Ok we just got our energy bill for 1/2 of December and 1/2 of January.
We knew that there would be a price hike but we were really blown away when we got our new bill.
There is a difference of 20.+. And we also noticed and this isn't new we were just really bad and didn't notice before but we are charged on the average $12 to be a customer! THat to me seems unreal?! Why do they get to charge us for that? Its not like we have a choice in being their customer. Also it changes weekly the amounts are different and it varies from 5.00 to 1.60. Do you all have the same charges in other states? I just don't get it. Our total bill for electric and gas is 193.63. So I am sitting here with only one light on and we plan to keep the heat low. But I always thought we were pretty proactive about our usage and the only thing we can think of is to take shorter showers.

__________________
Karen

I use the budget system so I don't get those outrageously high bills. I agree they can be very frustrating.

I would be so excited with your bill. Since we moved, my gas bill was $300 and my electric and water was $170!!!!

__________________
~Happiness is a large family~

they seem to get away with charging for anything our gas is 200.00 and we freeze and i have not gotten our electric i am scared though cuz I know it went up we try so hard to cut out stuff but I am sure those who own these companies aren't cutting out anything in their lives and to top it off we make to much to get any help. I am sure you are the same! Good luck I just keep thinking summer is almost here!

I know just how you feel. I was screaming about this last week when we got our bill. I just swithed to the budget plane and I changed all the lightbulbs to energy savers. The funny part is that I cant believe how bright my house is with these new bulbs. The paint and floor colors even look better!

I opened mine the other day and it was $139, when it's usually about $80 this time of year, and yes, we get hit w/ the customer charge, too. It's been a little colder than normal here, and I have had some extra laundry, but I also feel it was a bit too high. However, you can never win an argument w/ the utility co....

__________________
Make someone's heart smile today.

mine was 201.00

Our area has just had a price freeze expire and the bills in our area about to go up 55% over previous. I am on a level pay plan and expect my $147 to go to $228 or more. I am doing everything I can to cut back but for the love of pete whats a girl to do. I will know more when I get the bill next week but am bracing myself for the shock.

OMGosh! Isn't weird how some of us have really high bills. Happymom where is that you live again? Cuz I sure don't want to move there hon!
I don't know if PSE offers a budget plan but I am gonna check into it on Monday. Hope thay have it here!

__________________
Karen

Here in South Africa we have a fellow come round every month to take our readings for our water and electricity, however I take ours every week, so I can track our electricity consumption. Our water Im not worried about as we get 20kl free water, our usage is under that for a month.

However with the electricty I do struggle, and have resorted to only switching on the geyser on in the evenings, and only cooking in the oven with a few other evenings waiting to be cooked, so I can freeze them and warm them up in the microwave.

We also turn everything off at the plug, as the tv, radios, microwave, dvd's.... even when they are on standby still use electriicty. We switch our computer on to standby when we leave the pc for a few minutes and have a setting for it to go onto hypernate after a while. But even that gets switched off at the wall in the evenings. All our lights are those energy saver ones.

Our aim is to cut our electricy usage of approx 300 Kw down to 250 kw. In winter I must be honest it does not go up as much as we have what you would consider a rather warm winter . And walk around in socks with tracksuits, have blankets on the couch and only have one portable gas heater working in the tv room.