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[princec]

It's quite weird being skint, I had thought that 30 odd years of being a programmer would make me useful to someone, especially as I hear there's a shortage or something.

Cas

[Fred]

It's quite weird being skint, I had thought that 30 odd years of being a programmer would make me useful to someone, especially as I hear there's a shortage or something.

Cas

I was still under the impression that there's a lot of demand. Since Covid you should even find that location is less important. Many of those London roles have opened up to remote working. I live in the UK but I'm now working for my previous empoyer's parent company. My office is now in Amsterdam and I'm 100% remote. They were so keen to retain coders that when my previous project came to an end they went out of their way to find something else for me in a totally different area.

[Richard230]

It's quite weird being skint, I had thought that 30 odd years of being a programmer would make me useful to someone, especially as I hear there's a shortage or something.

Cas

I was still under the impression that there's a lot of demand. Since Covid you should even find that location is less important. Many of those London roles have opened up to remote working. I live in the UK but I'm now working for my previous empoyer's parent company. My office is now in Amsterdam and I'm 100% remote. They were so keen to retain coders that when my previous project came to an end they went out of their way to find something else for me in a totally different area.

My son-in-law's company has gone 100% remote. Everyone is very happy with that.  They have 180 employees and used to lease a two-story office building in San Francisco for big bucks. Now the company is saving that monthly cost (not an insignificant savings in a city like SF) and the employees no longer have to commute to work across a toll bridge (or take expensive and slow public transit), pay for expensive parking each day in the city and hope their vehicle doesn't get broken into by the homeless or thieves. Plus, when working at home you can take breaks when needed to attend to other matters on the spur of the moment, such as taking the kids to school or waiting around for a repairman to arrive during their 4 or 8-hour window. 

[Richard230]

A couple of days ago it was announced that the CEO of PG&E received a total "direct compensation" of just over $51 million, in spite of all of their problems.  Seems like a nice job if you can get it. Plus, the job typically comes with a large and comfortable "golden parachute" should you need to leave the company in a hurry. 

[Fran K]

Didn"t PG&E go bankrupt primaraly because the government fixed what they could charge but their price to purchace power was market.  I believe California was the only place Exxon actually made any money.  In that general time frame.  Is it some re designed entity from prior?

[DonTom]

A couple of days ago it was announced that the CEO of PG&E received a total "direct compensation" of just over $51 million, in spite of all of their problems.  Seems like a nice job if you can get it. Plus, the job typically comes with a large and comfortable "golden parachute" should you need to leave the company in a hurry. 

I never could understand why CEOs often get large bonuses when the company is going downhill for mismanagement.  Not uncommon at all.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

BTW, in CA, do Zero motorcycles qualify for the EV lower rate before 1500 hrs?  I have that here, but I used my Tesla for that since it has a CA plate. The plate has to match the state in CA.


They also have the same type of deal in Reno, but electricity is so cheap there at 11.7 cents per KWH, I don't even bother with it and there I charge up any time.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Richard230]

BTW, in CA, do Zero motorcycles qualify for the EV lower rate before 1500 hrs?  I have that here, but I used my Tesla for that since it has a CA plate. The plate has to match the state in CA.


They also have the same type of deal in Reno, but electricity is so cheap there at 11.7 cents per KWH, I don't even bother with it and there I charge up any time.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

My understanding is that only EV cars get the lower nighttime charging rate, not motorcycles.  Keep in mind that the EV rate plan was likely formulated by PG&E after being squeezed by the Governor and the legislators to give EV cars a break and then they got their friends on the CA PUC to approve it. No politician gives a rats behind what happens with motorcycles, which is why we pay the same tolls as cars and two-axle trucks to cross bridges outside of car pool hours. 

[DonTom]

My understanding is that only EV cars get the lower nighttime charging rate, not motorcycles.  Keep in mind that the EV rate plan was likely formulated by PG&E after being squeezed by the Governor and the legislators to give EV cars a break and then they got their friends on the CA PUC to approve it. No politician gives a rats behind what happens with motorcycles, which is why we pay the same tolls as cars and two-axle trucks to cross bridges outside of car pool hours. 

Your understanding is NOT correct. I get a cheaper rate when I run a clothes drier or an air conditioner or anything else before 1500 hrs. It makes no difference what it is, but includes EVs. There are a couple of different EV plans and they are NOT the same.


But one thing PG&E  requires for any of their plans is for you to own an EV and it must have a CA plate and be on their list of EV models. I do not recall if Zero is on that list. I would look for you, but since I already have it, the website does weird things when I try to look, as I need to put in the same old info to look.


You will need your PG&E account number, the VIN number of any EV you own with a CA plate and your zip code and other such info. It will ask you what type of EV you have and IIRC, you must select from their list. IIRC, Zero is on it in CA, but NOT in NV. And that is why I never got the plan in NV. My Tesla and Energica have CA plates. I have two Zeros, one with CA & the other with a NV plate. I am sure I had the problem in NV, not CA, as Zero was NOT on their list then. Perhaps it is now. But at the full rate of 11.7 cents per KWH in Reno, I figure I will just forget the entire thing and not have any concern about what time it is.


But CA juice is very expensive, as you know.


So start the on-line application and see what happens. You could save a bundle, but only between 0000 and 1500 hrs, seven days a week. 


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Richard230]

I guess things have changed since the EV nighttime discounted rate plan was announced. A couple of years ago I received a random letter from PG&E announcing their new EV rate option for electric vehicles that I could sign up for. In the letter they mentioned that electric motorcycles were not approved for the program. In any case I typically do my charging during the early morning starting at 5:30am before I go for a ride a few hours later. The power rates are a little lower before 4pm each day.

[DonTom]

I guess things have changed since the EV nighttime discounted rate plan was announced. A couple of years ago I received a random letter from PG&E announcing their new EV rate option for electric vehicles that I could sign up for. In the letter they mentioned that electric motorcycles were not approved for the program. In any case I typically do my charging during the early morning starting at 5:30am before I go for a ride a few hours later. The power rates are a little lower before 4pm each day.

Yes, they changed things around a year ago and it was to my benefit. That doesn't happen often. I am not sure how PG&E now deals with electric motorcycles, as electric  cycles have  changed. These days, some motorcycles can home charge at 12KW.  That's more than many electric cars.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[togo]

Didn"t PG&E go bankrupt primaraly because the government fixed what they could charge but their price to purchace power was market.  I believe California was the only place Exxon actually made any money.  In that general time frame.  Is it some re designed entity from prior?

No, that was the old bankruptcy Grey Davis / Enron era.  Part of why we got the Governator.

[Richard230]

Didn"t PG&E go bankrupt primaraly because the government fixed what they could charge but their price to purchace power was market.  I believe California was the only place Exxon actually made any money.  In that general time frame.  Is it some re designed entity from prior?

No, that was the old bankruptcy Grey Davis / Enron era.  Part of why we got the Governator.

 

And then we had a new bankruptcy in 2020, after getting a new Governor, needing even higher utility rates to pay off the latest disaster. 

PG&E the company that keeps on giving. 

[Richard230]

They are at it again. Two rate increases so far this year and PG&E has just applied for another one. 

[DonTom]

I received my PG&E (Northern and Central California utility company) power bill yesterday and now my blood pressure is up and I need to rant. 

In a few days, you may rant some more.


I am having solar put on this house. Won't be cheaper, but at least not nearly as much of my money will go to PG&E and my power will stay on during the PG& E outages.


OTOH, at the rate PG&E is rising their rates, the solar will soon be cheaper.


-Don-  Auburn, CA