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08/08/09, 08:11 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: MS
Posts: 24,572
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OUCH...power bill TRIPLED!
Not mine...my son's power bill. It was just over $300 for the month of July. He's lived there three years and it's never been over $100 before. I'm thinking something is wrong...meter needs replacing or it was read wrong.
He lives in a tiny one bedroom apartment alone. He rarely cooks, doesn't have TV or radio/stereo. It's a downstairs apartment with no laundry hook-ups and is easy to cool/heat so he doesn't use the air much. He's not home much except to sleep and has a tendency to burn candles instead of turn on lights.
I told him I'd call Monday and have Huntsville Utilities look into it. Sure won't help things if he goes up there cussing, ranting and raving!
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08/08/09, 08:17 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: MS
Posts: 24,572
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I don't know. He rarely uses it.
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08/08/09, 08:35 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 7,692
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I know not everybody has the option due to rental leases, mortgages, various local laws and codes, but if it was me and they couldnt find a problem, I'd tell them to disconnect electric service. $300 a month is ridiculous especially for an apartment unless you heat with electric and the place is poorly insulated. $100 a month electric is ridiculous the way you describe how he lives. With recent hikes in electric due to their energy costs spiking year ago (electric rates didnt go down when fuel did, imagine that) my electric now usually runs $40 to $50 a month and I have got it down below $40 a few times this year.
__________________
"What would you do with a brain if you had one?" -Dorothy
"Well, then ignore what I have to say and go with what works for you." -Eliot Coleman
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08/08/09, 08:42 PM
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Enjoying Four Seasons
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Beautiful Milton, New Hampshire
Posts: 3,092
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That sounds like something is really wrong.  I expect high electricity bills in the northeast, but a $300 is crazy for a one-bedroom.
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08/08/09, 08:52 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 8,289
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Could they have switched meter numbers an bill from the next apparment to him  
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08/08/09, 08:52 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: East-Central Ontario
Posts: 3,862
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Reply
Have they actually been reading the meter every month or were they estimating for a while? They only read our meters every third month, there have been some pretty big catch up bills when they screwed up the estimating in between.
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The internet - fueling paranoia and misinformation since 1873.
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08/08/09, 09:10 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: near Abilene,TX
Posts: 5,323
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We and the neighbors have been griping about huge electric bills....my neighbor lost it today when hers came in, she had been on vacation over three weeks, not even home, and their bill was over a hundred dollars more...she ranted, raved....got no where...they told her they can estimate your bill for up to three months.....she is calling a new provider on Monday....ours have doubled as well.....you cannot win.....
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08/08/09, 09:18 PM
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Freelance Cat Herder
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Texas, Houston-ish
Posts: 795
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Last year my gas bill suddenly went from approx $30 to $300. I called the gas company and they investigated.
I didn't have to pay while they did their thing. Next month I got a bill for $30 dollars. The following month it was back up to $300. Again they investigated.
Next bill it dropped back down. I dunno if they changed the meter or fired the reader, but it's been fine since then.
Definitely have him call the power company and see what's up.
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08/08/09, 11:43 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: MS
Posts: 24,572
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I don't know the answers to most of your questions, but I'll be finding out on Monday! Due to his lease, he does not have the option of having his electricity shut off...it's required in his lease.
Something is definitely wrong and I hope we can find out what's up. In the three years he's been there he's never had a power bill that high.
I have a four bedroom, two story home with TV, computer, side-by-side fridge, regular fridge in the garage, dishwasher, freezer, washer and dryer, etc. etc. and my power bill has never been that high!
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08/09/09, 06:29 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 8,838
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If he has an electric hot water heater, check for a leaking hot water faucet.
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08/09/09, 06:37 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SW Michigan
Posts: 16,408
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Last month, our elec bill was $268. We haven't been here long and didn't know if this was normal or not.....but this month, the bill is $17 and it says "actual reading" on it. Maybe they didn't actually read his meter for a couple of months and the higher bill is showing that they didn't read high enough? At any rate - if it were my bill, I would call the power co and ask them to come out and check the meter to see if it is right - or re-read it.
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08/09/09, 08:00 AM
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 1,085
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Ours doubled this past month also. Mostly it was because of the rate hikes that recently went into effect, but then I think quite a bit was because I was not home much to hang clothes on the line and had to use the dryer more than usual. Sounds like nothing has changed with your son's usage though and that would be a huge rate hike. I keep track of my meter reading myself to compare with what they say the meter read at. When we first moved here they were estimating the meter reading and I had to get ugly to get them to actually physically read the meter. Wonder if they estimated instead of really reading it?
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08/09/09, 08:06 AM
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 83
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years ago the same thing happened to me. i found out it was because of rate hikes & new taxes.
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08/09/09, 09:03 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Vermont
Posts: 409
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There as a point in the not too distant past thet my electric company was sending out estimated bills monthly and only providing an actual bill (meter read) once every 3 months. In Vermont, estimated bills do not have to be paid. Many of us would not pay our bills until we received an actual bill. Needless to say, our electric company got enough "meter readers" inorder to be able to read the meters every month an provide us with an actual bill. I guess they must have wanted to get paid! Make sure that they have not been providing an estimated bill.
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08/09/09, 09:09 AM
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Brenda Groth
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 7,817
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if he is in an apartment could somneone else in another apartment be siphoning off electric ..maybe plugging an airconditioner into his apartment while he is gone?
possibly his payment wasn't recorded and it included last mno's bill..or possibly it was an estimated bill?
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08/09/09, 02:41 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: S. Louisiana
Posts: 2,278
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I'm with Ronbre and Sawmill Jim on this one; sounds like a neighbor has spliced his way onto yr son's line. This happened to a friend here. We were able to go outside to the shed where the deed and been done and see it for ourselves. The neighbor who did this to my friend was the landlord's brother-in-law, so my friend paid one horrendous bill, then moved. Hope this case is resolved to your son's satisfaction! ldc
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08/09/09, 03:03 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: MS
Posts: 24,572
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Whisperwindkat
Ours doubled this past month also. Mostly it was because of the rate hikes that recently went into effect, but then I think quite a bit was because I was not home much to hang clothes on the line and had to use the dryer more than usual. Sounds like nothing has changed with your son's usage though and that would be a huge rate hike. I keep track of my meter reading myself to compare with what they say the meter read at. When we first moved here they were estimating the meter reading and I had to get ugly to get them to actually physically read the meter. Wonder if they estimated instead of really reading it?
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He's in Alabama too...maybe it's partly due to rate hikes. I am definitely going to get to the bottom of it tomorrow!
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08/09/09, 04:38 PM
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..where do YOU look?
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: northcentral WI
Posts: 3,918
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someone tapped his power for grow lights and has a little Mary Jane factory in their apartment. Bet you $$$
__________________
When faced with issues in life, where do you look for the problem; out the window, or in the mirror?
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08/09/09, 04:43 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 5
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If it a faault of thiers..wich at prices like that on both! Somethings wrong!
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08/09/09, 05:22 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 19,350
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Until you get it straightened out he can cut the electric to his main panel, if the panel is in his apartment. Just switch off the main breaker. Is the meter someplace where he can see it? If so he can read it and see if it matches what is on his bill.
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