernard
My GF used to drive one of these, although hers was a few years older. This is a whole lot of car for the money:
https://www.carmax.com/car/14956477
2008 Mercedes E350
70k miles
MSRP: $55,000 (approx.)
Asking Price: $14,998
If you're worried about repairs, Carmax offers some stellar warranties.
Bernard
New cars are for suckers and people with bad credit.
I test drove this car today: https://www.ultimatems.com/vehicle-details/2010-jaguar-xk-2010-xkr-supercharged-coupe-nav-bowers-43k-mls--2010-supercharged-nav-leather-pwr-seats-20-alloys-wood-keyless-bowers-wilkins-xenons-coupe-cd17f9de8c804678929f10cdfd07feb6
2010 Jaguar XKR Coupe
Black on Black
44k miles
MSRP: $101,000
Asking Price: $27,980
Holy shit. What a car. 420 HP. VERY tempted, although I'd probably go with a higher mileage one that can be had for a bit less. I really just went to see this one to see if my 6'5" self could fit in it, which I did.
Bernard
IF it really happened, I’d be ragey too. Color me skeptical.
As far as child sex crimes go, it’s rarely the creepy guy in the van. It’s almost always the Dad, or the uncle, of some other person with very close ties to the family.
Quite possible the parents preached stranger danger over and over and the kid made up the story to make her parents proud. At that age, she may not have been able to predict how her little tale would spiral out of control. Then again, maybe it happened just like she said.
Bernard
In Houston you can your passport renewed in one day if you go downtown to the Mickey Leland Federal Building. You must provide proof of a departing flight in the near future (two weeks maybe). As I recall you need to make an appointment, although it’s not really an appointment. It’s just an appointment to wait in line.
Bernard