OMG, just got my electric bill $389!

[2angelsinheaven]

OMG, I'm fuming right now. I just got my electric bill and last month it was $80.12 and this month it's $389! I called up and the lady who answers tells me well last month was just an estimated bill so... and to which I reply, well the month before that which was a actual bill was $75 and before that only $62. So please explain why my bill has gone up more than $300! I know it's hot out but no way could it have caused the bill to go up that much.
So before she'll send someone out I have to take a survey, to which I answer all her questions and she replies, yup looks like your bill is 78% too high for your useage, um DUH!
I tell her that we use to live in a 2,000 sq. foot house and our bill with the a/c freezing cold was only $160 a month in the summer and we even had a well, so that added to the cost.
Now we live in a tiny 600 sq. foot condo and no way do we use more than in the house!
She tells me it will take 2 weeks or so before someone can read my meter in the meantime you must pay the bill and if the meter is right then oh well and if it's wrong we will give you money back, I don't have $400 to give them, I'm on a budget and I budgeted around $100 for electric.

Sorry for the rant but yikes! To boot I wanted to read the meter for myself but I can't find it, I think it must be in the locked closets that read "Electrical" on each floor. Ugh!

Anyone have this happen to them, I hope it's just a misread but I'll be on edge till I find out now.

 

[icebrat001]

You have the right to be fuming, as I would be too! However, I don't think that you can talk them out of making you pay the $389, you are going to have to pay it and then get a credit or a check back. That happened with our phone bill 5 times in a row and we just had to pay it and keep getting credited until they got it figured out.

I'm sorry I wasn't of any help.

Can you borrow money from your savings or emergency fund or something and then replace it later?

 

[SplshMtn99]

YIKES. That does suck. I too would just take the $ from savings until its straightened out.

Hopefully it won't but a damper on your upcoming cruise. And I see you just got back from another. I wish we lived close enough to the fun stuff that we didn't have to add airfare into trip budget. Have a good trip!!!

 

[2angelsinheaven]

Problem is sadly I don't have savings, I know, bad news, esp. when something like this comes up. I will have to use the spending money for the cruise to cover the bill. I still don't understand why it would take 2 weeks to get someone here to just reread the meter. I would read it myself except it looks like I can't. Ugh!

 

[stahshee]

we had electric heat in a 800 sq ft house .... 900 per month

 

[SplshMtn99]

If no savings, do you have ANY type of fund to borrow from? Credit card at LAST resort? What do you do when real emergencies arise, or large unexpected car repairs.......

Not a lecture, just asking to try to help you figure out how to pay it?

Can you cancel / postpone the trip? Might be a good time to save up some $.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Same thing happened with me last year. I opened the bill and it was over $400. I called the gas and electric company immediately. She gave me the same song and dance about it being an actual reading. Told her nope that it couldn't have been because my gas meter is in my basement and no one has been in the house in over a year!!
She told me that someone else let him in because their employees don't lie. Nope, just my DH and our DD. Told her DH was standing right next to me swearing up and down that no one has been in the house. She then told me that my DD must have let him in and she didn't want to tell us. Ummm, I don't think so - she was 5 at the time!
She then went on to tell me that they must be able to see the meter through the window. Ummm, its on the outside wall, next to the window - can't see through it. She told me they could. The gas company has "special binoculars". Yes, special binoculars. I told her where she could put them and that I wouldn't be paying the bill until someone got their behind out to the house to properly read the meters. Someone showed up the next week and rolled with laughter when my DH asked to see his "special binoculars".

We ended up having the bill adjusted and saved almost $200. Good luck with everything. Oh and if your bill is current then I wouldn't worry about paying the huge amount. I would send them the $100 you have budgeted with a note stating that you are disputing the bill. You are paying what is a normal rate for you so you are not trying to get anything over on them. Just my $.02.

 

[SplshMtn99]

The gas company has "special binoculars". Yes, special binoculars. I told her where she could put them

 

[2angelsinheaven]

This was our first month on the new budget to start a savings fund. I can not cx the trip. I think I like Eyeore's idea, I will call and ask to speak to someone higher up and agree to pay the normal bill and until an actual new reread is done I will dispute the charges. We are on time with our billing so I could always see about an extension, but that's one thing I've been trying not to do is ask for extensions or get behind, use to do it all the time. Very proud of myself that for the last year all our bills are actually caught up and have $0 balances.

I'm just itching to see the meter so I can find out if it's legit or not, I can not imagine even though it's been warmer that it's gone up that much.

 

[ChristmasElf]

If it makes you feel any better, my electric bill is more than $600 in the summer, and that is with keeping the house at 78! Stinks that they have you over a barrel. You either pay or sit in the dark!!

 

[SplshMtn99]

Way to go on the zero balances!!!!!

 

[ericamanda01]

I would ask them directly about the refund if they are wrong about what the amount is. I know that PGE screwed up when we moved into our apartment, they charged us for the whole building. It's only 4 units, but it was over $950 for one month. We had to pay it to keep our electric on. Well when they finally figured out their mistake they didn't refund the money, they just credited our account. Granted we didn't have to pay for electric for almost a year, but I was NOT happy.

 

[RitaZ.]

She told me they could. The gas company has "special binoculars". Yes, special binoculars. I told her where she could put them and that I wouldn't be paying the bill until someone got their behind out to the house to properly read the meters.

That's the most ridiculous, yet funniest thing I've read in a while.

Christmaself~ $600 a month? How big is your house? I thought ours was bad at around $340 (so far). Our a/c unit is new and we did see a significant drop (about $100) in our electric bill.

 

[golfgal]

Can't you read your own meter and submit that? I know we had and "estimated" bill for an apartment we rented while waiting for a house one move. We were the first ever occupants of this apartment and they "estimated" our bill to be $300. I read the meter to her over the phone and our real bill was $34. She fixed it on the spot but did say that next month their reader would have to read the meter. That wasn't a problem at all but there was no way in heck I was going to pay the extra and then have them refund the money.

 

[lindakmonty]

when is the bill actually due? Maybe you can wait the 2 weeks to pay and have an actual amount to pay. Can you pay what you did last month? Or ask them for a payment plan, pay partial and then by then they'll have the real amount? just an idea

 

[Breezy_Carol]

The gas company has "special binoculars". Yes, special binoculars.

This was worth reading the thread.

To the OP, good luck.

I wondered where you lived but it looks like Florida. In Maryland we just had deregulation of energy costs and bills are expected to increase by as much as 72%.

 

[floridafam]

Same thing happened to us once.

I called and she had me read the meter to them while I was on the phone.

They had done an estimated reading and were way off.

I would call them back and tell them you are NOT paying the bill and to get someone out there pronto.

Is this FPL?

 

[disneyaggie]

I have heard that some electric companies "guestimate" your usage. Apparently their field workers don't really read all the meters, they just guess what they think you have used. Like they're psycic, huh?

I would definitely ask them to re-read the meter, or read it to begin with.

Good luck -- my bill was over $300 this month, too and I don't recall using that much more than I did last month and my bill was about 1/2 that.

 

[lowie]

sounds like you may have an electric moocher... make sure no other condo is hooked up to your meter. happens all the time in the condos i used to manage.

 

[mrsltg]

Everyone has given you solid advice. Let me add to it. Inform the electric company that you are not making them an interest free loan. Make a partial payment in the amount that you believe you owe or something slightly above. Demand someone come and read your meter - ASAP. If you make a partial payment they're not going to shut your electric off. In fact, the most they'll usually do, until there is a pattern, is add a late fee.

Good luck!