How is your power bill?

It was funny the way a simple comment about the effect of Mr. Obama's carbon-swap policy on the price of electricity seemed to set everyone off on a political tangent. Obviously, any increase in the cost of producing and delivering electricity is passed along to its consumers, so our power bills here in the US WILL soon increase if Mr. Obama's carbon swap plan is implemented. Mr. Obama believes that the benefit to the envorinonment of this scheme outweigh the negative effects of increased power bills throughout the US during a recession. All US-based Audiogoners will pay the price for it, not just those who so vociferously agree here, with everything Mr. Obama wants to impose.

The cap and trade program is projected to cost the American family an additional $3100 per year on top of what they already pay for utilities. Even some Democrats are backing away from that. We should not be penalized for using the only sources of energy made available to us. Perhaps my Krells will soon be a luxury that I cannot afford to enjoy. They will become a monument to tax and spend policies.

My equipment is in Mexico where the electrical utilities are a graduated cost. That is to say, use very little power and your rate is very low (likewise the bill), use more electricity and the excess is billed at a higher rate and so on. There are three levels of rates. We had always fallen in the lowest category (about $10 per month) until I brought in the three Krells and Maggie 20.1s. Yikes, overnight we landed in the highest category of rate charges and the bill was $70. I have taken the following steps:

1. Use the center channel and sub amp very infrequently

2. Quit using the system altogether for movies

3. Turn the amps off - no more standby

These are measures that we will all be considering if the cap and trade policies are put in place!

Thank you for this thread. My power bill averages $30.00 a month. I occasionally consider adding tube electronics, mostly because I like to fiddle around with things. I had never thought about power usage and cost before. I hate paying monthly bills and paying $300 a month for power is shocking and wasteful. Anyway I love the sound of my Naim Nait 5i-2. That Audio Research VSi60 I have been fantasizing about is hereby off the wish-list.

I wonder if any of the rest of us has gone on to purchase a different audio product because of power consumption concerns like guidocorona. My hat is off to him/her. It's a smart choice, all things considered - I think that for most of us, it is like giving up that big luxury car! I struggle with that! Nice going guidocorona.