Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Non-investing personal finance issues including insurance, credit, real estate, taxes, employment and legal issues such as trusts and wills.
Post Reply
Topic Author
Gardener
Posts: 698
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:03 pm

Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Gardener »

My electric bill was more than double than what it usually is this time of year- $215

I went through my previous years electric bills. For the same time period (May 10-June 10) last year it was in the $90's. The year prior to that it was in the $80's.

Same house. Same electricity provider. Haven't even used the AC once this year. Only one new appliance from years past- a replaced water heater (even smaller in size than the previous one). Also, I was on vacation for ten days this time period and the house was virtually using no electricity so I was expecting a lower bill than years past.

Any idea on what I could be missing here? Any input appreciated!
tomd37
Posts: 4098
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 9:39 pm
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by tomd37 »

Is the bill based on an actual reading or an estimated reading? Did you take a reading on the electric meter as soon as this high bill was received to approximately determine if the reading was correct?
Tom D.
User avatar
grabiner
Advisory Board
Posts: 35307
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:58 pm
Location: Columbia, MD

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by grabiner »

Is the meter reading estimated? I had this happen to me once with a gas bill; the March bill based on an estimated meter reading was higher than the January and February bills, despite March having been much warmer than January or February. When the gas company came back to read the meter in April, the April reading was less than the March estimate, and I wound up with a credit balance for the month.

Did the provider change its rates (for example, did a promotional offer end)?
Wiki David Grabiner
furwut
Posts: 2123
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 8:54 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by furwut »

Perhaps the new water heater is or has gone faulty and is not cycling off? Is there an idndicator light on it that you can observe to see if it is cycling?

Has the power company recently replaced your meter?
user5027
Posts: 971
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2012 8:54 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by user5027 »

You need to look at the actual usage and any rate changes before coming to a meaningful explanation.
Topic Author
Gardener
Posts: 698
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:03 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Gardener »

Bill is not estimated for this month. And previous month was not estimated either.

Rates are just about the same as last year. This Invoice indicates a large increase in usage over years passed.

Ill take a look at the meter and the water heater.
User avatar
Epsilon Delta
Posts: 8090
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Epsilon Delta »

Look at the kWhr used rather than the cost. If the energy usage has doubled then turn off everything you can find and go watch the electric meter. If there is a constant parasitic load it will be whirling like a dervish. You can narrow it down by flipping breakers until the load drops. It's possible it's something simple like leaving the basement lights on (if you have 30 bulbs in the basement.)

It's probably useful to read the meter and write down the reading and time. Then check again tomorrow, etc. Then you can tell if the problem has gone away without waiting a month and burning another $200.
User avatar
Epsilon Delta
Posts: 8090
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Epsilon Delta »

furwut wrote:Perhaps the new water heater is or has gone faulty and is not cycling off? Is there an idndicator light on it that you can observe to see if it is cycling?
If the water heater is that faulty there will be steam. Almost certainly a quite obvious amount of steam.
nordsteve
Posts: 1104
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:23 am

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by nordsteve »

1. Check the refrigerator to see if it is running excessively.

2. If you don't have one, a Kill A Watt is useful to find out what appliances are using: http://www.amazon.com/P3-International- ... ill+a+watt
FlyOverState
Posts: 107
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 1:35 am

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by FlyOverState »

Kids running grow lights in the attic?
Thanks, | John | | FlyOverState
Leesbro63
Posts: 10638
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 3:36 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Leesbro63 »

Furnace motor now on "Fan" (running all the time) vs "Auto" (cycling on only as needed by the furnace/AC)?
SteveB3005
Posts: 1425
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:29 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by SteveB3005 »

Grandpa running grow lights in the basement?
User avatar
Sheepdog
Posts: 5783
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:05 pm
Location: Indiana, retired 1998 at age 65

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Sheepdog »

There is a chance that it was a meter misread which will be corrected next month.
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Oilburner
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:04 am

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Oilburner »

First figure out when the jump in monthly bill amounts occurred. Is the bill a constant, monthly amount higher, or was this a single month occurrence? Next, see if there was a like percentage increase in the number of kilo-watt hours of electricity used. Either prices went up, new fees/taxes were introduced, you used more power, there was a billing error, or somehow someone is tapping your electricity after the meter (unlikely, though), or a combination of these. A meter reading error would cause a one month jump and a following month fall in measured electricity usage, thus would average out.

I am curious to find out what happened.

Epsilon Delta Wrote: "Look at the kWhr used rather than the cost. If the energy usage has doubled then turn off everything you can find and go watch the electric meter. If there is a constant parasitic load it will be whirling like a dervish. You can narrow it down by flipping breakers until the load drops."

That's an excellent idea. For an extra $125, that equates to over 1000 KW-hrs, about what a normal electric bill is without heat and A/C. You will notice the meter spinning with all consumables disconnected if there is a that type of drain. This equates to about 1450 watts continuous usage over 30 days (720 hours), based on 12 cents a KW-Hour. This is the size the drain is, if continuous. This is like a hair dryer type of load. If you have a malfunctioning appliance this type of increase is not unheard of.
Last edited by Oilburner on Tue Jun 18, 2013 8:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
Oilburner
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:04 am

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Oilburner »

FlyOverState wrote:Kids running grow lights in the attic?
:shock: This is how a lot of "growers" get busted, a big jump in electricity use is noticed by the power company and is reported to the authorities.
YttriumNitrate
Posts: 1093
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:13 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by YttriumNitrate »

deleted.
Last edited by YttriumNitrate on Sat Mar 12, 2016 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
greg24
Posts: 4512
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:34 am

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by greg24 »

It is likely a combination of factors. It could be a misread meter. It could be a rather long month, such as 35 days between readings.
user5027
Posts: 971
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2012 8:54 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by user5027 »

Was the neighbor dragging over an extension chord when you drove down the driveway on vacation? :twisted:
User avatar
kenyan
Posts: 3015
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:16 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by kenyan »

Had this happen due to a misread meter at our previous apartment. Given the tiered pricing model of the local utility company, it was important to get it rectified, which we did. They since moved to a remote reading system without a manual read.
Retirement investing is a marathon.
User avatar
tyrion
Posts: 1423
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:33 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by tyrion »

kenyan wrote:Had this happen due to a misread meter at our previous apartment. Given the tiered pricing model of the local utility company, it was important to get it rectified, which we did. They since moved to a remote reading system without a manual read.
This happened to me once too. It showed the meter reading on the bill, so I was able to go out to the meter itself and look for myself. I saw it was wrong, called the utility, they send someone out to re-read the meter the next day. No big deal.
User avatar
BigFoot48
Posts: 3114
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:47 am
Location: Arizona

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by BigFoot48 »

Subwoofer running in the living room?
Retired | Two-time in top-10 in Bogleheads S&P500 contest; 18-time loser
User avatar
flossy21
Posts: 555
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 2:04 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by flossy21 »

You mentioned that you have a new water heater. Is it possible that the new water heater temperature setting is higher than the old and is driving up the cost to heat water?
Mudpuppy
Posts: 7409
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:26 am
Location: Sunny California

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Mudpuppy »

BigFoot48 wrote:Subwoofer running in the living room?
That's for strange attic noises :)

In all seriousness, the first order of business is to compare the meter reading on the bill to the current reading on the meter. You need to make sure the bill was accurate. Rather than chase down what might be drawing power, check the meter first. If the meter reading looks reasonable compared to the bill, then start chasing down the energy hog.

Out of curiosity, do you have a smart meter that reports hourly usage? If so, do you have access to the usage graphs? Looking at the usage graphs before, during, and after the billing period could be helpful. If there is an actual spike in usage, the graphs should show that. That can help you pin down the "when", which might give clues to the "why".
mptness
Posts: 200
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 3:54 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by mptness »

You didn't mention how you get your water.
A submersible well pump can malfunction (ie. Cycle on and off more frequently) without you realizing.
Topic Author
Gardener
Posts: 698
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:03 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Gardener »

Well, I have found the answer.

Meter was misread by power company by one important digit.

The Baltimore Gas and Electric Meter invoice (6/10/2013) current reading was 93822 kWh. I can see plain as day, today (6/18/2013) my meter reads 93091 kWh!

Everyone makes mistakes, I suppose. In meterman's defense. I have a bush that would have slightly obstructed his view of my power meter. I have pruned said bush to make it easier for him in the future.

Any additional action I need to take? Won't the accurate reading of my meter next month correct the balance of the power bill?

Thanks for your input.

PS I don't have any kids yet. Grandpa does not live with us. So, I was able to immediately rule out a pot growing nursery in the attic.
Last edited by Gardener on Tue Jun 18, 2013 8:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Topic Author
Gardener
Posts: 698
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:03 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Gardener »

mptness wrote:You didn't mention how you get your water.
A submersible well pump can malfunction (ie. Cycle on and off more frequently) without you realizing.
I never considered that. We live out in the country and have well water.
User avatar
tyrion
Posts: 1423
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:33 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by tyrion »

Gardener wrote:Well, I have have found the answer.

Meter was misread by power company by one important digit.

The Baltimore Gas and Electric Meter invoice (6/10/2013) current reading was 93822 kWh. I can see plain as day, today (6/18/2013) my meter reads 93091 kWh!

Everyone makes mistakes, I suppose. In meterman's defense. I have a bush that would have slightly obstructed his view of my power meter. I have pruned said bush to make it easier for him in the future.

Any additional action I need to take? Won't the accurate reading of my meter next month correct the balance of the power bill?

Thanks for your input.

PS I don't have any kids yet. Grandpa does not live with us. So, I was able to immediately rule out a pot growing nursery in the attic.
I would call the company and tell them your meter was not read correctly. If you have tiered rates this matters quite a bit. Even if you don't, no need to pay them in advance for electricity you haven't used yet.

I imagine this happens all the time. There is probably a process for discarding outcomes where it's too far out of range, but in your case it was off enough to be considered legitimate but not far enough to trigger an error.
User avatar
runner9
Posts: 2260
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:49 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by runner9 »

our rates varies slightly, not sure why but it's highest in the summer--guessing usage. So, just looking at 2012 bills June was the lowest month from at least May-Sept. Not suggesting you cheat the power company, but if you call and they give the option to just have no bill until you read that usage level or get an adjusted bill it might be worth thinking about.
Topic Author
Gardener
Posts: 698
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:03 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by Gardener »

Just got off the phone with the power company.

They asked for the reading that I came up with today. She input the number I gave her in my file.

The woman was very pleasant and apologized for the inconvenience.

Said she could:

1) reissue a new bill for last month based on my reading (Im on autobill and my payment was already made, so this seemed to be a hassle)

2) have meter guy come out for regular meter read next month and the invoice would obviously reflect the lower usage reading, and lower bill for July.

I elected #2. My power supply is tiered in price per kWh based on what time energy is consumed. There are only two tiers and the difference between the two is negligible.
spencer99
Posts: 486
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 5:17 pm

Re: Jump in price in my electricity bill?

Post by spencer99 »

Sheepdog wrote:There is a chance that it was a meter misread which will be corrected next month.
This happened to me. When I called, the very helpful rep said that an old-style meter - remember the kind with four or five spinning dials? - could be misread pretty easily. If so, the mistake would correct itself at the next meter reading, and that's exactly what happened.

Good luck,

S
Post Reply