I got a bit of a shock when I opened my PEPCO bill this morning. PEPCO claims that I used 9490 kilowatt hours in the last billing cycle. I switched apartments within the same building in February and have paid bills since then. If I remember correctly, I paid for February through March in April and then paid relatively on time in May (ACTUALLY, I DIDN'T PAY IN MAY, MY BAD). My usual usage is about twenty dollars in the winter (we have gas heating) and my biggest summer bill was forty-eight dollars and I was running the AC all evening. Now PEPCO claims that I owe them over one thousand dollars for the latest billing cycle. I know that rates rise in the summer but that is a little extreme. I will have to lodge some sort of protest and get this checked out.
I have vague recollections, that may just be wishful thinking, of news stories from last summer about people getting excessively large bills when PEPCO switched to the summer rates. If I were to add up all of my previous bills, I doubt they would be this high.
11:45 PM Wednesday, MORE INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO CARE: I used 470 KWH hours from March 18th to April 13th, or some thing like that. I forgot to pay that bill because I am a disorganized person. Two months at that usage rate would be about 940 KWH which makes a bit of sense. The bill has a "multiplier" of 10 to determine the KWH and it seems reasonable to think that the meter reading was just multiplied by 10 a second time. I have called PEPCO and they opened an investigation. I should hear back in 48-72 hours. The representative asked me if I had installed any new appliances. I almost responded with, "Well, I do have this particle accelerator and I have been running it a lot." It's a 60 year old 435 square foot apartment, how the hell could I use 10 freaking MEGAWATTS without tripping every breaker in the building and burning the place to the ground?
23 comments:
good lord. that seems crazy. maybe you are being double billed for both apartments somehow.
We used our heat a lot more than normal this winter because we kept getting sick (and our kittens were sick too!), and while our bill was embarassingly high ($250 instead of $75, or something like that), it wasn't close to being as crazy as that.
What are you, Dick Cheney?
You better pay up! The Republican cobags are counting on it.
The guys in my office took a look at this problem. From the limited data you provided it would take you 216 days to use 9490KWH.
You can request a second reading to verify the bill. Check your last bill from the previous apartment and see what the "Final Meter Reading" and compare that with the new apartments "Initial Meter Reading"
Better yet - scan the bill and send me a copy. I'll get top people on it. Sirloin, Rib eye and Tri-tip are on call.
Look at Porterhouse all, 'I know important people'. What's that aboot?!
He knows no one. Though I do like the 216 days bit. Scan the bill and send it to me, I want to laugh. :) Better switch to compact fluorescents. You'll love the klieg light effect and the flickering.
I'm scared of my bill 50% increase over last month on the rates. And last month we didn't have to run the AC at all.
Ouch.
I will scan the bills I have tomorrow, they should be good for a laugh.
Hey! Easy there. I know electrical engineers who may be able to divine the problem. Aside from the obvious one.
I'm not saying I can solve it, but I could help you point out the mistakes to PEPCO.
I live in the same complex as Chucks, in a bigger, colder, cooler apartment. I got my Pepco Bill yesterday, it was $59.00. Chucks will tell you I am the master at wasting electricity.
Chuckles, are you jealous???
I am not jealous, I just wish you wouldn't run BOTH of your AC units when you aren't in the apartment.
1.21 Jigawatts! Great Scott!
I NEVER run both when I am not home, unless I forget, or am out walking the beast with you!!
I like to go to sleep when it is ice cold, I am a special person with special needs, my carbon footprint is bigger than most.
And you are a little jealous, just a little bit.
Air guitars use a lot of electricity.
Air guitars do use a lot of electricity especially when you have 40 stacks of speakers for a guy with no instruments.
Jenn, I have seen your bedroom, you have thick comforters on your bed. I prefer to sleep in a cold room as well, but I just deal with it in the summer. That is why the intelligent designer made fans.
I told you I like the cold, I pay for it and I like it. Do not judge me!!!
Plus I am not the one with the 9,940 KWH used in one month- sheesh!
Nachos beat me to the punch. I was going to make a hilarious flux capacitor joke. *sigh*
Plus I am not the one with the 9,940 KWH used in one month- sheesh!
J wins!
Kathleen, it's never too late for a BTTF joke.
Since Knocked Up, if I want to laugh, all I do is imagine Paul Rudd saying "Where we're going, we don't need roads."
What are you growing in the closet?
and is there any chance the plug near jennb's window (and A/C) is on your meter??
seems plausible to me.
That is a good question, mdhatter.
did you every get your pepco bill resolved? i got my first bill and it was for around $160! i have a multiplier of 10 on my bill - what the hell is that all about?
Umm, no and I think that is standard. The multiplier is to get an estimate of kilowatt hours used since it isn't actual kilowatts. Or some such bullshit.
PEPCO has decided to give me a $970 credit but they have yet to "push it". They also have not yet said whether they would credit me the late fees that they have been charging me since June. More details tomorrow, 10/5/07.
What are you Tom Daschle? Lets all be tax cheats then be appointed to high office by an idiot president! LOL!!! Daschle can afford his taxes and your electric bill!
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