thedrifter
08-22-06, 01:29 PM
August 28, 2006
Your utility bill will arrive in the mail — in 3-4 years
By Karen Jowers
Staff writer
The utilities meter, already running for airmen in some family housing, will crank up for soldiers in new housing at five bases starting Sept. 1, as the services follow through on a Pentagon requirement to make troops living in privatized military housing responsible for their utility usage.
Some Air Force families in privatized housing at six bases are already responsible for all or part of their utilities.
The Marine Corps does not expect its billing program to begin for another three to four years. The Navy is not billing sailors yet. At press time, no further comment was available from Navy officials.
But it’s the wave of the future — troops in privatized housing will be responsible for utilities, just like their comrades living outside the installations.
That does not mean everyone will pay extra, however. In the Army, some may get refunds or credits if they use less energy than a base line established via a number of factors based on historical data on the amount of energy used for their kind of housing unit.
The Air Force pays a utility allowance that is part of service members’ Basic Allowance for Housing payments and is recalculated every year. It is set at 110 percent of the actual or estimated monthly utility consumption for each unit type, multiplied by the electricity or gas utility rate.
As in the Army, if Air Force families have energy costs below the utility allowance, they can pocket the difference; if their costs are above the allowance, they must pay out of pocket, said Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Dayan Araujo.
The Army and Air Force are using “mock billing” before actual billing begins.
Soldiers living in privatized family housing at Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Meade, Md.; Fort Hood, Texas; and Fort Lewis, Wash., will get bills or statements sometime after Oct. 1.
The monthly Basic Allowance for Housing is meant to cover not only rent, but also utilities and insurance. Troops in military-owned housing do not get BAH. Those in privatized housing have their BAH turned over to the private developer of their housing. Most private developers have been paying for utilities out of the standard BAH rates paid to each tenant, regardless of how much energy is actually used by military families.
Air Force families in privatized housing at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.; Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, now pay the full cost of their utilities usage, either directly to the project owner or to the local utility, Araujo said.
At three other bases — Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.; and Moody Air Force Base, Ga. — families and developers now share utilities costs, but tenants eventually will be responsible for their energy usage. At 10 other bases where privatization contracts have been awarded, project owners still pay all utilities out of the BAH they collect, but again, tenants eventually will pay for all utilities.
Joyce Raezer, director of government relations for the National Military Family Association, said she has heard no complaints about the utilities billing. But she asks about the issue when she visits bases and talks to families.
“There’s an overwhelming sense that this is fair,” she said. “Anyone who has lived in base housing any length of time knows that people waste electricity. People say that as long as you’re not billing in these old houses that are not energy efficient … and as long as they perceive the base line for billing is fair, then they will be OK with it.”
Ivan Bolden, program manager for the Army’s Residential Communities Initiative, said the Army is clear about those points — only soldiers living in new or completely renovated privatized homes will get billing statements.
If people take basic steps to conserve energy, Bolden said, they should stay within the established base line and perhaps even receive a refund.
The base line is reasonable, he said: “We are not saying people should turn their heat down to 50 degrees in the winter.”
Marine Corps officials said no billing for utilities will occur until homes get individual meters and are renovated or replaced to meet federal Energy Star standards. Meter readings will be taken for a year to establish a base line, and a range will be set above and below that base line use.
If a family’s consumption falls within that range, there would be no bill or rebate. If consumption is 20 percent above or below the base line, they would be billed or reimbursed for the difference.
“Our intent would be to implement the billing and reimbursement process across an entire installation at one time rather than have families in some neighborhoods under the current system and other neighborhoods under the new system,” said Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Jay Delarosa. “Residents would also be advised well in advance of any change in policy.”
Ellie
Your utility bill will arrive in the mail — in 3-4 years
By Karen Jowers
Staff writer
The utilities meter, already running for airmen in some family housing, will crank up for soldiers in new housing at five bases starting Sept. 1, as the services follow through on a Pentagon requirement to make troops living in privatized military housing responsible for their utility usage.
Some Air Force families in privatized housing at six bases are already responsible for all or part of their utilities.
The Marine Corps does not expect its billing program to begin for another three to four years. The Navy is not billing sailors yet. At press time, no further comment was available from Navy officials.
But it’s the wave of the future — troops in privatized housing will be responsible for utilities, just like their comrades living outside the installations.
That does not mean everyone will pay extra, however. In the Army, some may get refunds or credits if they use less energy than a base line established via a number of factors based on historical data on the amount of energy used for their kind of housing unit.
The Air Force pays a utility allowance that is part of service members’ Basic Allowance for Housing payments and is recalculated every year. It is set at 110 percent of the actual or estimated monthly utility consumption for each unit type, multiplied by the electricity or gas utility rate.
As in the Army, if Air Force families have energy costs below the utility allowance, they can pocket the difference; if their costs are above the allowance, they must pay out of pocket, said Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Dayan Araujo.
The Army and Air Force are using “mock billing” before actual billing begins.
Soldiers living in privatized family housing at Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Meade, Md.; Fort Hood, Texas; and Fort Lewis, Wash., will get bills or statements sometime after Oct. 1.
The monthly Basic Allowance for Housing is meant to cover not only rent, but also utilities and insurance. Troops in military-owned housing do not get BAH. Those in privatized housing have their BAH turned over to the private developer of their housing. Most private developers have been paying for utilities out of the standard BAH rates paid to each tenant, regardless of how much energy is actually used by military families.
Air Force families in privatized housing at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.; Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, now pay the full cost of their utilities usage, either directly to the project owner or to the local utility, Araujo said.
At three other bases — Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.; and Moody Air Force Base, Ga. — families and developers now share utilities costs, but tenants eventually will be responsible for their energy usage. At 10 other bases where privatization contracts have been awarded, project owners still pay all utilities out of the BAH they collect, but again, tenants eventually will pay for all utilities.
Joyce Raezer, director of government relations for the National Military Family Association, said she has heard no complaints about the utilities billing. But she asks about the issue when she visits bases and talks to families.
“There’s an overwhelming sense that this is fair,” she said. “Anyone who has lived in base housing any length of time knows that people waste electricity. People say that as long as you’re not billing in these old houses that are not energy efficient … and as long as they perceive the base line for billing is fair, then they will be OK with it.”
Ivan Bolden, program manager for the Army’s Residential Communities Initiative, said the Army is clear about those points — only soldiers living in new or completely renovated privatized homes will get billing statements.
If people take basic steps to conserve energy, Bolden said, they should stay within the established base line and perhaps even receive a refund.
The base line is reasonable, he said: “We are not saying people should turn their heat down to 50 degrees in the winter.”
Marine Corps officials said no billing for utilities will occur until homes get individual meters and are renovated or replaced to meet federal Energy Star standards. Meter readings will be taken for a year to establish a base line, and a range will be set above and below that base line use.
If a family’s consumption falls within that range, there would be no bill or rebate. If consumption is 20 percent above or below the base line, they would be billed or reimbursed for the difference.
“Our intent would be to implement the billing and reimbursement process across an entire installation at one time rather than have families in some neighborhoods under the current system and other neighborhoods under the new system,” said Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Jay Delarosa. “Residents would also be advised well in advance of any change in policy.”
Ellie