Who has gotten latest gas bill?

[gizmo1979]

I wasn't prepared for bill,and mine i found out was low.My bill was 85 dollars,but I only turned it on n0v.17th.My coworkers bills were all higher,much higher anywhere from $118.00 up to 235.00.I'm surprised it's not a bigger news item,because everyone I talk to it's the 1st thing that comes up.Everyone is looking to ways to lower their bills.People are pissed as well we should be.Heat bills should not double in 1 year.Right now I'm paying 1.13 a therm,but I guess that flucuates daily.What are you paying?

[Jackpine Radical]

1. We pre-bought our supply of LP from the farmers' co-op last fall.

I don't know what we paid, but there are no surprises, at least until we run out of the pre-buy.

[ewagner]

2. I've purchased a few cords

of wood to use in my woodburner....

We "fire it up" around 4:30 or 5 O'clock every evening and let it burn until about 10 or 11 o'clock.

As a result, on our first bill (after only a few days of burning wood and some other conservation measures (thermostat down to 62 for the night, no higher than 68 during the day) we've used 25% less therms than last year but we're still paying about 10% more.

[gizmo1979]

3. I have also used less therms this year

It was under 1.00 a therm last season now it's $1.13 a therm.It's just ridiculous!

[sybylla]

4. We've been conserving as much as possible

and have needed less LP this year as a result, but today they just filled up our tank and the bill is $510. This fill up will probably get us no further than February 1 depending on how cold it gets.

Good thing my kids like ramen and macaroni and cheese.

[Sabriel]

5. November gas/electric was $299

And that's with the "heat" set at 62 during the day and 60 at night. Any lower, and my kids would stop moving.

[Sabien]

6. WEENERGIES

Our bill last month was $130

50 when house is empty (weekdays and weekends away)
66 at night or weekend days when we're home
58 while sleeping at night

Curious about what others do to keep down costs/demand...

Weenergies jacked up our "budget plan" amount this year due to "increased costs". My figures show an average of $100/month over the past 12 months - but Weenergies' math says 35% higher...but we have yet to use that amount and now have a large credit running.

Any tips for keeping my own dough and not giving it to this PRIVATELY HELD BUSINESS THAT'S RUN AS A PUBLIC UTILITY?

I'd rather pay as you go - but that would kill us in the wintertime.

[sybylla]

7. Call the billing department

Some utilities will allow you to "protest" the budget amount and will reset it according to your wishes - especially if you can demonstrate that it is high according to your usage. Sixteen years ago MG&E did it for us in Madison but another company we had before that wouldn't change it.

[gizmo1979]

8. I would ahve had a heart attack

if my bill was that high.Were you expecting that or was it a complete surprise?How big is your house?

[Sabriel]

12. It's not a huge house

It's about 1500 sqft, brick, newish windows. And we've caulked and weatherstripped just about everything we can find.

[ewagner]

9. Mine arrived today

Get these "stats":

9 degrees colder on average than same period last year

therms per day down by .65 therms

PRICE UP $60 over last year! and I'm burning wood from 5pm til midnight!

:banghead:

[gizmo1979]

10. It truly is ridiculous

I can't believe it's not a national story.I bet the price has close to doubled from last year.I bought a ceramic heater and heat the living room with it and I got my electic bill and it was only up 14 dollars so that's the way I'm going.It keeps the furnace off like you from 5 till at least 11.

[ewagner]

11. Good move

Electricity is up only 15% as opposed to gas being up 60%....the ceramic heater will pay off in the long run...

btw: Just got through splitting enou8gh wood for a couple of days of wood burning....going to keep at it.

Merry Christmas!~

[sybylla]

13. That's what we were doing earlier this fall, but when it got real cold

I wimped out and cranked up the thermostat a bit.

But your story has reminded me that using the heater probably helped us save a fair amount of LP. We usually need a delivery right around Thanksgiving but this year not until the week before x-mas. So after break when the kids are back to school, we'll turn the thermostats back down to 66 or so and use our ceramic heaters in the evening to make up the difference.

[LiberalFighter]

14. Here in NE Indiana it is 1.2019 therm in Nov and 1.0654 in Dec

[gizmo1979]

15. Holy crap.

Why did it go up?We've had a two week warm spell I would think it would go down.This is so out of control.

[Sabien]

16. WEENERGIES - More rate hikes on the way

http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/jan06/384500.asp

Weenergies got the green light from the "Public Service" Commission to jack up electric rates by 11% and increase natural gas rates by at least 3%. These are IN ADDITION to rate hikes that they stuck us with what seems like 6 weeks ago or so.

Once again I ask - why are we forced to give our money to a PRIVATE CORPORATION instead of a true public utility?

You see the poor folks over at Weenergies had to settle for a profit margin of over 11% this year instead of the 12+% that they enjoyed each of the past 5 years.

At least one person on FOX 6 (yes I said FOX) this morning called it like it is...One of the bobbleheads said that the rate hikes were for "new plant construction" costs, and this guy (I think he does sports or weather) said something like the rates are increasing for only one reason - to line the pockets of their shareholders.

Can't imagine what kind of shape we'd be in if this winter wasn't so mild. But there's still a long row to hoe.

Stay warm...

:wtf: