just got a electric SHOCK from opening my electric bill...$421 ??

[Dancing Fire]

my previous record high was $325,but $421?

Ca utility companies are ripping us off.

 

[chrono]

Mine just went up too. My gas bill is close to $200 now when a few years ago, it barely made $100 in winter time. My electric is inching up too.

 

[beau13]

Do most people in the US have electric heat vs. gas?
My gas bill is usually $400-$460 each month..those (small percentage) with electric heat are paying a lot more!!
This is based on a 2500 sq. foot home, 4 levels, and -30 degree celcius averages, for about 3.5 months now.
I guess we pay dearly to live in a winter wonderland! lol

 

[Shoopy]

Too much time on PS, DF

Our bill is usually $80-$100. But we do budget billing. They track your bill for a year and then average it out. So no matter what, we pay between $100 and $105. At the end of the year they true-up and sometimes we''ll get a credit. This last year it was a credit of $250 so we went 3 months without having to pay the bill. It''s a neat feature.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 2/2/2009 11:29:46 AM
Author: beau13
Do most people in the US have electric heat vs. gas?

My last house was both electric and gas. . .it'd had a hybrid system that switched back and forth. That was suppose to save us money, but our the bills for both were insanely high!

In our 1,900 sq condo, our heat is gas, as is our hot water heater. Everything else is electric. Our gas bill for Dec. was $180. (that reminds me, I should go turn down the heat now that the kids are at school

)

 

[Circe]

All I have to add is that your title cracked me up - clever, DF!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Everything we have is electric... 2 bedroom small townhouse is under $100 in mild weather, high in the summer b/c the stupid a/c is old and the apt is not energy efficient in any way, and high in the winter (last was $180) b/c it''s NEVER warm downstairs so we run the little space heater that sucks up electricity

 

[bee*]

wow that''s pricey!! Next time sit down when you''re opening it

Ours is normally €75 for two months.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 2/2/2009 11:55:14 AM
Author: fieryred33143

Too much time on PS, DF

Our bill is usually $80-$100. But we do budget billing. They track your bill for a year and then average it out. So no matter what, we pay between $100 and $105. At the end of the year they true-up and sometimes we''ll get a credit. This last year it was a credit of $250 so we went 3 months without having to pay the bill. It''s a neat feature.

Wow that''s an awesome program, I wish we had that!

 

[akmiss]

Oh I know the pain. My electric had a price increase of 17% and the gas 27% last month

Coupled with one of the longest cold streaks we had in years, I got a gas bill for $280! Mind you the month before was $113! And I keep my place a cool 68 degrees during the day and 64 at night. I am a little pissed off. My electric was around $150 last month also. It is just insane. I almost feel like doing a payment plan with the gas company! @#!&$

 

[Clairitek]

Have you moved into this home recently DF? I know that around here they sometimes bill based on an average energy usage for that residence last year and not an actual meter reading. Then once every 4 months they will come out and read the meter. If they have been under or over billing you then they will adjust it for the month they did a real meter reading. A woman in my office had this happen to her last year where they had been grossly under billing her family.

 

[Girlrocks]

My house is straight electric, no gas. My house is 3400 sq ft and I also do budget billing; it just reset for the year in January to $313, but when I look at the actually usage, it is averaging about $425 for the past 2 months.

 

[MustangGal]

Wow, maybe it''s no so bad living in a desert(AZ)! My gas bill is about $35 for the heater and water heater in winter, and right now my electric is $60. The highest my electric gets in the summer is about $175, and then the gas goes under $20.

We have a 1600sqft house, and it''s 7 years old, so that probably helps.

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

Very interesting. I work for an electric company, so I would suggest calling them and asking if your readings have been estimated. Here in Iowa we are regulated by the Iowa Utility Board and we are required to only get an actual reading twice a year. We often underestimate meters and then the customer gets a big bill and they call in very upset. Other times, we overestimate and the customer gets a nice credit. It all comes out in the wash, so to speak.

People often get angry that we estimate meters, but it''s usually because there''s an obstruction and the meter reader can''t see it or the customer has a dog outside.

If your meter hasn''t been estimated, you might see if your electric company can come and do an energy audit at your house. They''ll look around and check to see if you have anything that is consuming too much energy and find ways to save you money. ie putting in new light bulbs and replacing drafty windows.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/2/2009 12:46:23 PM
Author: Clairitek
Have you moved into this home recently DF? I know that around here they sometimes bill based on an average energy usage for that residence last year and not an actual meter reading. Then once every 4 months they will come out and read the meter. If they have been under or over billing you then they will adjust it for the month they did a real meter reading. A woman in my office had this happen to her last year where they had been grossly under billing her family.

no,been here 22 yrs and i''ve never seen a $421 electric bill.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/2/2009 1:16:28 PM
Author: Iowa Lizzy
Very interesting. I work for an electric company, so I would suggest calling them and asking if your readings have been estimated. Here in Iowa we are regulated by the Iowa Utility Board and we are required to only get an actual reading twice a year. We often underestimate meters and then the customer gets a big bill and they call in very upset. Other times, we overestimate and the customer gets a nice credit. It all comes out in the wash, so to speak.

People often get angry that we estimate meters, but it''s usually because there''s an obstruction and the meter reader can''t see it or the customer has a dog outside.

If your meter hasn''t been estimated, you might see if your electric company can come and do an energy audit at your house. They''ll look around and check to see if you have anything that is consuming too much energy and find ways to save you money. ie putting in new light bulbs and replacing drafty windows.

 

[Rhea]

Maybe try budget billing. Our electric and gas are £58/month on the budget billing. I can't believe yours is that high in CA! I thought it was warm there...unless you're leaving the lights on all the time and causing it to skyrocket.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/2/2009 11:29:46 AM
Author: beau13
Do most people in the US have electric heat vs. gas?
My gas bill is usually $400-$460 each month..those (small percentage) with electric heat are paying a lot more!!
This is based on a 2500 sq. foot home, 4 levels, and -30 degree celcius averages, for about 3.5 months now.
I guess we pay dearly to live in a winter wonderland! lol

we don''t live in winter wonderland. low 30''s-high 50''s for this time of the yr. lunch time!!

 

[bebe]

I just paid my electric bill this morning, 448.89
my gas bill was 331.00

I''m guessing my gas bill went up because my fireplace is gas, my hot tub and cook top.
everything else is electric. This was Dec 17 - 1-20. So it included the time my kids were home,
Christmas lights were glaring, guests in the house, lights on, lots of cooking...(over 5,000 sq. ft house)

electric bill breakdown
used 3,163.00 KwH
rate 0.13600

add in fees and taxes.. ouch.

We can choose who we get our power from. Once a year I check rates, maybe time to do that again.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Ouch!

 

[whitetulips]

Holy cow that is insane! I guess we are lucky, we live in downtown Chicago on the 23rd floor. We never run our heat (and lately it has been very, very cold here- in the negatives) and we actually have the sliding door open a tiny bit because it gets so warm from the people around us heating their apartments. I think our electric bill was 45 dollars last month.

 

[butterfly 17]

My electricity bill in the summertime was getting very high so I put us on the leveled plan. Now I have to pay $282 a month and I am positive that is more than it really comes out to the whole year.

Our gas bill was $274 last month and I was really surprised. I thought it would be more because last year I could have sworn it was close to $600, but then I remembered that they were every two months last year and this year they send the bill every month...

Oh well, the only time it's cheap is April and May, and Sept and Oct.

 

[Efe]

Why do I think this has something to do with your daughter

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/2/2009 4:09:35 PM
Author: bebe
I just paid my electric bill this morning, 448.89
my gas bill was 331.00

I'm guessing my gas bill went up because my fireplace is gas, my hot tub and cook top.
everything else is electric. This was Dec 17 - 1-20. So it included the time my kids were home,
Christmas lights were glaring, guests in the house, lights on, lots of cooking...(over 5,000 sq. ft house)

electric bill breakdown
used 3,163.00 KwH
rate 0.13600

add in fees and taxes.. ouch.

We can choose who we get our power from. Once a year I check rates, maybe time to do that again.

bebe
thanks for making me feel better,but then i don't live in a 5,000 sq ft mansion.

 

[joflier]

My gas bill for last month was $300. That was close to a record for me, too. Although this is a freaking winter wonderland and its been below zero a lot......

 

[Miss Fortune]

my last water/electric bill was close to $600 - I was freaking out. Needless to say, we don''t water the lawn everyday now and no more keeping the TV on for the dogs!!!!

 

[VRBeauty]

DF -- are you in SMUD territory? I have to admit that my life is simpler than most right now.... and my humble home is a measly 1250 square feet... but...

Surely you aren't using 20X the electricity I am???

(Please don't hate me because I have a teensy tiny electricity bill!

)

ETA You don't suppose those oversized emoties use up more electricity, do you?

 

[sparkles]

I started another thread about m electricity bill for the last couple of months each time being $700...think the pool is sucking the $$$$ down the drain. But utilities keep going up in this country whilst the coffers keep expanding!

 

[jcrow]

i think i would have fainted!

 

[butterfly 17]

Date: 2/3/2009 3:25:10 AM
Author: sparkles
I started another thread about m electricity bill for the last couple of months each time being $700...think the pool is sucking the $$$$ down the drain. But utilities keep going up in this country whilst the coffers keep expanding!

Yes, that''s what happened to me too. My electricity bill ranged from $500 to close to $700 when the pool was open and the central air was on, so that''s why I put us on the leveled plan.

But again, I think the $282 a month is too high. I think they will give me a credit if they see I paid more than I actually used.

My water bill was high too, over $1000.

Having a pool is so draining (in the wallet!LOL), sometimes I regret having one...