The n.C. Utilities commission stipulates that electric utilities will deliver voltage at 120/240 volts plus or minus 5%. This is from 114 volts to 126 volts. It never intended to allow a steady state (sustained) voltage of 124 volts to 126 volts. The 5% swing is to allow the automatic regulators to adjust the voltage back to 120 volts when electrical usage decreases and/or increases. An increase in usage will drop the voltage and a decrease in usage will cause the voltage to increase thus the use of automatic equipment to return it to 120 volts. This equipment is now set to keep the voltage around 124 volts plus. This allows the electric utility company to make and deliver the electricity cheaper. This higher voltage causes electronic equipment, light bulbs, and other electrical equipment to fail at a faster rate. The light bulb rated at 1000 hours of life at 120 volts (read the package) will only last approximately 700 hours at 124 volts and even less at 126 volts. This causes the consumer to have to buy more light bulbs thus increasing his monetary loss. This also causes the light bulb manufacturer to have to produce more light bulbs thus increasing his profit. Then you have the increased usage of energy to make the bulbs and the increased usage and waste of our natural resources. Multiply this by the billions of microwaves, radios, televisions, and anything else that has electronic components and we have in our backyards one of the most wasteful schemes in our time all in the name of profit for the electric utility. The electric utilities contribute to virtually every politician from the county level to the national level and everything inbetween. They are just about bullet proof when it comes to getting meaningful regulation from the politicians. They have managed to remove much of their profits from public utility regulation to private corporation greed and still have regulation in place that mandates they get their requested rate increases from us the ratepayer. This is certainly my opinion but, is based on my years trouble shooting for the electric utility in the homes and business of their customers. My statement concerning the light bulb is backed up by the light bulb industry tests on bulbs operating at 120 volts versus 124 volts. Most people do not understand electricity and rely on these utilities to be trustworthy. My next question is, how much will this higher voltage effect the life and performance of the politically mandated flourscent light bulb switch over and of course, how much will it cost us the consumer and ratepayer?
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