Higher fixed monthly charges will only delay the inevitable. In places like Hawaii, it could actually speed it up. Suppose you were a homeowner with solar pane

Higher fixed monthly charges will only delay the inevitable. In places like Hawaii, it could actually speed it up. Suppose you were a homeowner with solar panels installed. Right now, you're not paying very little because of net metering. Two years from now, the utility decides you'll need to pay monthly for grid connection. It might then make sense to just cut the grid connection. Adding panels and batteries is the obvious choice, along with upgrading appliances with more energy efficient ones. Batteries are expensive, though they could be in your electric car. One step further, if neighbourhoods or condo associations organize in micro-grids, big utilities are again stranded with useless assets.