(OT) Please advise on electricity

I just got the first electric bill for this house, and I am positively
stunned at the amount. They say I used 1,433 KWH electric in one month.

How is that possible? I have a small fridge, the water heater was off for
the first week and set on 110 F. the rest of the time. Aside from those big
consumers of power, all I've used has been lights, the computer (shut down
every night), occasional TV (19" screen if that matters) and once a week
vacuuming for maybe ten minutes.

My neighbors who heat with electricity and use an electric clothes dryer
almost daily in addition to a 32" TV, larger water heater, electric stove (I
use gas) and much larger fridge, plus a stand alone freezer, had an electric
bill two-thirds lower than mine for the same month!

Could the new meter loop be defective? Is there such a thing as a "leak" of
electricity in a house?

The reading on the water bill was also insane. It says I used 3,690 gallons
in one month, and that is simply not possible!!! I spent ten years living
in the desert and having to haul every drop from a well 7 miles away on an
unmaintained dirt road, and from that I really learned to conserve water. To
this day it is painful for me to have to flush a toilet. At the farm I would
leave my bathwater in the tub and dip it out for flushing. Here I just flush
twice a day. Remember, I live alone. And I take "military" showers. I think
I've washed maybe six loads of laundry here so far and that's for TWO
months, and there is no dishwasher, I fill the sink.

No way on earth have I used 123 gallons/day on average. No way!!! I'd be
very surprised to see proof that I had used half that amount.

Maybe they didn't actually read the water meter, and just made a guess?
Could they have done the same with the electric meter? The people who lived
here before were constantly using electric heaters, which I have never
done.... This is totally maddening.... I will just not be able to afford to
live here if these bills are correct.

"Pat" wrote in message
.. .
I just got the first electric bill for this house, and I am positively
stunned at the amount. They say I used 1,433 KWH electric in one month.

How is that possible? I have a small fridge, the water heater was off for
the first week and set on 110 F. the rest of the time. Aside from those
big
consumers of power, all I've used has been lights, the computer (shut down
every night), occasional TV (19" screen if that matters) and once a week
vacuuming for maybe ten minutes.

My neighbors who heat with electricity and use an electric clothes dryer
almost daily in addition to a 32" TV, larger water heater, electric stove
(I
use gas) and much larger fridge, plus a stand alone freezer, had an
electric
bill two-thirds lower than mine for the same month!

Could the new meter loop be defective? Is there such a thing as a "leak"
of
electricity in a house?

The reading on the water bill was also insane. It says I used 3,690
gallons
in one month, and that is simply not possible!!! I spent ten years living
in the desert and having to haul every drop from a well 7 miles away on an
unmaintained dirt road, and from that I really learned to conserve water.
To
this day it is painful for me to have to flush a toilet. At the farm I
would
leave my bathwater in the tub and dip it out for flushing. Here I just
flush
twice a day. Remember, I live alone. And I take "military" showers. I
think
I've washed maybe six loads of laundry here so far and that's for TWO
months, and there is no dishwasher, I fill the sink.

No way on earth have I used 123 gallons/day on average. No way!!! I'd be
very surprised to see proof that I had used half that amount.

Maybe they didn't actually read the water meter, and just made a guess?
Could they have done the same with the electric meter? The people who
lived
here before were constantly using electric heaters, which I have never
done.... This is totally maddening.... I will just not be able to afford
to
live here if these bills are correct.

I would certainly contact both utilities and tell them your situation.
Maybe they'll make an adjustment, or at least check.

Joy

"Joy" wrote in message
om...
"Pat" wrote in message
.. .
I just got the first electric bill for this house, and I am positively
stunned at the amount. They say I used 1,433 KWH electric in one month.

How is that possible? I have a small fridge, the water heater was off for
the first week and set on 110 F. the rest of the time. Aside from those
big
consumers of power, all I've used has been lights, the computer (shut
down
every night), occasional TV (19" screen if that matters) and once a week
vacuuming for maybe ten minutes.

My neighbors who heat with electricity and use an electric clothes dryer
almost daily in addition to a 32" TV, larger water heater, electric stove
(I
use gas) and much larger fridge, plus a stand alone freezer, had an
electric
bill two-thirds lower than mine for the same month!

Could the new meter loop be defective? Is there such a thing as a "leak"
of
electricity in a house?

The reading on the water bill was also insane. It says I used 3,690
gallons
in one month, and that is simply not possible!!! I spent ten years
living
in the desert and having to haul every drop from a well 7 miles away on
an
unmaintained dirt road, and from that I really learned to conserve water.
To
this day it is painful for me to have to flush a toilet. At the farm I
would
leave my bathwater in the tub and dip it out for flushing. Here I just
flush
twice a day. Remember, I live alone. And I take "military" showers. I
think
I've washed maybe six loads of laundry here so far and that's for TWO
months, and there is no dishwasher, I fill the sink.

No way on earth have I used 123 gallons/day on average. No way!!! I'd be
very surprised to see proof that I had used half that amount.

Maybe they didn't actually read the water meter, and just made a guess?
Could they have done the same with the electric meter? The people who
lived
here before were constantly using electric heaters, which I have never
done.... This is totally maddening.... I will just not be able to afford
to
live here if these bills are correct.

I would certainly contact both utilities and tell them your situation.
Maybe they'll make an adjustment, or at least check.

Check the dates carefully. Youre only liable for the electricity and water
you used after you *officially* moved in. They might be trying to charge you
for the stuff the previous people used.

You may also have leaks (water leaks are more obvious, but youcan have
electrical leaks too). Turn off and unplug *everything* and see if the meter
for electricity still moves. If so, you have a leak and it needs to be
checked. Ditto with the water, turn off *everything*, making sure nothing is
dripping and see if the meter moves whilst everything is off.

Also, take the meter readings today and check them *every day* (graph them
if you have to) to make sure that you know what you are using, when. That
way, you know how much you are using *per day* and can dispute the utilities
if they quote a different number and/or different amount used.

HTH, and good luck!

Yowie

Pat wrote:
Maybe they didn't actually read the water meter, and just made a
guess? Could they have done the same with the electric meter? The
people who lived here before were constantly using electric heaters,
which I have never done.... This is totally maddening.... I will just
not be able to afford to live here if these bills are correct.

I don't know about where you live but in the Memphis area they definitely
*do* estimate bills from time to time. It says so when they've done it on
the bill. My feeling about that is this: If they get to estimate how much
I use, can I estimate what I think I owe them? Only seems fair, right?

I'd be calling them about the bill first thing Monday morning. You don't
seem like one of those electric hog types to me, Pat.

Jill

Pat wrote:
I just got the first electric bill for this house, and I am positively
stunned at the amount. They say I used 1,433 KWH electric in one month.

How is that possible? I have a small fridge, the water heater was off for
the first week and set on 110 F. the rest of the time. Aside from those big
consumers of power, all I've used has been lights, the computer (shut down
every night), occasional TV (19" screen if that matters) and once a week
vacuuming for maybe ten minutes.

My neighbors who heat with electricity and use an electric clothes dryer
almost daily in addition to a 32" TV, larger water heater, electric stove (I
use gas) and much larger fridge, plus a stand alone freezer, had an electric
bill two-thirds lower than mine for the same month!

Could the new meter loop be defective? Is there such a thing as a "leak" of
electricity in a house?

The reading on the water bill was also insane. It says I used 3,690 gallons
in one month, and that is simply not possible!!! I spent ten years living
in the desert and having to haul every drop from a well 7 miles away on an
unmaintained dirt road, and from that I really learned to conserve water. To
this day it is painful for me to have to flush a toilet. At the farm I would
leave my bathwater in the tub and dip it out for flushing. Here I just flush
twice a day. Remember, I live alone. And I take "military" showers. I think
I've washed maybe six loads of laundry here so far and that's for TWO
months, and there is no dishwasher, I fill the sink.

No way on earth have I used 123 gallons/day on average. No way!!! I'd be
very surprised to see proof that I had used half that amount.

Maybe they didn't actually read the water meter, and just made a guess?
Could they have done the same with the electric meter? The people who lived
here before were constantly using electric heaters, which I have never
done.... This is totally maddening.... I will just not be able to afford to
live here if these bills are correct.


The electricity definitely doesn't sound right and the water sounds
downright ridiculous. I use similar appliances to you (except that I
_have_ got an electric oven but I don't use it very often) and my usage
is normally between 500 and 630 kWH per _two_ months. It sounds like
they may not have actually read the meter when the property was
transferred into your name and instead just estimated where the meter
started off when you moved in, assuming that you'd use about the same as
the previous residents. I'd check that with the power company first. If
you're able to get at your meters you should be able to read them
yourself - if I were you I'd do so, and start keeping records of the
numbers on the meters at least once per week, at least until you get a
good idea of what you're really using. You might also need to get the
power/water company to check the meter - it could be faulty. But it
doesn't seem likely that both the power and water meters would go wrong
at once - it seems more likely that some of the previous residents'
usage is being charged to you.
Dunno how easy it is to argue this sort of stuff with your power company
though. Things like figuring out the proportions of water and power
bills due to the buyer and seller are normally sorted out by settlement
agents or lawyers when a property is sold here in Australia. I'd be
checking with them too. But start keeping your own records - they'll be
useful if you need to argue it further.
Best of luck anyway.

On 2006-04-30, Pat wrote:

Maybe they didn't actually read the water meter, and just made a guess?
Could they have done the same with the electric meter? The people who lived
here before were constantly using electric heaters, which I have never
done.... This is totally maddening.... I will just not be able to afford to
live here if these bills are correct.

They've read the meters wrong or they've charged for some
of the previous customer's usage. It happens frequently.
Utilities will make adjustments if you complain.

--
The night is just the shadow of the Earth.

A few years ago I had an electric bill that was about three times
normal. It turned out that my septic pump switch had failed (in the on
position) and the pump had been running continuously. Last year I got a
bill that was too high but this was a error in reading the meter. Your
water usage doesn't sound too unusual. Not counting laundry and
showers, I use just about that much. One way to conserve is to put a
few bricks in the toilet tank so it uses less water to flush. The
electric bill is much too high. I would guess that the meter was read
incorrectly. You could read it yourself and check it against the
reading on your bill.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 07:47:04 -0500, William Hamblen
wrote:

On 2006-04-30, Pat wrote:

Maybe they didn't actually read the water meter, and just made a guess?
Could they have done the same with the electric meter? The people who lived
here before were constantly using electric heaters, which I have never
done.... This is totally maddening.... I will just not be able to afford to
live here if these bills are correct.

They've read the meters wrong or they've charged for some
of the previous customer's usage. It happens frequently.
Utilities will make adjustments if you complain.

Also, check for any signs of a leaking hot water pipe, down in the
basement. That would run up both the water bill and the electric
bill.

--
John F. Eldredge --
PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better
than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 01:33:37 -0500, "Pat"
wrote:

I just got the first electric bill for this house, and I am positively
stunned at the amount. They say I used 1,433 KWH electric in one month.

How is that possible? I have a small fridge, the water heater was off for
the first week and set on 110 F. the rest of the time. Aside from those big
consumers of power, all I've used has been lights, the computer (shut down
every night), occasional TV (19" screen if that matters) and once a week
vacuuming for maybe ten minutes.

My neighbors who heat with electricity and use an electric clothes dryer
almost daily in addition to a 32" TV, larger water heater, electric stove (I
use gas) and much larger fridge, plus a stand alone freezer, had an electric
bill two-thirds lower than mine for the same month!

Could the new meter loop be defective? Is there such a thing as a "leak" of
electricity in a house?

The reading on the water bill was also insane. It says I used 3,690 gallons
in one month, and that is simply not possible!!! I spent ten years living
in the desert and having to haul every drop from a well 7 miles away on an
unmaintained dirt road, and from that I really learned to conserve water. To
this day it is painful for me to have to flush a toilet. At the farm I would
leave my bathwater in the tub and dip it out for flushing. Here I just flush
twice a day. Remember, I live alone. And I take "military" showers. I think
I've washed maybe six loads of laundry here so far and that's for TWO
months, and there is no dishwasher, I fill the sink.

No way on earth have I used 123 gallons/day on average. No way!!! I'd be
very surprised to see proof that I had used half that amount.

Maybe they didn't actually read the water meter, and just made a guess?
Could they have done the same with the electric meter? The people who lived
here before were constantly using electric heaters, which I have never
done.... This is totally maddening.... I will just not be able to afford to
live here if these bills are correct.



OUCH! That is WAY too much power and water usage for one person! We
have a 5 bedroom house w/2 baths, washer and lots of cats, and we only
use about 1500 gal. per month. Our water bill is about $30.00 per
quarter. In the past, when we have had internal leaks, we can hear
the water meter ticking over - you might want to shut off all the
water faucets and locate the meter, and see if you can still hear it
running. Also, at that time see if there is an external display on
the meter and take the reading, then as Vicky says, chart your usage.

Another thing - could someone have tapped into your electrical? Was
the house next door to yours part of the original property, and is
still hooked up in the one meter? I just looked at our bill, and we
used 1455 kwh last month. We have an electric hot water heater (MAJOR
energy hog!), and as soon as we are able, we will be getting one of
those "on demand" heaters. Because of the way our house is set up, we
can't get a gas heater, but if we could we would. We are now using
cold water for all washing except for whites - we use Tide Cold Water
as it was rated best by Consumer Reports. Also, if you ran any
electric space heaters they could have caused your bill to be very
high. (been there, done that!)

Most definitely complain to the utilities in the am. Make them prove
that you used that much. I really doubt you did, esp the water use!

Good luck,
Patti

Pat wrote:
I just got the first electric bill for this house, and I am positively
stunned at the amount. They say I used 1,433 KWH electric in one month.

How is that possible? I have a small fridge, the water heater was off for
the first week and set on 110 F. the rest of the time. Aside from those big
consumers of power, all I've used has been lights, the computer (shut down
every night), occasional TV (19" screen if that matters) and once a week
vacuuming for maybe ten minutes.

My neighbors who heat with electricity and use an electric clothes dryer
almost daily in addition to a 32" TV, larger water heater, electric stove (I
use gas) and much larger fridge, plus a stand alone freezer, had an electric
bill two-thirds lower than mine for the same month!

Could the new meter loop be defective? Is there such a thing as a "leak" of
electricity in a house?

The reading on the water bill was also insane. It says I used 3,690 gallons
in one month, and that is simply not possible!!! I spent ten years living
in the desert and having to haul every drop from a well 7 miles away on an
unmaintained dirt road, and from that I really learned to conserve water. To
this day it is painful for me to have to flush a toilet. At the farm I would
leave my bathwater in the tub and dip it out for flushing. Here I just flush
twice a day. Remember, I live alone. And I take "military" showers. I think
I've washed maybe six loads of laundry here so far and that's for TWO
months, and there is no dishwasher, I fill the sink.

No way on earth have I used 123 gallons/day on average. No way!!! I'd be
very surprised to see proof that I had used half that amount.

Maybe they didn't actually read the water meter, and just made a guess?
Could they have done the same with the electric meter? The people who lived
here before were constantly using electric heaters, which I have never
done.... This is totally maddening.... I will just not be able to afford to
live here if these bills are correct.

Pat, that sounds like an error in billing. That's not unusual,
especially for the meter reader to make a mistake. And sometimes, in
this town, they don't read the meter every month. They "estimate". If
that's what happened, your next bill will be way low, when they
actually read the meter.
Your water bill can be way high if you have a leak under the house, or
if the toilet is hanging and running all the time.
I am in electric-bill shock also, and have already inquired and found
out it isn't a mistake. I don't know how many kilowatts, but the bill
was $183. I am *bad* to leave lights on (DH calls it "Motel 6"--the
commercials that say "We leave the light on for you."
But we haven't run either the a/c or the heat this month. I hung out
clothes and didn't use the dryer. I can't believe that lights,
computer, 1 TV that only runs in the late evening, amounted to that
much. We did water some, and the pump runs on electricity. I think they
have raised the amount charged per kilowatt or something.

Sherry