Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Some utilities talk

Has everyone settled down from the holidays?  Believe it or not...Christmas was almost 2 weeks ago at this point!  We did not really decorate for the holidays, so cleaning up was less than 15 minutes.  Not having my holiday stuff out definitely impacted my outlook.  It was a constant reminder that the kids and I are here...and G-man is THERE.  I know the kids missed it too. 

Electricity

One small benefit of not decorating was that our electric bill was considerably lower for December than it usually is!  The biggest benefit to this we won't see until the end of January.  See, there is a HUGE rate hike here in CT on electricity that started January 1.  In our case, it is a 50% rate hike on the delivery!!!  As a whole, this will probably result in about a 25% overall increase in the bill.  (Our supply fee is about half of the bill, and the delivery fee is the other half - and that is the part that just spiked!). 

However, we are on a leveled budget plan, so we pay the same amount each month, year round (currently it is $105, down from $130 originally - but the electric company adjusted it months back when our usage was lower than predicted).  It is based on an average of the past 12 months.  Our plan resets in January, so starting in February we will have a new budget amount.  Since our usage was down overall, our average will be lower.  Additionally, there is a good chance that by the time we leave, we will have a credit with the electric company!

Because of this, I am debating going off the budget plan, and just paying the monthly bill as it would be.  The winter has lower usage than the summer (because of the air conditioning).  And since we will be gone before the peak months hit, it may be cash-flow effective to just forgo the budget.  I am "guessing" that the budget rate will be around $130....actual usage may be closer to $100.


Oil

Any long time reader knows that we pay out the nose for heating oil.  Our current amount is $320 a month, every month, all year.....with a reset in August.  

When we sign up each year with the budget plan, we also have to decide if we want "cap protection."  For an additional fee, you are guaranteed to have the going per gallon cost on the day of your fill-up, not to go higher than your negotiated rate (this year it is 3.699).  However, if the price remains steady or goes up, that extra amount you pay is a waste...because you don't see a true benefit.  Typically the fee runs $25-$30 extra per month. 

In the past several years, we have purchased the cap protection because the oil prices were so high, there was a good chance they would come down.  Roughly, the rate would have to be about $0.16 cheaper per gallon to break even, and anything else would be actual savings.  

Well, our cap protection hasn't yielded savings in past years, as the rate either remained steady or rose (we still got the cheaper price based on the protection).  So this year we decided to forgo the cap protection and just do a fixed price.

Fixed price is the agreed price, regardless of what the per gallon cost is that day.  It never goes higher or lower.  And because who would have predicted that the prices would have DROPPED so drastically....we lost out on those savings.  BOOOOOO!!!!!

When we did the budget plan in August, we hadn't received the offer for the new job yet, but we knew things were in the pipeline.  We hedged our bets that we would get the job, and that we would sell the house and be gone before winter.  Yeah....that worked out well.


Water

We get a 2x a year water bill (May and November).  November is always higher because of the pool, watering the plants, etc.  But I choked when we got the November bill....$379!!!  GACK!!!  Our usage was up compared to the year before (kids taking more showers, and longer shower....despite working on this!!  And more sewer usage...I will spare you the details on this one.....).  But the rate also went up on this as well.

Not gonna lie....that bill wiped out our mini account where we save for these bills (that account also hold money for the 2x a year property taxes, and the 4x a year trash bill).  Was not a happy camper. We will have our May bill, and then we will have a "settle up" bill when we move.


I am really looking forward to getting rid of all of this and replacing it with new utilities!!  The electric bill will be lower, as the rate in SC is WAY lower than here in CT.  Even with running the air conditioning...it will be more energy efficient than window units (and the appliances will also most likely be more efficient!)  Oil will get replaced with natural gas (my girlfriend who used to live there said her gas bill was $62 a month....).  Water...no idea....that one is a mystery at this point.

Anyone else have sticker shock on their utilities???

26 comments:

  1. Wow, that oil bill is a killer! We have natural gas for heat and the water heater. (Best part is when the power goes out, we still have hot water!) Down here, it's sort of a trade-off between electricity and natural gas bills. Electric bills are high in the summer with central A/C (ours average $150+ during summer for 2,500 square feet). Gas bills go up in winter and fluctuate wildly depending on our wildly fluctuating weather. My gas bills are $15-$20 in months when the heat is not running - which is typically mid-March - mid-November. December's bill was $100. January and February will be higher unless we have crazy warm weather. I never complain about our heating/cooling bills because they seem very reasonable compared to other parts of the country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unless you live with oil, you truly don't have an idea of the IMPACT it has on your budget. And we keep the temps low in the house, programmable thermostat, etc. And our house is only 1356 sq ft!

      I am hoping to have your utility bills when we move.

      Delete
  2. We just moved to SC. The sticker shock for us was the bill for water and sewer.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Please share your experience since we are moving there. I know my parents have had higher water bills....but knowing my parents....I am sure they are contributing to the problem.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Water is high but it seems the amount for the sewer is higher. It's all one bill which is why it is such a sticker shock. We are conservative with our usage and the other bills are lower since we have an energy star efficient house. Our previous house was not.

      Delete
  4. Hmmm water was 60 this month (includes trash), electric was $62 and natural gas $50... pretty low. Glad you're getting off that oil! I hate that thing lol

    HS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We pay $79.50 per quarter for trash...on top of all the rest of the stuff.

      I hate the oil bill too!!!! LOL

      Delete
  5. Only reverse sticker shock. When we moved from NE to the south when hubs was first transferred, even with a built in pool, running the a.c. from March to October, and heating the pool so we could swim in winter, (a Yankee dream of mine) our bills were far lower. We rarely turned on the heat in winter. Water was paid through the trash fees. Oven/stovetop natural gas. It was reverse sticker shock, from heating with oil, and trying to get hot water at 7 a.m. through old New England house pipes, and running window a.c. units in summer. (And I don't care what they say, you DO need a.c. in New England!) Now we are in the PNW. When we transferred, I was afraid with housing costs, (which are very high) we'd be back in the NE energy cost crunch. I was wrong. We heat with wood, and have a well, so water is free, but pay electric for the pump and heater. We need two cords to see us safely through winter. A cord of wood is $200!!! We might use the electric heat in, say, April, to cut off the morning chill. (It gets very warm with a wood stove, like, wearing shorts in January warm.) So, even more reverse sticker shock!!! If I could get the kids on board, I'd love to see how low I could get the electric bill. Any ideas on how to get them to turn off a light when they leave a room?
    Anyway, my point is, I've lived in many places in the U.S., and New England, while lovely, with excellent schools (at least where we were), was by far the most expensive, and, frankly, MISERABLE in terms of climate/quality of life, (except for a few weeks in autumn.) I think when they move is complete, you will be very pleased! Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, you said it so well! Trying to get hot water in the morning.....not fun. Hot water is at a premium, especially when you are trying to heat the house and it is 17 degrees out!

      As for your electric bill....can you set a goal for the kids? Like, if we can get it below $50, they will earn XYZ?

      Thanks!

      Delete
  6. Wow. I can't imagine having to pay that much year round! We have all electric, for both home and detached 3 car garage (which we keep heated a bit) and average $187 per month. I will count my blessings we live in a mild temp area.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heck...when we were paying over $500 a month for oil in 2008, I cried. It was insane. This is why we can't put more towards debt....our basic living costs are so HIGH.

      Delete
  7. The cheapest month we've ever had for electric was $150. I figured yours would be higher. I think that the heating oil is the real pain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think our electric is high for what it is powering. Obviously the AC pulls alot of power in the summer. But we only use it for July and August....MAYBE a day or two in June or September.

      Delete
  8. When I lived with the Ex - our electric bill was outrageous! The lowest was $250! You can only imagine what the summer months were like. We also had propane, and that would get expensive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ICK!!! What pulled so much power????

      Delete
    2. At the time, I wish I knew, but now, it's his problem!!!

      Delete
  9. We went off the budget for our electric a few months ago. It's slowly been going up because of the weather getting colder but I was surprised this month that it was $293!. That's $73 more than last month. I didn't think about the fact that we did have the Christmas tree up so that could have contributed. Our condo is all electric though. We don't have a gas bill.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't fully decided about the budget plan. I may wait and see what it is. But I already know that we pay more in the winter to balance out the summer when we pay less (based on usage). Why give them more money? They are just going to have to return it, and then we have to wait for the refund!

      Delete
  10. I have often complained of our water bills, but we have natural gas and electric here so we luck out. But our water bill can be over 300 a month in the summer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. $300 a month? ICK!!!! I don't even know if we will be getting a monthly water bill when we move...or quarterly, or what. Guess I should investigate.

      Delete
  11. When my oldest son moved out, aka the happiest day of my life, my gas & electric bill went down a $100.00 a month, I live in central Maryland, and there was a article in the Baltimore Magazine last month about heating your house, here's the link http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2014/11/28/the-cheapskates-guide-to-home-heating
    Check it out if you get a chance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bank the savings for when he moves back in. :)

      Delete
  12. Your water and hydro is so cheap. I would love a $379 water bill for 6 months of use. Mine would be double that for the same size family and zero outside watering.

    I would not cancel your equal billing with hydro(sorry electricity). What if your house doesn't sell? Will you move regardless and rent it out?

    Utilities are so pricey in Canada. Still I like my heat in winter and A/C in summer so I pay up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If almost $400 is cheap....then I don't want to see your bill! But you don't pay for healthcare...and we paid about 10000 for ours!

      We are out of here by late June. I really don't want to get ino it right now but we won't be here through the summer.

      Delete
    2. We receive a water bill every other month and it is usually $135. When we moved in 15 years ago it was $45. It is by far the fastest rising utility aind one which no matter how much we conserve we do not see a difference. It is annoying.

      $10000 for healthcare is killer. My husband was hospitalized in December for 10 days. We won't see any bills for that for which I am grateful. My husband used to have 100% medical benefits that covered whatever our healthcare system didn't pay for(ex. prescriptions). When the U.S economy tanked in 2008 his company(an automaker) jumped at the chance to change benefits. We now pay more for prescriptions which has taken a good chunk of money from us monthly. Still, compared to Americans, we do not have to worry about paying medical costs.

      Now....CDNs are taxed heavily on gas(40 cents of every litre is tax) and everything else is more expensive here so it is all relative.

      Delete
    3. Wow! It's interesting to see what everyone's utilities cost. Our water bill is usually about $45 a month. I couldn't imagine over $100 for water.

      Delete