Question

Recent statistics make it seem unlikely that the total consumption of electricity determines its cost to individual consumers. Recent increases in total consumption, especially during the hot summer months, have sometimes been accompanied by a decrease in the cost per unit and at other times by an increase. Which of the following positions is best supported by the information presented above? Type in the answer.

A. It must be the case that the cost of electricity to consumers is what determines the total consumption.
B. Even though a correlation exists between the total consumption of electricity and its cost to consumers, no causal relation exists.
C. Further investigation into the way these statistics were gathered is certainly called for.
D. The cost of electricity depends upon something other than the total consumption of electricity.

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Answer 1

The Conclusion: It's unlikely that the cost of electricity to individuals is determined by total consumption of electricity.
The Evidence: Recent increases in consumption have been accompanied by upward and downward fluctuations of cost per unit.
If the cost of electricity isn't influenced by total consumption, it must be influenced by something else: that's very reasonable.

We only know that cost isn't determined by consumption; we can't, from this, just infer the reverse (a). The evidence--the second sentence-- tells us that there's no correlation (b). There's no reason to doubt the validity of the statistics, (c).