LITTLE GEMS
How Alliant Energy continues to screw the poor or those in difficulty with their ‘electric’ billing.
During the pandemic Alliant stopped collecting on overdue bills, but then came through with a swath of disconnections in late 2021. People owed thousands but had ‘gotten through.’ That period was over. Alliant then gave those people payment plans with relatively low payments on the big balance owed. So far so good, until the next part. They then gave these people still in difficulty balanced and evened out monthly payments based upon average usage, except with an unwritten caveat. They cannot get out of the balanced payment situation without having the whole amount they owe due and payable immediately.
The evened-out payment is higher than normal usage might allow for. If the customer goes under that amount in actual charges the difference never affects the average due every month, instead it goes to pay off the large amount still due. Forget the seemingly little and generous payment plan originally agreed to. The real payment is the combined payments, no matter how much lower the customer manages to get the bill down using new lightbulbs and shutting things down. If the bill of actual usage goes higher than the evened-out payments, then that evened out payment amount is simply adjusted upward. Alliant wants the public to think it is helping people get by in times of trouble.
It is, if you have not times of trouble, otherwise it’s just another monopolistic operation that is cold and brutal to the lower base of its customers. It might as well open offices to cash checks or give out payday loans. It’s turning into winter in Wisconsin and the expression ‘cold as the driven snow’ can now certainly be applied to this heartless utility company. Oh, by the way, if, when setting up the payment plan you do not opt into the monthly flattened out billing plan then you don’t have to. Nobody tells you that, of course. Once you are in your screwed.
Cable and satellite entertainment.
Have you noticed that the movie channels that used to be delivered for free on cable or satellite (like channels 400 through 500 on Comcast) are now almost all only available through signing up for some monthly service like Cinemax or HBO Plus (at ten bucks a month, or more)? These ‘wonderful’ purveyors have figured out that they can go right around the charges they also have for premium services by splitting up ownership of the material and then sectioning it off to be available only for additional monthly charges. Once again, it’s a monopoly and there is no alternative. If you are going to stream, then there are some great new series to watch: Alaska Daily on Hulu and Shantaram on Apple Plus. Forget White Lotus on HBO. The first two are terrific in writing and acting. The last one is simply awful in every respect.
Person of the Week
Woman stops to help motorist with a flat tire. The stranded motorist had a spare but no jack. The woman loaned her own. Only in rural Wisconsin!
