| Author |
Message |
    
eatapc
Citizen
Username: Eatapc
Post Number: 4
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 5:12 am: |     |
Just got my PSE&G energy bill for the month: it topped $1000, up from $650 a year ago. The chart on the bill indicates lower usage this year than last, which makes sense given my new water heater and front door -- and the fact that I've turned the thermostat down to 60 degrees for much of the day and night to save energy.
Anyone else see a dramatic increase? How do I check into it. A call to PSE&G was not helpful, as they stuck to several possible explanations that didn't jibe with the charts on my bill. |
drewdix
Citizen
Username: Drewdix
Post Number: 506
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 9:04 am: | |
check the bill- did they read your meter or was it "estimated"-
if it was estimated, you can call with your actual reading and get it rebilled |
Nohero
Citizen
Username: Nohero
Post Number: 3012
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 9:10 am: | |
Also, check to see if they estimated in earlier months. Your high bill could be a result of their attempt to "catch up" from earlier, lower estimates. But, they may be billing that old usage, with new higher rates.
If that's the case, call to complain. Tell them that the low estimates are their fault, and you want the bill re-calculated. |
dave23
Citizen
Username: Dave23
Post Number: 121
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 9:17 am: | |
Nohero's probably right. Last month was the first time they've bothered to come by in four months. I've talked to neighbors who've noticed the same thing. Call PSE&G... they'll probably late you pay in installments. |
rckymtn
Citizen
Username: Rckymtn
Post Number: 234
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 11:08 am: | |
PSE&G has not read my gas meter in months, even though we've called and called about it. They "say" that the guy comes around once a month and knocks on the door to read the meter (in the basement), but that is a flat-out lie. We have never, ever seen anyone from PSE&G come to the house. We even tried to set up an appointment, and they said no. We asked what day of the month the reader would come so we'd make sure we absolutely were there, and they said they couldn't say. And even if you call in the reading or put the little meter card in your window, they still don't count that as an "actual" read. It's a wonder these clowns stay in business. They offered to put in a device that would allow the meter reader to read it from outside the house, but told us we'd have to foot the bill for it, and I think it was somewhere around $200. |
cppkqp
Citizen
Username: Cppkqp
Post Number: 20
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 12:00 pm: | |
Last year PSE&G gave me a list of dates when the meter reader would visit and the plastic card to put in the window. I don't think they ever read the card, but the reader did show up a few times. I haven't gotten a list of dates for this year. You can read the meter yourself and call it in (info is on the bill). Our most recent bill was higher than usual and higher than our current reading, so I'm going to be sure to call in next month's reading and enjoy paying a smaller bill! |
Ruck1977
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 70
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 1:05 pm: | |
In January, I was awoken (word?) byt a loud knocking at 7:30am on a saturday morning. By the time i got out of bed and to the door, no one was there. so i looked out the window for a while. this guy (apparently the gas meter guy) was knocking on doors and walking away. I watched him for about 10 minutes knock on 3-4 doors, not wait for a response at all....
it was actually rather humorous seeing people come to the door and look around...  |
Duncan
Citizen
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 1633
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 1:48 pm: | |
Our Bill blew through the roof this month as well. And this after actual readings for teh last three months. I know all energy prices have gone up but in our near 7 years living here this was by far the highest. Admittedly Jan/Feb was bloody freezing cold, but still. Our meter reader guy comes regularly on the 17th or 18th of the month, as I work from home during the day I am here to let him in. An extremely nice guy with a boring job. Some how I think its Haliburton's fault
Alls Well That Ends Well. Playing through March 7. info at http://www.hometown.aol.com/theatr1010/ |
mtierney
Citizen
Username: Mtierney
Post Number: 510
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 2:20 pm: | |
We almost always get a real reading. This month topped $1000 too!
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Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 821
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 2:30 pm: | |
My buddy works for PSE&G. In his area there have been a lot of problems with estimates and he is required to leave a note saying the time that he was there and when he will return. He has been working the same area for so long he can intentionally hit an area that he knows no one will be home early in the morning.
Keep track of how many times you get an estimate in early spring and summer when he feels like hitting the beach at ten am. He also said that summer is a good time to do this because everyone turns their AC on and expect the bills to be crazy.
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DrFalomar
Citizen
Username: Drfalomar
Post Number: 160
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 3:29 pm: | |
After not having my meter read for more than six months and not wanting to get socked with a huge catch up bill, I called to set up an appointment as I had once before. PSE&G said they didn't do appointments; the reader came on certain days and that was it, unless I wanted to report my reading myself. I told PSE&G I would inevitably forget to call in the reading and that I would never ever be home to when the reader was currently scheduled to arrive. Then I asked them if it was in their best interests to have no idea what my meter actually said? Because I could let them continue estimating for the rest of my life, die and let them get stuck with the bill. Now a very nice man shows up one late Saturday morning every month, we talk football, and we both are satisfied with the experience. |
Gene Z
Citizen
Username: Genez
Post Number: 25
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 3:52 pm: | |
Something's out of whack here. People at work are having similar complaints in other counties not served by PSE&G! They're even getting increased "delivery" charges.
The chart on my bill showed my electric usage for FEB more than twice that of DEC. I heat by gas; and wasn't even home for a part of the billing period!
I'm glad I'm on the budget system, but jeeeze.
Z
 |
juju's petals
Citizen
Username: Jujus_petals
Post Number: 9
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 5:22 pm: | |
Your bills are making me glad we only got socked with a $700 bill. Yes, ours was also an estimate but I was shocked that it was estimated at more than twice the Jan. 2003 actual reading. How does that work? The temp inside is the same, the month is actually shorter. Was it really THAT cold?! When I called I was told I could pay a portion of the bill and call-in the actual reading. They did give me a date for the next reading, but no time window. And, I hear you call or email the readings, too. Glad to hear our misery has company, I guess. |
MM
Citizen
Username: Melandmike
Post Number: 11
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 5:24 pm: | |
How big are your homes? Our bill is in the $300-400 range for a modest 3BR home (about 1800-2000 sq ft). $1000 seems crazy!!! |
Gene Z
Citizen
Username: Genez
Post Number: 26
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 6:20 pm: | |
Ours is about 1400 sqft; we're both out of the house during the day, and the temp is set back to 60 then and at night. Again, it wasn't my gas (the heating fuel) that went up as much as the electricity! |
Mergele
Citizen
Username: Mergele
Post Number: 50
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 7:13 pm: | |
... and I thought my January bill ($660) was bad! It was the worst ever, but I had to run the space heater in my unheated kitchen addition to keep pipes from freezing so I was braced for it.
Having done quite a bit of insulating and weatherstripping over the last 3 years, I'm still waiting to see any noticeable improvement in heating costs.
"Cats climb because being ruler of all you survey sucks when all you survey is ankles." -- Unknown |
eatapc
Citizen
Username: Eatapc
Post Number: 5
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 11:14 pm: | |
My reading on the January bill was indeed estimated (due to a snowstorm on the reading day, according to PSE&G), but at $650 it tied the record for my biggest bill ever. I thought the February bill would be consequently modest because January was probably over-estimated. Wrong.
Furthermore, the usage chart for the year shows a smooth, upward curve from December to February, with my estimated January usage at approximately the same as last year. Last January was very cold, and my new, more efficient water heater and lower thermostat settings should have resulted in slightly lower usage than last year. Keep in mind, I'm not quibbling over a little discrepancy. PSE&G is screwing us. |
extuscan
Citizen
Username: Extuscan
Post Number: 266
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 11:21 pm: | |
This is a warning backed with experience... Check your basement windows if the meter reader is alone in your basement for so long as a minute. We used to have those old steel frame windows with a pin as a lock... This happened several times. We can't prove anything, we didn't care, we just had bars put in the windows. But it is a great scam... unlock the windows, tell ur friends from LirvINGsTON, they go clean the place out.
--John |
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 172
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 1:15 pm: | |
Glad it's not just us - just the electricity part was almost $500 for one month - I've never seen it so hight - can't wait to start running ACs! :-(
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jonnyb120
Citizen
Username: Jonnyb120
Post Number: 5
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 1:46 pm: | |
i had my meter replaced to allow for remote readings - it cost about $60 2 yrs ago. i had similar experiences with "estimates." one of the reasons i see for these explosive gas bills is the cost per therm has gone up significantly. while i do not have these figures in front of me, i think it was about 30% over ly. |
wnb
Citizen
Username: Wnb
Post Number: 104
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 9:53 pm: | |
Call in your own readings every month. I don't know why more people don't do this. It takes one minute and costs nothing, or close to nothing, to do. Or I think you can now enter them in on their web site now too. I don't think we ever have had an actual meter reader in our house in the 5+ years we lived here, but our bills are accurate at least.
|
sullymw
Citizen
Username: Sullymw
Post Number: 231
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 11:38 pm: | |
what's the appropriate way to read the dials? I think I have 4-5 dials |
papayagirl
Citizen
Username: Papayagirl
Post Number: 174
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 10:19 am: | |
sullymw - you look at each dial one at a time, and record the lowest number. so if the pointer on the first dial is between 2 and 3 (even if it's practically a 3), record it as a 2. repeat for each dial.
you can add us to the $1,000 club. it's indeed an estimate, so i have yet to compare my actual reading to see if i can breath a little easier for now.
and wnb - i've tried calling in readings. i still get bills with the estimate. i've tried making appointments for when we'll be home to have the meter read. the guy never showed up and i still get bills with estimates. i've tried taking off work for when the reading was supposed to take place. the guy came, read the numbers, wrote them down, and left. i still get bills with the estimate. It took a long while to straighten out. PSE&G is going to be the death of me.
oh, and one tip - i happened to be home on President's day, and i heard a banging at my side door. I didn't even realize it was the day of my scheduled reading. I went around the side and asked him why the heck he wouldn't just ring the doorbell by the front door, and he said he had a note that the owners (who'd obviously moved out a year ago when all of the account info changed to our names) had requested that he knock at the side. That was one clue as to why i'd waited at home several times for him as i worked upstairs, always waiting for the doorbell to ring. I always wonder who else is in this situation and doesn't know it.
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grw
Citizen
Username: Grw
Post Number: 257
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 10:57 am: | |
I have the same problem as everyone else with pse&g. I have taken two vacation days to wait for the meter reader, just to not have him show!! I've called and got ridiculas excuses ie: short on readers, called at 3:30 once, they told me they work till 4:00, of course no one showed.
I have started to give my readings on line, I think if you do that your bill will say estimated, however, I believe they do use your reading, I'll have to check |
kdm
Citizen
Username: Kdm
Post Number: 9
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 1:58 pm: | |
I switched to gas heat this year, what bad timing. I've had bills $500-700 3 months running. One reading was an estimate, though I actually met the reader outside my house by chance that day. So I don't know why it was listed as an estimate. I have a remote meter and no insulation in the house walls.
My initial thoughts on the high bills were:
1) price of gas has gone way up - though I compared prices/cubic foot to a year ago and they don't seem that much different
2) meter readings weren't accurate
3) keeping a poorly insulated house warm in very cold weather with a gas boiler is expensive
I called PSE&G and they said a man would come by to check on the accuracy of the meter and the communication between the meter and the remote meter. When the guy came, he actually replaced the meter with a new one and said that PSE&G would test the accuracy of the old one. We'll see.
I've been looking at blowing in insulation into wall cavities. I have a stucco house. Does anyone have advice on this? |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 2577
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 7:10 pm: | |
We were so disgusted with the problems resulting from estimated readings that we finally broke down and had an outside meter installed. It was the best investment we ever made. The only estimated readings we get now are when the snow is so high that the meter readers have difficulty getting about. |
Habanero2
Citizen
Username: Habanero2
Post Number: 44
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 7:18 pm: | |
The Green Party is responsible!
Most home heat in the Northeast is natural gas and the US has very little of that. It is difficult and expensive to ship liquified natural gas to the US on a boat. As more and more houses and power plants convert to natural gas the supply gets tighter and the prices rise.
Most electricity is made from oil power plants. If you haven't noticed the price of gasoline is at an all time high and therefore your electricity is at an all time high.
If our country could create a responsible power policy that included modern nuclear plants (the modern ones are celled off in parcels that are too small to melt down) then the issue would be less severe.
"You kids today have it easy. When I was a kid everything was HUGE. My dad was nearly four times bigger than me. You couldn't even see the tops of counters.... Then gradually everything became smaller until it was the manageable size it is today." |
blackcat
Citizen
Username: Blackcat
Post Number: 169
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 8:26 pm: | |
You don't even have to know how to "read" the meters if you want to submit the reading on-line. You simply move the dial to reflect what the actual dials look like. We had a problem with our readings also. Made an appointment after getting estimates for months. Guy came and did the reading. A week and a half later no new bill. It seems they did the reading but didn't submit it. Just try to get a supervisor! Meter reading department gave me the reading for ME to give to customer service and I knew the electric was definately not mine! It was no where near the last estimate numbers. I found one compitent customer service person who took it upon themselves to track down the info and get me a new bill. Stayed home the following reading day, no one showed up. Three days later they show up on a Saturday morning. I was told by meter reading that the only way to be sure I have an acurate reading is to do it myself. The people that owned the house before us used to leave the back door open....yeah right.... |
eatapc
Citizen
Username: Eatapc
Post Number: 6
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 21, 2004 - 11:40 am: | |
I pulled out my bill from last year to try to figure out how my average daily gas and electric use (as displayed on the PSE&G chart on the bill) went down while my bill went way up -- from $665 to over grand. I think I figured it out.
Last year my bill was from January 16th to February 14th; this year the bill is from January 16th to February 27th -- essentially a month and a half versus a month. That's why the total usage on the bill is way up but the average daily use is down.
It's still insanely expensive, but at least some of the discrepancy is clear now. |
notehead
Citizen
Username: Notehead
Post Number: 954
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 3:51 pm: | |
People... if it's not too personal a question, how big are your houses? Do you leave windows open all day or something? My house is 2 stories, a little over 2000 sq. ft. My last PSE&G bill for combined gas & electricity was $240 -- and that's with paying slightly higher rates for electricity from greenmountain.com. The previous month's bill was about the same. The largest bill I ever had in 5 years was a little over $500, but that was before I replaced some upstairs windows and got a new boiler. The thermostat is at 70 when we're home, 65 when we're out. |
johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 847
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 4:48 pm: | |
Notehead-
You must have the most efficient house in Maplewood/South Orange.
|
ffof
Citizen
Username: Ffof
Post Number: 2079
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 4:53 pm: | |
Check your meters everybody! According to town hall, I supposedly live in a mansion , but our March bill (both E and G) was $430. Feb was 550. And I'm home all day and like to be warm! |
Tom Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 2521
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 6:08 pm: | |
notehead, I'd answer your question if I knew how. I don't know how many square feet I have. I have three floors, or four, if you count the basement, but it's not heated.
I have gas heat, with a hydroponic boiler, and that's a word I learned here on MOL. My water heater is electric, for some reason, as is my stove. Do you have oil heat? Perhaps that's a better value this year.
Tom Reingold the prissy-pants
There is nothing
|
NRL
Citizen
Username: Nrl
Post Number: 505
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 6:33 pm: | |
Just got my PSEG bill today, $300 for gas only. $220 for gas last month. I have been posting my actual meter reading online and it seems to be working very well. |
grw
Citizen
Username: Grw
Post Number: 262
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 7:01 pm: | |
I posted mine on line for last month, got the bill today, $130.00 big difference from last month, $530.00
Something has got to be wrong |
njphilf
Citizen
Username: Njphilf
Post Number: 85
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 8:21 pm: | |
We scheduled an appointment for PSE&G to read our gas meter. They showed up, took the reading yet our next bill still had an "esimated" reading for the gas, and it was considerably off. It's a beautiful thing............ |
gj1
Citizen
Username: Gj1
Post Number: 21
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 2:04 am: | |
I have to agree with notehead. I thought $450/month was expensive, but $1000 is crazy.
I just got a $900+ CREDIT on my gas bill after finally getting an actual reading last week  . This was the first actual in 14 months. I hadn't checked the meter in a while, but I think we were over the estimated reading in the Fall, so I guess lowering the thermostat a few degrees made a BIG difference this winter, after all.
Looks like our ajusted monthly gas bill would be about $200/month through the Winter. Last years bills were $400-$450. This is for a gas-fired steam boiler in an approx. 2000sf home with thermostat set to 67 when home and 60 at when out and at night. |
hch
Citizen
Username: Hch
Post Number: 48
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 1:18 pm: | |
My bill for last month was for 5 weeks. My bill this month was for 18 days.
Messed up. |
notehead
Citizen
Username: Notehead
Post Number: 955
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 1:52 pm: | |
I'd be proud if I really did have the most efficient home around... but we still have quite a few drafty original windows and a draft under our front door, too. The house is heated via steam radiators, btw.
One thing that may keep our bill down is our fairly low hot water usage. There's just 2 people in the house, so the amount of laundry, showering, and dishwashing may be quite a bit less than some of your households. Also, nearly all of the lighting in my house is compact fluorescent. |
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