Quick Note: 5x Off

I don't know if you notice at all, but in our area the power goes off at least five times a day. Wonder if that would reduce our next CUC bill....

Of CUC and Shutdowns...

Ming Palace shuts down, so they told us.

The ire of CUC bills have been plaguing establishments in the CNMI.

This renowned 24-hour diner griped about the utility bills that soared from $4,500 to over $9,000 just for one restaurant. The manager shared that the management has exhausted all cost-saving measures for the store. "I don't even know now which lights to turn off since most of them are," the manager said. The management said, it has been the worst the store has faced since its existence on Saipan. Then, the manager walked down the memory lane during the golden days of the CNMI. The management said it wouldn't want to raise the prices of the food in the restaurant because it knows that the people have lesser purchasing power nowadays.

Another establishment, a department store, will be downsizing and reducing its store area. The management has cleaned up the owner's backyard where the store will keep stocks et. al. The owner said the bill is just killing the business gradually. Thus, before it dies out, the management decided to reduce the store area and rent just one little space to make it work.

A little hotel used to pay $7,000 for CUC power. Then the management decided to use generator at night again to save from the grueling power bills. The AC's are on at night for the tenant's sleeping pleasure. Then in the morning they use CUC power. At first some pencil pushing saw the potential savings the hotel could reap from the measure, however, the little hotel's current power bill reached to a staggering $10,000 for last month's usage. The owner fainted in disbelief. The hotel had to pay the CUC bill plus the fuel for generators.

A small home or apartment tenant was happy to live in a building with generator. The owner of the building does not charge extra for generator. That should make the tenant happy. Last month usage reached 590 kwh for 31 days. The total bill due was around $160. Due to intermittent power outage, the tenant thought of saving a little because of the generator. New CUC bill came with less usage for the month which was 544 kwh. However, the tenant's bill was $210.

So much stories to tell out there...

So what's yours?

Quotable Quotes: On CUC $5.1M Deal

(From Saipan Tribune)

Muna replied, “We made a mistake. We learned from our lesson, and we're not going to do it again.”

More story on this page.

Savoring the final day

As expected, there was a long line of people at the Hollywood Theaters Thursday night in what could be the last day of operation of Saipan's only movie house.

It may reopen in a month but the hundreds of people who were there last night did not want to take chances. Nothing beats the feeling of watching a movie in a giant screen, along with many other strangers. Then there's pop corn and nachos. We will surely miss that experience.

If only the same number of people last night show up everyday at the seven-theater movie house, and if only power rates are not that expensive, then we won't have a problem losing Hollywood Theatres which opened on Sept. 8, 1999.

What a sad day, indeed, for Saipan.

If the power outage initially planned for Friday happens, Hollywood Theaters could have been a luxurious refuge the whole day.

Earth Hour, Saipan style!

Lights were turned off or dimmed from New Zealand to China, Rome, Hungary and San Francisco on Saturday night for Earth Hour, a worldwide campaign to highlight the need for energy conservation and the threat of global warming. It started from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. in many cities around the world.

Not to be outdone, Saipan did more than what the organizers of Earth Hour had asked for, to help save the environment.

The difference is that on Saipan, it was forced on residents by the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. (CUC) because of several hours of power outages during the weekend!

Extra Virgin Atlantic and the CNMI

While the first Virgin Atlantic airlines made its maiden flight using coconut oil as part of its engine fuel, the CNMI has made another mark on a gas hike making a gallon cost $4.04 each gallon.

The islands have definitely no option to this worldwide crisis, however, some countries have been exerting efforts to relieve themselves of this dilemma. Countries like Korea, the Philippines and Japan have been implementing a butane gas enabled taxis and cabs. Manila is operating a public utility vehicle called the Jeepney that runs on electricity.

Now, this Boeing 747 jumbo jet plane runs partly by coconut oil. Critics expressed it was just a publicity stunt for the airline. Can you imagine the loads and tons of coconuts that should be collected for this biofuel? Much as we want the CNMI to use coconuts as an alternative fuel for power, there's not enough natural resources to support the cause.

Whatever has happened to PTI's study on Wind Power? It was an issue before that one scientist explored the possibility of a nuke power here.

So we believe in law of science, where there's an action there will always be an equal reaction. So folks, expect CUC to jack up its utility rates sometime soon.

CUC Rehire Ire

After laying off 20 non resident mechanics and engineers at CUC, at least 7 of them were ordered to be retained under the public law. However, according to an insider these rehiring has been blocked by its personnel management officers. So far these nonresident workers who helped maintained the power plants for several years are jobless as their entry permits here will expire in August (some of them).

These 20 engineers and mechanics remain vigilant to find employment.

Saipan Tribune 11/2007: "Under Public Law 15-103, CUC will be able to retain all seven directly-hired nonresident engineers on its payroll, but only eight of the 20 power plant mechanics and operators hired through a manpower services agency. The law will expire on Sept. 30, 2008."

The Reveler

USDA $1 Billion Power Loans

The paper today headlined a USDA loan for power utility companies. USDA announced yesterday that more than $1.6 billion in electric loans to finance 1,500 miles of new line, upgrades of nearly 1,000 miles of existing line, and improvements to power generation and transmission facilities for rural consumers in 13 states.

Hmmm...I wonder why CUC is not included in the list...Oh I guess we're too busy fixing power plants and writing for loans is not an option.

Speaking of rolling blackouts, it is so nice (clears throat) to live in a place with generators.

Poll: Power to the people

It is sad to hear stories about how the island community is now coping with the high cost of utilities here in the CNMI. Which brings us to our next poll about being happy that the recent turn of events about the legislature overriding a veto of the Governor regarding CUC bill reduction.

We had this nice chitchat with someone who shared with us that there are now families somewhere here on the island that have been disconnected and have not had power for so many months now. The story even told us that these families have to share connections with their neighbors. Some families are now into candles.

It is sad to learn about these realities that extremely bite hard.

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Btw, our last poll got 58 percent of the votes saying that the government should not allow CNMI resident to pay their utility bills within a year, while 23 percent of the voters said yes.

Now, on to our next poll, related to CUC again.

<---- Cast your votes now!

See, You See What It Means?

Our dear CUC is now rubbing off sweat bullets on its forehead fearing to lose most of its grants due to the "forced work stoppage of more than 20 nonresident workers and six engineers at the Commonwealth Utilities Corp." since Sunday. CUC deems this as a serious problem that could impact on the multi-million federal funding being awarded to utilities corporation.

Yesterday CUC officials met with the Legislature and the Executive Branch on a closed-door meeting to request for an extension of the employment of the non-resident workers at CUC. CUC said the lack of engineers and their technical expertise is against some of CUC's agreements with the federal government.

Poll Result: Go Tina! Go Girl!

Our recent poll about Tina Sablan's running for seat at the House of Representatives received significant support from online voters. Out of 84 votes 59.5 percent of them approves Tina's mighty guts to run for office while 14.3 percent asked what the hell is she running at all? Two of the remaining options share 13.1 percent of the votes.

Our next poll is out now. In light of the CNMI's utilities situation, news is also out saying that Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has disapproved legislation that would have given residential consumers a year to pay their bills with the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.

According to the reports from Saipan Tribune that the governor in a letter addressed the Legislature that House Bill 15-244 was unfair to other consumer classes, and it would drain CUC financially. “Enactment of this bill into law would not be in the best interests of the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, or the people of the Northern Marianas,” Fitial said of the bill sponsored by Rep. Ray N. Yumul.

He said it was against the law to grant preferential treatment to residential customers. He cited CUC's enabling legislation, which requires CUC to collect fees fairly and rationally from all consumers. Fitial noted that the bill, if approved, would give residential customers one year to pay their outstanding balances while commercial consumers would be required to continue to pay within 30 days or be subject to service disconnection.

<------ So in this regard, lead the way to our new poll.

Movin' All Up, Movin' All Down

Gomenesai, los siento, dispensa, paumanhin and sorry (move over madonna) for not posting lately, due to hectic and tiring moving out and into a new "safer" place here in Garapan. Yey, I'm in Garapan now.

Thank you Jim Arenovski for featuring our burglary on crimestoppers (by the way Jim, I was able to retrieve online the serial numbers of the macbooks we lost. will email it to you soon.)

Wassup? Our poll ended and yes watch for our new poll soon!

The Reveler

P.S. here's a good laugh, CUC says it's not overcharging us. Woot! Woot!

"CUC: Can't Understand Customer (Service)

I'm taking this from an anonymous comment that CUC in the CNMI stands for "Can't Understand Customer Service."

Geek Goddess and I were at its Dan Dan Office to file for a refund and my, were there lots of people or customers either to complain or at least inquire. We secured a number and got a no. 7. I thought, at least it's 7 and it would be fast.

However, 30 minutes passed and we hadn't been called yet, only to find out that Customer (i don't) Care hollered for no. 23. Whoa?! Yes, 23 and then we saw someone had no. 27 stub in his hand. As we scanned the office, CUC had two customer service agents only and three tables were empty. What's going on? Can't they take a hint? Where's the manager?

Geek Goddess and I left before we reach an hour of futile waiting. We'll try our luck next time. Where are the other agents?

As we waited, we read this poster that says: "CUC spends $2.5 million every month for power plant 1 only." Imagine what it takes to put the burden to the customers to come up with such numbers?

Kudos to CUC, its customer care and its "electrifying" service!

The Reveler

Random acts of billing

Have you ever wondered why your CUC power bill is sometimes way off the usual mark? Think no more. CUC does randomly select a figure for your monthly bill at times when they did not read your power meter because (and they usually tell customers this) they couldn't get past your barking dog or dogs. Your next billing will be adjusted accordingly; that is, if the meter's eventually read.

One customer got the same reasoning from CUC and said, "But I don't have dogs at home!"