Please Help!!!! I have a $700+ electric bill!!!

[munchkin_momma]

Okay I am 25 and I about had a heart attack the other day when I opened my electric bill! $700+ is a HUGE hit to my family's budget.

I need any and all tips or deals for ways to lower my electric bill. Our heat is electric and so are all the major things (water tank, stove, washer and dryer). All my appliances are the energy efficent ones and my bill wasn't this high running 2 window AC all summer!

I know the general weatherization stuff and to turn off a light when I leave a room, but this is horrible and I can't seem to find a reason why it is so high.

So please if you find a good deal on weatherizing stuff, or have a great tip or if ya find a feebie let me know. Heart Disease runs in my family and I don't want to be the youngest to have a heart attack, but with bills like that I just might be!

[lookin4delz]

What is your heat set at? I usually turn ours down to 65 during the day. We just dress warmer. Maybe call the electric company to come and do a heat loss analysis and maybe they would have some suggestions. Have you changed your furnace filter lately?

Not sure what your income is but around here they offer heat assistance to lower income families. I heard about it when my son went to Headstart.

[kdm2273]

I would definitely call the electric company. They could have made a mistake - especially if your bill isn't usually this high (or even close). If the bill turns out to be correct, ask about making payments - they will usually work with people who make on-time payments every month.

I do know they will usually come out and do an energy analysis and if you make the changes they suggest, you will get a rebate on your electric. However, get them out first - we made some improvements before calling them and missed out on a rebate.

Good luck!

[YorkieLover]

Ouch!!! I know how you feel. A few years ago, we had outrageous electric bills for a couple months. I called our power company and they wouldn't do anything, but after harping on DH for too long ... he finally asked an electrician friend to borrow some kind of tool from his work that could detect electricity leakage. He found the break in the line, they dug and dug in the mud, and finally fixed it. I was so relieved!

You don't say (or I didn't catch it), but are you in a house or what? Were you in the same place as last year this time? How much more was this year's bill than last years? It should be about the same. If it's not, definitely call your power company. Maybe they can help detect what the problem is.

Oh yeah, and it could be a wrong reading on the meter, too. I don't think that happens very often, but it could.

I feel for you!

[tlspiegel]

If this bill is extra-ordinarily a WHOLE lot more than you usually get this time of year, something is wrong. So, call you electric company and ask them about it. It could be as simple thing, such as you need a new electric meter! They do go bad after a period of time.

If it's not that, then it might be something else wrong.

In addition:
weatherstripping
close of unused rooms
see if your electric company can put you on a budget billing
see if you qualify for low income help
electric heat is very much more than gas heat

Good luck and let us know what you find out.

[munchkin_momma]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

We just moved in this summer and took out the 25 year old gas furnace and replaced it with an electric one. I do keep doors shut, lights off ect. I have weather stripping and my windows covered with plastic. I'm on a waiting list for the energy assistance (thats a laugh) and my budget amout for this bill is still over $400. I can't go by the old elec. bills for this property because we changed all the gas stuff to elec. when we moved in. At the time my DH worked for a plumbing and heating co and he did it all himself since hes an HVAC tech.

I asked for help because I have racked my brain and can't think of ne other ways to lower that bill so its not the same next month. I know we use a lot of elec, but this is a small 2bdrm house and I mean small house, so I can't see ne reason why it is that high.

I am going to have the elec. company come out and do an analysis, thanks for that I didn't realize they'd do that. Hopefully they'lll have some more suggestions and a rebate would be awesome because this bill just ate a chunk of my tax return *pouting*.

I applied for the weatherization project, but I was put on a waiting list for that to and they never came to help. It would have been nice because they'd have help witht he cost of the new furnace and they will update windows if yours are old which mine are.

Thanks again everyone!!!

[katlnhats]

I feel your pain. We're in a small and I mean SMALL, basically 3 room apartment -- total electric and our bill for 29 days was almost $250 and we're on a fixed income. Electric has gone sky-high and I'm expecting another huge bill (for what we live in) next month and after talking to others here, theirs are higher! We keep our heat low, I do cook and bake, but this is ridiculous.
Try the Salvation Army- they will sometimes help if you can prove you cannot afford the bill and meanwhile, keep at the energy assistance folks as we have applied already and been approved.

Good luck,
Kat

[twinmomma05]

$700.00!!!!! Yoowzers!! I live in a 3bd 2 bath, 1800sq ft.and both my gas and electric bill are always under $100.00 and we keep our heat up pretty high and always run the central air in the summer! I am sorry you have to deal with the bill that high I really would have a heart attack! I guess I will be grateful that energy is affordable here! Good for you for trying to be energy efficient, I will admit that I don't try that hardm, I guess I take advantage of the fact that my bill is so low I am sorry that it isn't working, I hope you find a way that works, or that you are quickly appoved for assistance! Sorry I don't have any other suggestions! Oh, does you electric company have the plan where your bill is fixed year round, based on last years usage? That might help.

Robyn

[katlnhats]

Robyn,
Most of the electric companies, have what they call the "budget plan" that keeps your bill (they calculate it by last year's bill and add on new charges that are expected), the same every month. Hopefully, that can be applied for, for the next year coming up.
Our little place is a lot less in the summer too - don't know why, as we run our a/c and fans 24/7. One of the problems is that a lot of the Federal Funding has been cut to the bone and since more people need help, the waiting lists grow longer and longer.
Munchkin Momma - since you can pay with your or part of your tax refund, you're actually doing a lot better than many people. Hang in there and it'll go down once spring hits. And in the meantime, keep after the people who can help you with your bill, as long as you qualify for the low income, you'll get a rebate that'll go right onto your electric bill. It helps some, at least.
Good luck,
Kat

[munchkin_momma]

I wish we qualified for more,but we are "purple collar" you know that great little grey area between low income and middle income. I was able to pay it off with my tax return. We got lucky with our taxes this year because PA changed a tax law that allowed me to file single with a child credit for my daughter (from my first marriage) instead of having to file married filing seperatly because my divorce isn't finished yet. My DH (fiancee for now) was able to file with a child credit as well for our son. If it weren't for this our tax return would have been under $1000 combined, we wouldn't have been able to get our bills paid up or a newer vehicle which we desperatly needed. (our back windsheild got smashed out in our bronco and the taurus needs a new heater core). I guess praying for financial help did work! Never hurts to ask according to my Aunts.


I really do apreciate all of the tips and help I have gotten from everyone, thank you so much. I had to smile when I got my electric bill in the other day... Amount Due $0.00 LOL Don't think that will ever happen again, hopefully though we won't have one that is $700 ever again. I am trying to get my electric commpany to come out and inspect, I am also trying to get energy assistance. It has been 4 months that I've been on a waiting list, maybe they forgot about me and I can get the to reconsider my application.

Thank you all again!!!!

[Floridamom]

Is there alot of construction in your neighborhood? The only reason I ask is, this reminds me of something that happened to a friend of mine at work. It is only her and her husband in the house (all the kids are grown and on their own), she works two jobs and is hardly ever home, and he does who knows what, but one month and for a few months in a row a few months back their electric bill suddenly jumped from maybe $100-130 a month to like $500-something a month. They couldn't figure out what was wrong, until a neighbor said that some people working for a builder that was doing construction near the home were using her outside outlets to run their tools or whatever they needed to power while doing the construction. She called the builder and thankfully he paid their electric bill without a fuss. I told her if she had any problems I'd let her borrow my video camera, but it never came to that.

In my area, there are a few churches that will help if you need assistance with your electric bill, or if you have a Salvation Army near you, you can go there and they may be able to direct you where to go if you need help. (If I'd learn to read before I type, I see Kat had the same suggestion lol. I guess it's true, the first thing that goes in old age is eye sight lol)

[YorkieLover]

Hmm. I guess I missed something. You wrote that the other day you got your electric bill and it was $0. That's weird.

I wonder if when you got the $700 bill, that they 'estimated' your usage and billed for that. I know once in a while around here, they'll do that if for some reason they can't send a meter reader out. But if they do that, on our bill, it will show an 'E' next to the reading or usage, and then I'll know that the next time the meter is read, things will balance out.

If this ever happens again, check to see if your usage was estimated. If so, you can ask for an actual reading (or they'll tell you how to do it yourself) ... and then they can adjust your bill ... so that you're not so choked. That is too much unnecessary stress.

[munchkin_momma]

Originally Posted by YorkieLover

Hmm. I guess I missed something. You wrote that the other day you got your electric bill and it was $0. That's weird.

LOL sorry that was my new electric bill after I used my tax return to pay off the $700 one.

Originally Posted by YorkieLover

I wonder if when you got the $700 bill, that they 'estimated' your usage and billed for that. I know once in a while around here, they'll do that if for some reason they can't send a meter reader out. But if they do that, on our bill, it will show an 'E' next to the reading or usage, and then I'll know that the next time the meter is read, things will balance out.

If this ever happens again, check to see if your usage was estimated. If so, you can ask for an actual reading (or they'll tell you how to do it yourself) ... and then they can adjust your bill ... so that you're not so choked. That is too much unnecessary stress.

Part of the reason it was high (I called and was questioning the bill before I paid it off) was because the read my meter in the begining of October, estimated it for November and December and read it again in January and that was the outrageous bill. Last year there was a gas furnace here over winter, so they were estimating on last years bills, when we moved in over the summer my DH was working for an HVAC company and didn't trust the old gas lines or the 30 year old furnace so he put in an electric one instead and updated the stove and dryer to electric as well. So instead of paying oer $250 a month for November, December and January, we weren't getting high bills for Nov, & Dec and got hit for the extra over the estimated amout in January. The bill is still unusually high and they agreed to "check it out". I haven't heard anything from them in almost 2 weeks so I think I am going to start bugging them to come look at it. This is a very small house and most of the day I am the only one here with the kids, there might be 2 lights in the whole house on at once, the PC and 2 hours during the day of T.V. I run the stove for cooking and do laundry, but the does't warrant the high bill. I have all new Energy Efficient Appliances and Furnace and I run them at the reccomended settings. By my estimate my highest bills should be more than $190- $200 in the coldest months. My heat is only set at 67 degrees (DH and the baby over heat really easy and my daughter and I love sweatshirts and flannel LOL). Other than this past few weeks it hasn't been too cold here... not even a snowflake for Christmas and I didn't even get out my winter coat till a few weeks ago, I was still wearing sweaters and sweatshirts outside. So like I said still no reason for it to be that high. I can understand it was a little higher because of the estimated thing but even that shouldn't have been that bad.

Thanks again for all the help!