Earlier this week, I received a very disturbing document in the mail. No, it was not the bi-weekly invitation to join AARP. It wasn't even my 125th invoice for mortgage protection insurance. It was something much, much more sinister.
I received this month's electric bill from TXU (cue blood- curdling scream).
I have been reading all sorts of stories about people complaining about outrageous electric bills this summer, but I truly cannot comprehend this bill that I got. According to the experts, I used nearly twice as much juice this month as I did last month. TWICE!! This is ridiculous!
First of all, I haven't suddenly started running a laundromat in my house. Secondly, I have not recently decided to leave all of my lights, appliances, and electrical accessories powered up twenty-four hours a day. Even more importantly, my air conditioner has been set to 80° all summer long! The power companies are telling people they can save money by moving those thermostats from 72 degrees up to 76 or 77 degrees. Mine has been set on 80!! This is partly because I didn't want to have high electricity bills, partly because I don't mind the heat, and partly because I'm just a little nutty that way.
But my point is, I can't use the strategy of "bump it up a few degrees." I'd roast like a demonically possessed marshmallow man in New York!
I don't know how I could possibly have used so much juice this month. I've been in this house for almost a full year now, and I've never even approached 1000 Kwh. Now suddenly I've run up over 1500??
If anyone out there reading this works for a power company, please explain to me how this might have happened? If I'm going to go broke, I'd at least like to be able to set my AC to 75 or so...
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Our electric bill, which used to run about $150 - $180 in the summer, is now near 300.
I had a company come out and check all our duct work and seal it up. Then they did a pressure test on our house to make sure we didn't have any leaks. They assured me they had found some problems, fixed them and we would see a big difference in our electric bill.
It went up $30 this month.
BTW, TXU pays for this company to come by your house and do all this.
TXU paid for this? What is that number????
Hmm, I can find you the number for the people who did it locally. They're out of Tyler so they might travel to Dallas.
Sadly, despite all the data they had on airflow rates in my house it didn't make any difference.
I'm sorry to hear about your energy woes. I'm dreading my electric bill because I have been running a laudromat AND a restaraunt in my house (or so it feels like). It's not going to be good...
We are on "the budget" plan, which means that we pay the same each month, no matter what. Sometimes they tweak it a bit and we end up having to pay more, other times, we end up with a credit on our account. I personally think they mess with it according to how much OTHER people are using juice.
A brochure in today's mail says that, because we have an old air conditioner, we can expect to pay over $5 per hour to cool the house! Insane! So far, we've done without the A/C. It's warm in the house, but with fans, it's bearable. (At least, I think so--not sure about the wife!)
80 degrees??? You must be one of those RICH teachers! ;)
I'm in TX too, and a teacher, and I had to hike my thermostat up to 83 in a vain hope that it will keep next month's bill from doubling like this month's did.
Isn't it too bad they don't offer that as an incentive to teachers in TX? "Teach in TX, and we won't gouge you for your a/c use in June, July, and August." I'd take that over incentive pay or bonuses any day!
Here's hoping you're keeping cool, and I'm greatly enjoying your blog.
Are you sure it isnt the new electronic pleasurer you got?
DARN IT ISS HOT! I CANT' STAND IT. MY MOM SAYS THAT SUMMER WILL BE OVER SOON BUT I DOESNT KNOW.
I REALLY LIKE YORE BLOG. I AM A SCHOOL STUDENT AND I LIKE TO READ ABOUT TEACHERS LIFES. PLEASE KEEP RITTING FOREVER AND I WILL COME BACK AGAIN AND THEN SOME. I AM YORE BIGGIST FAN! (GET IT, FAN? CUZ IT IS HOT? HA HA) I WISH I WAS IN YORE CLASS BECUSE YOU ARE FUNNY.
I've really enjoyed having a look around your blog today, keep up the good work!
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