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Comment by zippyman55 | Hacker News Reader

I'm a big natural gas guy (for cooking) with property in Coastal California. But, I think getting off gas may be the way to go. My utility bill requires a gas transport fee, and looking at it, when I am absent, I'm spending $120+/month for a pilot light and an idle water heater. Electricity would offer a cheaper way to shut off the usage while gone, and to avoid the excessive gas fees. So, I'd consider a electric water heater, electric stove, and then I have to resolve the heating issue, but climate is mild where I live.

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Don't worry, the excessive fee even when you're not using it aka "Base Services Charge" is coming to electricity as well.

I've used gas and induction stoves and they are almost comparable. I certainly wouldn't replace my heat pump and induction stove with gas.

For those who don't know: they make induction ranges with knobs now. Touch controls aren't necessary. Since that was one of the most common real complaints, I figure it's worth noting that it's no longer universally valid.

Ramping up idle fees is how they will force the holdouts onto electricity. $120/mo is insane. We pay about $15/mo but I can certainly see it going up

At $120/mo might as well just get a big propane tank and have a tanker come refill it every six to twelve months. If they’re not using it to heat the house a 500 gallon tank lasts a long time. Bonus points because you can use it as a generator fuel source for the inevitable California power outage and possible earthquake disaster.

On my issue, the temperature extremes are like 61-63 with an average of 62. LOL. I’m out of state 6 months a year. I could just shut off the gas. But the realization w the recent price increases really make me want to get rid of gas. I bet I save $500 a year.

They'll ramp up automatically as people switch to the new system and less people use the old system that's sized and priced as if everyone is using it.

In more organized places they are a) ensuring new subdivisions are gas free from the start and b) disconnecting large areas of older connections simultaneously to minimize overheads.

That's a choice, not automatic. The government subsides many, many things and that doesn't have to be an exception. They should just continue to advertise the absolute amazingness of the alternatives, train government backed installers, and use the carrot and stick method

Instead of just whacking people with the stick (and leave the installations entirely up to the private sector who have a terrible history of being conmen when it's the government providing grants to the businesses)

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