LONG ISLAND BULLETIN BOARD

I own a business is there anyway I can contest the fuel surcharge which I think is appalling it is not my fault if LIPA bought oil futures at x amount a barrel because I know from owning a diesel truck that diesel has not been cheaper in years and I am still paying crazy fuel charges on my bill.
--Marcus

Sure, you can dispute the bill and pay the portion that is undisputed. The fuel surcharge is a scam especially if the company bought futures in fuel and with oil declining on the market and they are still charging us as if we were at $90 a barrel is absurd and they burn waste oil which is free electricity and the ships that come in can have up to 10% wast in the cargo making the shipment cheaper and giving us more pollution. Get the call center on the line and ask to speak to a supervisor and ask them how to dispute the bill. If they walk around it let me know. I will be able to help.

I'm no LIPA fan, but you are wasting your time. Did you complain when LIPA hedged and money was saved? No. Did you write LIPA in June and said oil was going down to $35 a barrel? No. (Nobody did) If oil went to $200 a barrel and LIPA didn't hedge, would you have said bravo for not hedging? No.

You have no legal claim. Those charge would be considered legitimate by any regulatory body or court.

If you want to complain, do so because I hear LIPA is NOT hedging now. That got grief because oil prices crashed (like nobody expected) and they were locked in. Now they are afraid. If it was me I would be locking in this price for as long as I could.

No - you can't

LIPA’s September unaudited 2009 financial states current reserves set aside for oil purchases are $246,800,045
The 2008 actual purchase expenditure was 106,785,000

The 2009 budget approved oil purchase is 393,798 That’s almost a 300% increase ($287,013,000) increase over 2008 cost

Combine the increase with the surplus …$287,013,000+ $246,800,045 that is setting aside ½ a billion dollars when oil is cheep. Or as I prefer $500 per ratepayer

I don’t intend to sue LIPA I want political pressure to push for an elected board. You can’t do what LIPA does and get relected


I recommend hedging oil now too

Fred Gorman