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Termyn8or -> RE: How much was your gas bill? (12/27/2009 12:09:03 AM)
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FR
How the hell are youse getting these cheap heating bills ? While things have changed, years ago when the snow flew we expected gas bills around $400 per month, but that was heating two suites. It was also only that high for a few months.
Now I am all fucked up, because the olman had gotten on HEAP and PIP so I am not sure what the actual usage is. I'll actually have to go read the meter and figure it out. I am pretty sure there will be a balance due, but really, what I pay now is $112 per month. But I pay that all year.
When the gas bill used to shoot up to $400 in the winter, it shot similarly down to like twenty bucks in the summer. And things have changed. I am heating the upstairs only enough to keep it from freezing, the stat is all the way down but I think it kicks in at about 50 degrees. That's fine. Once rented, the gas will be split, the other meter is already there, it just hasn't been used in a long time. So my budget amount may be less than that. If my usage is half, and only four months out of the year are high gas bills, averaging it out I don't think I am too worried about it.
We have gone on the one third plan a couple of times, but you have to pay that off. We know that. While there is no interest you want to pay it off. If you did not fall for all these quicksters hawking cheap gas, and stuck with East Ohio/Dominion, the one third plan is good for people who don't want the budget yet get hit with some really high bills.
How it works is like this. You get a gas bill for $500. You don't have it or whatever so you can pay them one third, which would be $166. Next month the gas bill is $500 again, so now you owe $500 + $ 333. So now the minimum is $278. Now $ 833 - $278 is $555. Get one more $ 500 gas bill and do it again the minimum will be about $352. You are almost paying what you would have been paying but now you are in arrears. They might be OK with that but you still owe.
The trick to navigating this is to get it paid off quickly, and then be able to enjoy those months when the gas bill is only $20 a month. Another good plan is to play them on the plan.
Almost every one of them offers a budget plan, which in this case does not reduce cost, but just even it out. Basically in this area of the country, you get on the budget in October sometime. They set the rate. They give you usage and projected usage on the bill these days. Use that information. On the budget, there comes a time to even up, so whatever the balance is, you pay it when you come off the plan. Well stay on the plan a couple months or so and take the sting out of that, when the balance is low enough, pay it off and get off the plan. Then next October, simply get back on the plan.
I will admit that this scheme does allow them to use your money for free for a time, but if you do the math, you are using alot more of their money for quite a bit longer time. That is how it works out math wise.
If you can get plans like this, do it. They are going to figure out how to stop it so they make more money. Get it while you can.
Now understand one thing, when I talk about a $ 400 per month gas bill, we are talking about a double house, which is near the edge of a damnear cliff. Most of the time in the summer it is eight to ten degrees cooler here than it is even five streets away. The same seems to be true in the winter. And when it gets windy, right around here it gets REAL windy. I mean pieces of trees and rocks and shit like that flying up over the hill and I was actually worried about my windshield ! I mean it was kicking up some pretty large objects. And this house was built in 1915 and had no insulation. It has some now but we haven't been all the way around it yet.
In fact the attic insulation didn't get put in until 06 or 07. It was around then that it became apparent that it was best to do it. Rate hikes and all. Next year might be time for a bit more insulation. I like it, it saves money, plus it helps contain the sound in the house. Earlier I rocked my socks off and it was loud, so that I could actually feel it. I cut it off at about ten PM, I don't want to bother the neighbors, but dammit I paid all this money to have this sound and I shall enjoy it.
This also comes back to lifestyle. My bedroom is the warmest room in the whole house. That is fine. People say it's hot, but in the raw or near in the raw it just isn't hot. Preference. I can understand that, but what still befuddles me to this day is why 70 degrees is too cold in the winter yet too hot in the summer.
T
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