I just read my electric bill. The electric company charges a distribution charge of 30 for bringing it to YOU, so says the bill.

I think 30 dollars per how many people? That's a lot of flecking money.

Maintaining all those meters, lines, poles, transformers, and switchgear costs a lot of money. Not all that $30 is profit.

I suppose, not to mention the hazardous pay. Richly deserved. I sure wouldn't want to be a linebacker.

It is not that dangerous. These 'so called' danagerous conditions are often completely safe - as long as you follow the rules. As long as you always ask yourself, "What if ..."

For example, how dangerous are stairs? You will never fall down stairs if you always hold onto the hand rail - without exception. But some sometimes violate that rule. Therefore sometimes people fall down stairs.

Same applies to working on electricity. Always follow simple rules and it is not dangerous. Danger only exists because some people get reckless. The difference from falling down stairs? When you do not follow the rules with electricity, then you do more than break an arm.

I have no idea what we pay because my wife pays the bills and I try to avoid any knowledge of how much things cost; ignorance is bliss I guess. That being said we used to have super high electric bills in July and August because we are in Houston and we had a 16 year old airconditioner. In those months $500 per month was not unusual. Then it died and we put in the highest SEER unit we could get and the bills now are typically around $150 in those months.

My first home in Houston in the 80's had an Arcla Servel Gas fired air conditioner and our summer electric bills were not bad but the gas bill was higher then in the middle of winter!