Just got our latest heating bill------YIKES

We just received the latest billing from our local power company. All I can say is something like STICKER SHOCK. Granted its been damn cold here in the upper midwest, the latest is over twice as much as the previous billing period. All tho I havent researched the invoice or contacted the power company we are not happy with this at all.

We burn natural gas in an updated furnace,keep the thermostat at 68,and before winter caulked and Wstripped.

I can only wonder what the older less insulated homes will be paying?

Can this invoice be contested or do we just say oh *snip* once again.

Definitely bad timing.

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.



[edit on 2/3/2009 by maria_stardust]

reply to post by huntergatherer


I have an 18 yr old unit nat. gas, old, breezy house and shut the thing off at night-every night, and pay more than twice what relatives pay for a house more than twice the size. It hurts!!

I really cant believe no other posters are not POed about this.Obviously you live in warmer climes or gladly give your hard earned money to businesses that price gouge in order to make a profit no matter what. I dont care about points Im *snip*. You can have my points, staying afloat whats matters to my family!

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.



[edit on 2/3/2009 by maria_stardust]

My heating bill for this month was just shy of $300 bucks. We have an older furnace for the main part of the house and then a gas wall furnace in the addition. Luckily, we are on the deal that divides up your payment into 12 months, so we have $130 dollar payment year round. It wasn't always like that and being hit with a $300 gas bill every month in the winter was pretty hard.

Thank God Im in a condo and well insulated! Did the bill say it was an actual reading of your meter? or was it an estimate?
If it was an estimate have them come by and take an actual reading.

Here in Blighty we have a lot of problems with 'estimated' bills.. Some times it seems like someone literally pulls a (always high) figure out of the air. Most people just blindly pay it - the burden of proof is on you the customer which is wrong... Someone seeks money from you they should provide the data.

I have gas, and have almost $4 grand in credit with my local gas company. No worries here!

I do feel your pain though.

2 bedroom townhouse running electric furnace. My usual bill in summertime was $70, this winter? How about $340, thermostat set to 70...

[edit on 3-2-2009 by Phlegmi]

My folks and many i assume around here keep there temp below 70 degrees in order to save money. It is cold here in Ohio where the average temp has been 35 in the day and 10 at night. It is cold. But in the White House, our "beloved" president keeps it at around 80 (according to the Rush Limbaugh show on 1/30/2007). Wow. Wish I could be that warm.

[edit on 2/3/2009 by bigvig316]

reply to post by Phlegmi


Wow! thats alot for a townhouse, but I hear electric heat is expensive. Do you have an option to heat per room? I know some people with electric can shut the heat off in certain rooms their not using.

is your bill estimated or actual?

reply to post by crw2006


No, its a big electric furnace in a basement. I am on a work assignment for 12 months here in Ohio and this is my first winter here. My home is in Los Angeles so imagine my shock

Have any of you thought about an alternative heat source? There are options depending on your situation that may help.

www.hpba.org...

In S. California in the high desert and mountain areas a lot of people use those products. If you are on L.P. Gas or electric over here.......OH my goodness, your heating bills are outrageous!!!!

Some of these products might help.

OUCH!!!! We got a $610 light and heat bill. We had a way colder than average month in DEC. Im in Washington ST. and it snowed about 5 times in 2 weeks but it froze so it was a mess. We arent used to lots of snow and ice here so things shut down after a few days.

I have roomates or I would be screwed, the mortgage went up 600 a month also last year. 1 weeks notice. Thank goodness for friends. Im not eligable but if your low income, call the electric or gas company and you can get a months free light bill. Thats how it is here anyhow. ALSO if you disabled the light company will discount you 10 to %50 all the time.

Hope that helps someone.

I am on the "budget plan" thru Indiana Gas....our normal monthly payment is $180/ mo which I thought was quite steep. I opened the bill this month and they've raised the monthly budget plan by $100 so my monthly payment is $280! That's almost as much as our car payment!!

And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the giant oil companies (waves to Rockefeller) rake in the biggest profit ever recorded in US history? Something is seriuosly fraked.