Utility Bill Shock?

[CHenry]

I got an email with my gas bill statement. It was $90 and thats only $5 more than the last one so I assume the cold spell came after the last bill cycle.
I didnt really see my usage go up all that much. I dont run the furnace, living alone all I heat is whatever room I am in. Elec stace heater in the bedroom keeps it at 68. I work from home and use the kitchen table to work from so when I'm working and its so cold and dry I keep a large pot of water on the gas burner set at around 5 and that amount of heat keeps me warm (plus a space heater) all day and the humidity stayed up to 45-50%. So if running one burner all day sounds expensive, well, I'll see in a month I guess.

 

[magna19]

I don't need the bill to go into shock, the estimated bill already did that for me

With the weather back to normal that bill will probably go down to 500-550 range.

 

[rickm]

Well just got my electric bill in the mail and it was $90, $8 less than last month

 

[swampratt]

tore up both my shoulders in late 2019.

Yep That would put the halt on cutting firewood.
Especially the splitting side of it.

 

[Mr.Glock]

“”Coldamegadon2021”” cost around $10 more than last year in Nat Gas and about $4 in electric from last month.

 

[Roadking Larry]

Yep That would put the halt on cutting firewood.
Especially the splitting side of it.

My hydraulic splitter does help with that some. But, With the results from the right shoulder so far I don't think I'll ever be able to properly swing an axe or maul right handed again.

 

[MrChris]

Damn...I don't even pay half that in the peak of summer running two A/C units!

Are you all electric and did you have your thermostat cranked to 75?

No, that is the bill for my shop. Add another 300 or so for the house.

 

[rickm]

Just got a email from OG&E stating everyones bill will go up a mini of 10% and they going to ask the OCC to ectend that raise for 10 years to help offset the cost they endured so it wont hit the customers so hard.
Thursday Update – Our plan to minimize your costs

Dear customers,

In the aftermath of February’s extreme cold, you may be wondering how the weather could affect your utility bill.

During this weather event, our focus was on limiting the effects of temporary service interruptions and ensuring you had the power you needed to keep your families warm. We spent about $1 billion on natural gas to ensure we met the increased demand. That's more than we spent on fuel for all of 2020.

To minimize the impact to you, we're working with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) to spread the recovery of these fuel costs over 10 years. This is a two-step approach:

• Step 1: We're asking the OCC to allow us to recover a portion of the fuel costs beginning in April.
• Step 2: We're asking the OCC to approve spreading the remainder of the associated fuel costs over 10 years, beginning in 2022.

If approved, the average residential customer can expect to see a fuel cost-related increase of less than 10%.

Separate from fuel costs, you may also see a higher February bill if you used more electricity during the intense cold than you normally do. If you took conservation measures, like lowering your thermostat, you may not see as much of an increase.

 

[SMS]

Minimize our costs. That’s funny. OG&E rates are fixed so the cost is on them and any difference should come out of their profit, which is substantial.

This is the definition of pissing down our leg and telling us it’s raining lol. What they mean to say is “here is how we plan to pass our cost down to you so as to not impact our profits this year”.

Business is business, I get it, but seriously with the “we’re doing you a favor” song and dance.

 

[1shott]

Heres the email I got from centercvpoint last night.


Thank you for your continued resiliency through the recent unprecedented winter weather event.

We want to send a big thank you to customers like you who helped us conserve natural gas to help the greater community. Your actions helped ensure the integrity of the natural gas system and enabled it to stay strong during a period of high demand.

Throughout this difficult time, CenterPoint Energy’s focus remained on ensuring that our customers had natural gas service by managing the need for natural gas supply in real time. Our natural gas systems performed well. As a result of this severe winter weather driven by the recent storm, you likely used more natural gas for home heating, which could mean a higher bill next month.

We understand the impact this may have, and we’re here to help. Please know, the Company is reviewing all available options and working closely with regulators on a state-by-state basis, as well as natural gas suppliers and pipelines, to lessen the bill impact to customers.