Photo by: Sandra Crook
“What’s this processing charge?” said Ryan to the electric company’s customer support.
“Things like printing and mailing your bill,” she said. “It costs money, you know.”
Fuming, Ryan refurbished the water wheel that ran his family’s old saw mill. He connected it to the power grid. Soon it made far more electricity than he used. By law, the electric company suddenly had to pay him for power!
He started sending them bills.
They sent Mr. Fuddleduddy to protest. He held out a bill to Ryan. “What’s this processing charge for $35?”
“You know,” smirked Ryan. “For printing and mailing your bill.”
____________________________
Written for Friday Fictioneers: https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2017/01/04/6-january-2017/
EagleAye
Momus News 
This is great. I lived in a place with a rural co-op that would pay you if you had a turbine. Iowa has a lot of wind.
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Oh yeah. I really want to get into alternative energy. I plan to get solar panels as soon as I can. I wish I had a running stream nearby. I’d put in a micro-turbine and get energy 24/7! Thanks much! 🙂
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You HAVE to do it as soon as you can, because three weeks from now president Trump might make all new solar illegal. 🙂 Well, maybe not illegal per se, but he could end the 30% tax credit.
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A fact I’m terribly aware of. I feel all the energy security we’ve developed until now may go down in flames at Trump’s hands. He’ll probably take away the tax credits for electric cars and increase the subsidies for oil companies. *sigh* And here I was saving to afford a Chevy Volt.
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Great story! This sounds like NZ’s electric utilities (except they don’t pay you if you generate power – they merely find some new way of punishing you). The problem we have is that we used to have a single integrated national grid, balanced between generating systems. That was broken up and an artificial ‘market’ created for power in the 1990s, with the result that the complementary generating systems had to compete with each other instead and every so often the wholesale price of power spikes up over $4000 per kilowatt-hour, which is crazy. Sigh…
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Thank you! That’s strange that the price would spike “up.” You’d think that with competing systems they’d fight for the business of customers and the price would go “down.” Somehow, this climbing price sounds like a racket to me.
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It’s a fault in the completely artificial ‘market’ created out of a system that was designed to the exact opposite parameters in the 1930-80 era. Would doubtless work fine if the generating system was designed for it…
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Ah, I felt the sweetness of his revenge and for a moment the whole world was just a little brighter
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Hehe. We can all dream, can’t we? *Sigh* 😉 Thanks so much! 🙂
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Dear Eric
I wonder how that’s going to work for Ryan. Love the name Fuddleduddy. Good job. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I expect the energy company will refuse to pay the processing fees. After which, Ryan will start charging them late fees. 😀 After that, time to transfer the bills to a collections agency. 😉 Glad you enjoyed the name. Thanks so much, Rochelle! 🙂
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Oh that is beeyuuutiful! If only we could do that all the time 😀
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Right? It’s one of my happy fantasies. 😉 Thanks Lyn! 🙂
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Smart man, now if he has a solution for the surcharge on credit and debit cards then please let us know.
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I’m working on that one. I’ll keep you all updated on progress. 😉
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Friggin, frackin’ bills! Grrr…
Well done! Like the story! 😀
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Hehe. I’ve said something similar, although my language was a little more “colorful” at the time. 😉 Glad you liked this one. Thanks kindly! 🙂
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It seemed only fair that he should advise them of what they owed him, and bill them for giving them his helpful advise.🙂
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I think so. TPower companies do it for us. “Do unto others…” and all that, you know. 😉 Thanks much, Michael! 🙂
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Ryan is my hero.
He is the new Progressive, a cousin to Anonymous, a sister to Tree Hugger, and a friend to all of earth.
No charge for my printing of compliments.
LOL.
Randy
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Hehe. As it ought to be. Maybe there shouldn’t be printing anyway, it just kills trees. 😉 Ryan is my hero too. I hope to follow his example. Now I’m off to put out the recycling. 😉 Thanks so much, Randy! 🙂
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Wouldn’t that be lovely… to be reimbursed for helping supply energy…
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In some states it really does happen. If you make excess energy, the power company must pay YOU! Maybe someday I’ll get that arrangement. 😉
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There are places in Canada too…
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I figured such. Turn those lemons into lemonade! Love it!
Super story, E.A.!
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Hehe. That’s the right attitude. Thanks so much! 🙂
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