Electric bill went up 78%...

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inkjunkie

inkjunkie

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We are on a "comfort plan", payment is the same monthly. Just got a notice saying our payment went up 78%. Absolutely nothing has changed since the last time they reviewed our use age. We did have the issue with gophers chewing on the power supply to the pump house, I dug a,ditch, dropped conduit in and pulled new wires. Weven were using hot water when we lost water, electric water heater was not full and the elements were energized. Since then the water heater is louder than it was prior to losing water. It is a 4500 watt 240v unit. When it is on it is pulling about 18 amps. Just checked the elements, bottom one is reading 13.4 ohms, top 13.3-13.5 ohms, power off and one wire pulled off the element being tested. If my fuzzy brain remembers right the elements should be reading 12-13 ohms...will being slightly over that cause any trouble?
 
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inkjunkie said:
We areally on a "comfort plan", payment is the same monthly. Just got a notice saying our payment went up 78%. Absolutely nothing has changed since the last time they reviewed our use age. We did have the issue with gophers chewing on the power supply to the pump house, I dug a,ditch, dropped conduit in and pulled new wires. Weven were using hot water when we lost water, electric water heater was not full and the elements were energized. Since then the water heater is louder than it was prior to losing water. It is a 4500 watt 240v unit. When it is on it is pulling about 18 amps. Just checked the elements, bottom one is reading 13.4 ohms, top 13.3-13.5 ohms, power off and one wire pulled off the element being tested. If my fuzzy brain remembers right the elements should be reading 12-13 ohms...will being slightly over that cause any trouble?
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78% increase?! holy crap, not sure where you're from but you might wanna look into solar or something
 
Yikes.

Can you compare KWH?
 
Yote said:
Have to pay for those wind turbines some how , since Govt wants to get rid of our cheap (dirty) coal.
Yote
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As someone that works in a coal fired power plant I wish I could like this more than once.
 
YY1 said:
Yikes.

Can you compare KWH?
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Yes, this. Compare kWh between bills, if it doesn't show a significant change call the utility and ask them to explain. Call anyway, meter readers (or the automatic read meters) screw up.
 
Ouch, I keep wondering when we are gonna get the screws. Been in my house almost 8 Years. It runs on the average $125 a month. I know out West You'll pay a little more. Couldn't handle 78%.....
 
turtleheadjoe said:
Yes, this. Compare kWh between bills, if it doesn't show a significant change call the utility and ask them to explain. Call anyway, meter readers (or the automatic read meters) screw up.
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Not according to Avista they don't...
Perhaps this is how they are recouping the 11 million they are spending on the dam just down the road from us...:rofl:
 
Our utility has a split fuel charge where anything up to a certain point is billed at a lower rate, but once you go over that point it's billed at a much higher rate. Too many KWh over and it's a very noticeable increase.

My bill used to run 130-150.

I installed a programmable T stat about 7 years ago, and it's rarely over $100 anymore.

A "logical" program makes all the difference.
 
Any chance someone is growing pot and using your power supply to keep the lights burning?
 
We went solar on our home a couple of years ago. We didn't buy the panels - didn't make sense to - so the lease payments are a little over $70 per month and the monthly electric bill is rarely over $10 per month and hardly any impact when using the AC in the summer. Some months we generate more electricity than we use so the utility bill is a credit.
The Monthly bills used to be $130+ prior to going solar - and if we used the AC in the summer the rates would soar.
The installation didn't cost anything out of pocket.
 
diymirage said:
Any chance someone is growing pot and using your power supply to keep the lights burning?
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Actually checked the breaker box yesterday lol...but no chance. Absolutely nothing has changed, except for I unhooked the timer on the water heater when the well house went out. I had the timer set up to turn off at 10 p.m. (after we both showered) and stay off to 6:15 am. When Ernie gets up to go to her quilting meetings she does not get up prior to then. I was in the habit of turning the water heater off every day when he was done doing the dishes and what not, pretty much only ran it when necessary. Avista is a rip off...and far from honest. We had the garage hooked up to the house breaker box. Got tired of only having 90 amps out there. Called Avista on 6 different occasions to ask if the fees/rates were the same on a second meter. Every time we were told yes. I dug the ditch, they came out and buried conduit and pulled a 400amp line. Got the first bill and I blew a gasket. Fees were the same, rates were about 60% higher. I called...was told that because I was running a commercial business the rates were higher. Hmm....not running a business...was then told because it was a shop...hmmm....after numerous calls and several hours of discussion I finally gave up and went looking for Ron, the fellow that was the service guy for Avista for our area. He had just retired. He told me that they lied thru their teeth. Avista charges extra when you have 2 meters on one property.
Guy down the road is on Avista. He was gone all summer. Prior to leaving he tripped the main breakers on his panels. Had his mail forwarded to him on the coast while he was gone. Avista sent him bills averaging $80@month for the 4 months he was gone. He asked them how he could have used any electric with the breakers tripped. They told him that was not their concern....pay up or we will be out to remove the meter....
 
ocdart said:
We went solar on our home a couple of years ago. We didn't buy the panels - didn't make sense to - so the lease payments are a little over $70 per month and the monthly electric bill is rarely over $10 per month and hardly any impact when using the AC in the summer. Some months we generate more electricity than we use so the utility bill is a credit.
The Monthly bills used to be $130+ prior to going solar - and if we used the AC in the summer the rates would soar.
The installation didn't cost anything out of pocket.
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I can remember when we were in AZ our bill soared during the summer. Even on the budget it was $170 a month. Not only were we on the budget plan we also took advantage of SRP's time of use plan. Avoid using electric during peak hours and you saved $$. Just the time of use plan saved us on average $30 a month. Granted, I was running a 300 gallon salt water aquarium with a chiller, a 125 gallon salt water tank, a 38 gallon reef tank and 2 turtle tanks. Had each one on the 3 metal halide lights we had on the big tank on its own 15 amp circuit.
@ocdart....if you don't mind me asking who did you get the solar equipment from?
 
Not sure about the ohms question but we recently started taking over my MIL's finances and found her electricity bill in the $300's so we downloaded the power company app that monitors KWPH per day and bought one of THESE To isolate to power suck. Turns out, her un-used RV was plugged into the house and wasting about $200 a month.

I assume you are using Inland power, here is their App
 
ocdart said:
PM reply sent
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that's terrible. obuma wants to shut down all the coal fired plants. when there is a brown out, he and all the rich politicians will just move to the bay in Australia where Hillary has bought a plot.
 
seabee said:
Not sure about the ohms question but we recently started taking over my MIL's finances and found her electricity bill in the $300's so we downloaded the power company app that monitors KWPH per day and bought one of THESE To isolate to power suck. Turns out, her un-used RV was plugged into the house and wasting about $200 a month.

I assume you are using Inland power, here is their App
Click to expand...
We are using Avista....will see if they have anything similar, ap wise...Thanks...
 
Maybe start disconnecting things one at a time and see what effect it has on the meter.
 
Just checked the Google Play Store...no app. Looked on the Avista home page, didn't see one there neither...
 
Have heard that a close lightning strike really screws with those new fangled meters also, compared to the old rotating wheel style meter. might have them switch meters.
 
Up here you can put solar panels on rooftops and sell it back to the Hydro Company, for more money than what the Hydro SELLS it to you. The bldgs sole purpose cant be for the solar panels. For example storage units. Dual purpose so solar panels are good to go. Triple your money in 25 years. From what I have read, the reason the Hydro company pays you more than what they sell it for is that its cheaper to do that than build/renovate Power Plants.
Our Provincial Liberal govt has now put our Provincial Hydro provider(Hydro One) on the Stock Market. Instead of fixing the damned problems they sell it off. Stupid *****.
Now I work for a Municipally owned Utility generator/provider and the same stupid ***** (Kathleen Wynne) is forcing them to sell to Hydro One! My employer has been in business for over 100 years, and has been owned by the City since day 1.
My utility bill is nothing drastic approx $250 month covers hydro munic water and sewer, but we have NG for HW tank, dryer and stove
LOL my Utiliy bill comes from my employer so gotta make sure its paid.
 
Do I recall that you had some big fires burning near you? Maybe some equipment burned down that you have the privilege of paying for.
 
We were on a well here for about 30 years. And our power bill also suddenly jumped to damn near double a few times during those years. And the well pump was the culprit every time. Electric fault or plumbing fault, motor, switch contacts, foot valve, something different every time. Same result.
Neighbor once had a failed pop off valve on his water heater. No "wet" evidence seen due to it being under the house. Water heater and well pump working harder, so his evidence came in the mail/power bill. Good luck
 
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