any electric company workers here?

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

So I recently moved (beginning of the month) and I received my 1st bill from my electric company PSEG in jersey and its super high for half a month. It says I used about 24kilowatts per hour for the 1st 15 days. Now I took my own reading today and I calculated I only used about 14.5 kilowatts per hour since their last reading on the 15th. Is it possible that the company made an error on my 1st meter reading on July 1st? If yes, how can I proved it? I called them up and asked about a possibility of meter reading error and they insist it's correct. The guy got me so aggravated that I asked him if he personally did my meter reading since he was 100% sure it was correct. Then I told him that PSEG is so lucky they have a monolopy for 3/4 in jersey and he didn't say anything. Then I was telling him my theory and he told me he doesn't care about what I say so I hung up on him. Worst customer service in the world. and what sucks is that I can't get my energy from somebody else. I might have to get some solar panels for my electricity.

[Footloose301]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

So I recently moved (beginning of the month) and I received my 1st bill from my electric company PSEG in jersey and its super high for half a month. It says I used about 24kilowatts per hour for the 1st 15 days. Now I took my own reading today and I calculated I only used about 14.5 kilowatts per hour since their last reading on the 15th. Is it possible that the company made an error on my 1st meter reading on July 1st? If yes, how can I proved it? I called them up and asked about a possibility of meter reading error and they insist it's correct. The guy got me so aggravated that I asked him if he personally did my meter reading since he was 100% sure it was correct. Then I told him that PSEG is so lucky they have a monolopy for 3/4 in jersey and he didn't say anything. Then I was telling him my theory and he told me he doesn't care about what I say so I hung up on him. Worst customer service in the world. and what sucks is that I can't get my energy from somebody else. I might have to get some solar panels for my electricity.

Or some large generators.

[My_Two_Cents]

LOL. You haven't seen anything yet. Wait until this cap-and-tax crap gets passed, then you can look forward to your electric rates doubling!

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

LOL. You haven't seen anything yet. Wait until this cap-and-tax crap gets passed, then you can look forward to your electric rates doubling!

Wow. More and more crap to pay. I'm about to leave to Canada!

[JimShaw]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

Wow. More and more crap to pay. I'm about to leave to Canada!

Think you have it bad? I live in California where the politicians feel that if it does not move, tax it. If it does move, put a fee on it. If there is a tax or fee on it, add a surcharge.

[Footloose301]

Originally Posted by JimShaw

Think you have it bad? I live in California where the politicians feel that if it does not move, tax it. If it does move, put a fee on it. If there is a tax or fee on it, add a surcharge.

HAHA Isn't the Terminator still in Office?

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by JimShaw

Think you have it bad? I live in California where the politicians feel that if it does not move, tax it. If it does move, put a fee on it. If there is a tax or fee on it, add a surcharge.

o man.. that sucks.. It's not even a money issue that got me upset. (well it is.. hehe.. ) but what got me real pissed off was their customer service. That's what got to me. They talked to you like we are kids.

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

So I recently moved (beginning of the month) and I received my 1st bill from my electric company PSEG in jersey and its super high for half a month. It says I used about 24kilowatts per hour for the 1st 15 days. Now I took my own reading today and I calculated I only used about 14.5 kilowatts per hour since their last reading on the 15th. Is it possible that the company made an error on my 1st meter reading on July 1st? If yes, how can I proved it? I called them up and asked about a possibility of meter reading error and they insist it's correct. The guy got me so aggravated that I asked him if he personally did my meter reading since he was 100% sure it was correct. Then I told him that PSEG is so lucky they have a monolopy for 3/4 in jersey and he didn't say anything. Then I was telling him my theory and he told me he doesn't care about what I say so I hung up on him. Worst customer service in the world. and what sucks is that I can't get my energy from somebody else. I might have to get some solar panels for my electricity.

If you have a serious issue with them, contact your PUC and explain your case. You can also contact the utilities customer service manager to ensure your meter was read properly.

Typically though, these guys are trained to read the meters, I'd be suspect if they actually read it wrong but you never know. In your area, I wouldn't be surprised if they have AMR, which is a direct electronic read - removes the human error component.

It's true about rates doubling though....that is the worse case scenario, best case your bill will go up ~ 40%. So save up now. You can thank the politicians in power for this one.

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by Deads3t

If you have a serious issue with them, contact your PUC and explain your case. You can also contact the utilities customer service manager to ensure your meter was read properly.

Typically though, these guys are trained to read the meters, I'd be suspect if they actually read it wrong but you never know. In your area, I wouldn't be surprised if they have AMR, which is a direct electronic read - removes the human error component.

It's true about rates doubling though....that is the worse case scenario, best case your bill will go up ~ 40%. So save up now. You can thank the politicians in power for this one.

thanks for the info. I will hold off and wait for this month bill. If my own meter numbers are correct, my bill shouldnt be as high. I'm keeping an eye on my meter until my next schedule reading. I live in a apartment building. That's why I thought maybe the employee was in a rush and might have read the wrong meter or something. and about the bill doubling. You are telling me one family house which spends a good chuck of energy ( I read about $1-$2k a month) could double to $3-$4k? That freaking sucks.

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

You are telling me one family house which spends a good chuck of energy ( I read about $1-$2k a month) could double to $3-$4k? That freaking sucks.

Not sure what your definition of a one-family energy bill, but I can assure you that we don't spend $1-2K per month. My electric bill for a ~4000sf home running all electric except for a gas range averages ~$200/month, and most of that is due to the fact that we have heat pumps that struggle in the winter when the temperature drops below 40 degrees.

In addition to your electric (and gas) bills going up, expect to pay about the same increase for gasoline. You should also expect just about everything you buy to increase in cost as the manufacturers pass their increased regulatory costs on to the consumer (as long as it was produced in the US).

As Deads3t mentioned above, you can thank the morons in DC for this if it ever becomes law.

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

thanks for the info. I will hold off and wait for this month bill. If my own meter numbers are correct, my bill shouldnt be as high. I'm keeping an eye on my meter until my next schedule reading. I live in a apartment building. That's why I thought maybe the employee was in a rush and might have read the wrong meter or something. and about the bill doubling. You are telling me one family house which spends a good chuck of energy ( I read about $1-$2k a month) could double to $3-$4k? That freaking sucks.

As Ricshoe said, it depends on your situation. I own a standard ranch home, about 1200 sqft on each level. My kWh usage is about

500-700 in the winter (i have natural gas for heat)
850-1000 in the summer

With the amount charged and my usage, I'm getting charged about 10-11 cents a kWh, that's with taxes rolled in. So it's my billed amount / my usage.

I try to keep my total below 1000 kWh per month, I have all this graphed out in excel to watch how much I use and regulate costs. I am also on levelized billing, so my electric bill is typically $75 a month all year round, every utility has this and you should do it if you are on a budget.

If I had a mansion like Ricshoe, I would be extremely frightened of the new cap n' trade

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

Not sure what your definition of a one-family energy bill, but I can assure you that we don't spend $1-2K per month. My electric bill for a ~4000sf home running all electric except for a gas range averages ~$200/month, and most of that is due to the fact that we have heat pumps that struggle in the winter when the temperature drops below 40 degrees.

In addition to your electric (and gas) bills going up, expect to pay about the same increase for gasoline. You should also expect just about everything you buy to increase in cost as the manufacturers pass their increased regulatory costs on to the consumer (as long as it was produced in the US).

As Deads3t mentioned above, you can thank the morons in DC for this if it ever becomes law.

It should be noted that when you are budgeting, some have all electric and some people have a mix between electric and natural gas. Heat pumps run all year long, so Ricshoes bill may seem high, but it includes heat, mine doesn't. Plus, if you run all electric some utilities will discount your kwh rate.

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by Deads3t

As Ricshoe said, it depends on your situation. I own a standard ranch home, about 1200 sqft on each level. My kWh usage is about

500-700 in the winter (i have natural gas for heat)
850-1000 in the summer

With the amount charged and my usage, I'm getting charged about 10-11 cents a kWh, that's with taxes rolled in. So it's my billed amount / my usage.

I try to keep my total below 1000 kWh per month, I have all this graphed out in excel to watch how much I use and regulate costs. I am also on levelized billing, so my electric bill is typically $75 a month all year round, every utility has this and you should do it if you are on a budget.

If I had a mansion like Ricshoe, I would be extremely frightened of the new cap n' trade




It should be noted that when you are budgeting, some have all electric and some people have a mix between electric and natural gas. Heat pumps run all year long, so Ricshoes bill may seem high, but it includes heat, mine doesn't. Plus, if you run all electric some utilities will discount your kwh rate.

man.. the bill I just received was $70 for 15 days!! and I live in a one room apartment.. There's no way I wasted that much energy. That's what has me worry. Both me and my wife work 9-5 job so we get home around 7pm so there's nobody else there. I was even walking around my house looking for stuff that could be sucking power. But whatever I had in my old place, I have in my new place. I didn't buy anything else.

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

man.. the bill I just received was $70 for 15 days!! and I live in a one room apartment.. There's no way I wasted that much energy. That's what has me worry. Both me and my wife work 9-5 job so we get home around 7pm so there's nobody else there. I was even walking around my house looking for stuff that could be sucking power. But whatever I had in my old place, I have in my new place. I didn't buy anything else.

You could always flip your main breaker and run down to check your meter to see if it's still spinning (if you know your number).

Also, call the company and see what your kWh rate is. It'll be somewhere between 8 - 15 cents (usually).

Make sure since it's an apartment that they got your move in date correct, b/c that's when you want to start paying on the current billing cycle.

Some places charge $25 for a start up fee or credit fee, maybe that was included in your $70 bill?

edit: Actually call and let me know your rate, I'd be interested to see what NJ has for electric rates

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by Deads3t

You could always flip your main breaker and run down to check your meter to see if it's still spinning (if you know your number).

Also, call the company and see what your kWh rate is. It'll be somewhere between 8 - 15 cents (usually).

Make sure since it's an apartment that they got your move in date correct, b/c that's when you want to start paying on the current billing cycle.

Some places charge $25 for a start up fee or credit fee, maybe that was included in your $70 bill?

edit: Actually call and let me know your rate, I'd be interested to see what NJ has for electric rates

delivery/distrubutation charges at .050800000 cents then .054912281 cents
supply charges at .129666667 cents then at .139298246 cents. it seems like it charges a different rate after you reach a certain kwh. now for gas i didn't get charged anything but a service charged. the meter reading on july 1st is the same as july 15th. I don't understand that part.
and no, there's no startup fee apply on my bill. and i was planning to do that breaker switch and check the meter.

haha.. I just found out that my company has a plan that you pay the same amount every month regardless of what you use. but the funny part is that you must not make more than 5k a year!! there's nobody in jersey that can live making 5k a year!!! lol..

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

delivery/distrubutation charges at .050800000 cents then .054912281 cents
supply charges at .129666667 cents then at .139298246 cents. it seems like it charges a different rate after you reach a certain kwh. now for gas i didn't get charged anything but a service charged. the meter reading on july 1st is the same as july 15th. I don't understand that part.
and no, there's no startup fee apply on my bill. and i was planning to do that breaker switch and check the meter.

haha.. I just found out that my company has a plan that you pay the same amount every month regardless of what you use. but the funny part is that you must not make more than 5k a year!! there's nobody in jersey that can live making 5k a year!!! lol..

That just means nobody lived in the apartment during that billing cycle. Now, what I would do if I were you is go home and find out how many kWh you used (or call, they can tell you) on the previous bill and figure out how much you should have paid, then try to match that up with your bill.

If it doesn't work out, if you come up with $55 owed, find out where the discrepancy is, per kWh charge, usage, taxes, fees...it has to be there somewhere.

The levelized billing I'm referring to is setup through the electric company. You can get on the plan and they will bill you the same amount every month. I'd check into that if your utlity has that option (most do). The flat fee part I've never heard of, that's probably more like comp power stuff....btw...noone can live on 5k per year.

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by Deads3t

That just means nobody lived in the apartment during that billing cycle. Now, what I would do if I were you is go home and find out how many kWh you used (or call, they can tell you) on the previous bill and figure out how much you should have paid, then try to match that up with your bill.

If it doesn't work out, if you come up with $55 owed, find out where the discrepancy is, per kWh charge, usage, taxes, fees...it has to be there somewhere.

The levelized billing I'm referring to is setup through the electric company. You can get on the plan and they will bill you the same amount every month. I'd check into that if your utlity has that option (most do). The flat fee part I've never heard of, that's probably more like comp power stuff....btw...noone can live on 5k per year.

thanks for the help man. I'm going to monitor this crap and see what happens in my next statement.

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

thanks for the help man. I'm going to monitor this crap and see what happens in my next statement.

No problem.

Just a small take on your rates....if you take the distribution charge + engery usage; you get about 0.18 cents (give or take a few), which is pretty high.

So, to have a $75 bill, you'd need to use 416 kWh. Of course though that's a straight costs, so you most likely used (or they say you used) anywhere from 380 to 400 and that'd put you at $70 with taxes added on.

If can n trade goes through, at a minimum it'll be ~ 0.25 per kWh, at a maximum it'll be 0.36 per kWh (rough inside numbers).

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by Deads3t

If I had a mansion like Ricshoe, I would be extremely frightened of the new cap n' trade

No mansion. A finished basement really helps up the SF. But yes, I'm extremely worried about what my utility bills will look like if the power-grab legislation every goes through.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

Wow. More and more crap to pay. I'm about to leave to Canada!

Please don't.

We're having enough trouble getting rid of war defectors who don't like U.S. policies, if everyone who didn't like the tax rate in the States wanted to come up here we'd have to shut down.

Then again, I have changed my mind, come up to Toronto, there's a civil workers strike going on right now and the place is getting garbage piled up in city parks, it really is quite pleasant.

Logan

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by Deads3t

No problem.

Just a small take on your rates....if you take the distribution charge + engery usage; you get about 0.18 cents (give or take a few), which is pretty high.

So, to have a $75 bill, you'd need to use 416 kWh. Of course though that's a straight costs, so you most likely used (or they say you used) anywhere from 380 to 400 and that'd put you at $70 with taxes added on.

If can n trade goes through, at a minimum it'll be ~ 0.25 per kWh, at a maximum it'll be 0.36 per kWh (rough inside numbers).

that blows man.. . and yet, there's no other company to get my energy from because they are allow to have a monopoly here. at my last place which was the same size (one room, even bigger living room) i was using about 200 kwh. my parent-in-laws live in a 3 bedroom apartment and are always home and their bill doesn't go pass $150. Since this bill was $70 for 15 days, it means it would be $140 for a month!! when I see bills like these, I just put a blu-ray one and forget everything!!