J. TODD FOSTER: Plenty Of Pain To Go Around With Recent Power Bills
Judging by my latest utility bill, my home must be warm and toasty, right? Three hundred and seventy-eight dollars is a dubious milestone in my household’s history of energy usage.
So why is my living room cold enough to hang meat?
I suppose I could spend this entire column taking cheap shots at Bristol Virginia Utilities. But I’m not going to do that; it would be the easy route – kind of like continuing to bombard the perennial dodge ball victim at your elementary school.
I would be interested to know, however, why my utility bill is skyrocketing at a time when my thermostat is plummeting?
First a little personal background. I love cold temperatures. When I was 6 years old, I fell in love with the Minnesota Vikings. All my friends figured I must have been born in Minnesota. (The real reason was my love for the color purple.) And when I was a young teenager, my parents snapped a photo of me taking out the trash in my bare feet.
Why was that a Kodak moment? Because there was 2 inches of snow on the driveway at the time.
My point is this: I like it cold. Here we are three measurable snowfalls into the dead of winter and I have yet to put on a coat.
Not even a windbreaker. Not a single time. The closest I’ve come is a hooded sweatshirt to go sledding with my boys.
Strangers have approached me in public and questioned my lack of winter apparel as if I were mentally deficient (maybe, but it has nothing to do with the weather) or unable to afford a trip to the Burlington Coat Factory (the recession is bad but not that bad, and I actually own several nice coats). I give them my standard response: If you ever see me in a coat, you better stay indoors because it’s Antarctica cold.
So imagine my recent surprise when I was forced to begin donning a wool blanket just to watch television in my family room. That surprise was heightened when the utility bill arrived.
My wife shrieked and immediately padded toward the thermostat. “We’re turning this down,” she said.
I informed her that I didn’t think the thermostat could go below the 58 degrees at which it was set and that this wasn’t a kilowatt issue anyway, in my humble, layman’s opinion – despite what all the area utilities are saying. This has something to do with fuel surcharges and fuel-cost adjustments and finger-pointing between BVU and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
For some reason, fuel cost adjustments – which cover what it costs a utility to buy coal or electricity – are going up at a time when some fuel costs (gasoline) are less than half of what they were a few months ago. Everything seems to be inversely proportional: Fuel surcharges go up while fuel costs drop; power bills go up while thermostats go down.
I’m not buying the power companies’ excuses. Yes the temperatures have turned cold. And people are spending more time indoors and using more electricity.
But in order for my utility bill to practically double, I’d have to be using 1,000-watt light bulbs, have a plasma TV I don’t know about and have the microwave on continuous run.
I can’t wait to see what next month’s power and water bills will be.
That’s because a few days ago we filled a bathtub to the rim with warm water so our boys could play scuba divers.
A real diving trip off the coast of Florida might have been cheaper.
J. Todd Foster is managing editor of the Bristol Herald Courier and can be reached at or (276) 645-2513.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
“This is the part I cannot fathom…...and still to this day will bet my life that the meter was read incorrectly…...“
And not by accident either.
Keep up the great work.
UPDATE….(please see my post below).
I just received my bill in the mail today for the following period - 12/12/08 thru 1/15/09.
Based on the reading (keep in mind I have the new digital meter), it states that I used a total of 1591 KW, over 34 days of service, Avg. Temp of 41 degrees, Avg. KW per day - 46, cost per day - 4.15.
Their “reading” is within 50 to 60 KW of what I have recorded. Actually, my reading would be 50 KW higher, as I imagine that the meter might not actually have been read on 1/15/09, or could’ve been taken at midnight on 1/14/09, etc. Nonetheless, it is VERY close to what I have recorded.
What still baffles me is this…..this same period last year, 2007/2008 (Christmas, lights, heat, cooking, etc.) the bill indicates that I used 2300 KW in a 34 day billing cycle, for an average of 67 KW/day, avg. cost 4.69 per day.
This is the part I cannot fathom…...and still to this day will bet my life that the meter was read incorrectly…...
The previous billing period (The infamous November highway robbery bill) indicates the following:
total KW used, 2704, avg. temp 38 degrees, avg. KW per day - 90KW.
Okay, with that being said….it was only 3 degrees colder than the bill I have in hand now. Yes, I did use the gas logs alot and cut the thermostat back another 3 degrees….but does that cut my usage almost exactly in half versus November…?? Bear in mind, this is the bill that has Christmas, lights, cooking, a couple of nights in the single digits…several below 20 degrees, normal laundry routines, my vacation home all day from work for 12 days, etc.
I think not…..no way possible. No way…..not an average of 90KW per day. But hey, who am I??
I encourage all of you to do the same and see what kind of impact you can make…..and how accurate your bill “really” is.
Well, dadw5boys, that may indeed be true. And it wouldn’t surprise me one bit…however…I can’t see where it could be legal to charge someone for something they don’t use. Hence my intentions if the bill is way off when I get it.
I have now relegated our thermostat back to 65 degrees, invested moreso in propane logs, and started wearing longhandles to bed at night. Ironically, I have seen a decrease in the amount of electricity I use.
We have been doing this “trick” if you will, throughout the week days and weekends.
1. At night, we roll the thermostat back to 65 degrees.
2. When we awake to get ready for work, school, etc., we turn the thermostat up to a comfortable 68 most of the time.
3. Upon leaving for work, etc, we roll it back to 65 again.
4. Upon arrival at home for the evening, we crank it back up to 68 degrees, one degree at a time. On bitterly cold nights (those below 20 degrees) we assist with the heat from the propane logs in the den.
Granted, I know everyone doesn’t have the propane logs to supplement, but it is a sound investment if you have the means to. Instantaneous, comfortable heat. We now spend more time in the den than anywhere else. Am considering putting another unit upstairs and scrapping electric heat altogether. I believe I read somewhere that propane was one of our few, plentiful natural resources right here in the States. I could be wrong though….
Just on the thermostat habits alone, I have seen a drastic reduction in the amount of energy usage recorded in my records…even on the colder nights.
As for cooling plans in the summer, I plan to go as much with ceiling fans only, as we can stand. Additionally, I have considered investing in an attic fan system and additional insulation and that new “barrier” system I have seen at Lowe’s.
Sorry to get on my soapbox, but I just wanted to share in the tips, if you will, as it seems that our bills are only going to get higher as the lawsuits roll in on TVA.
come on guys you know someone has to make up for the discounts that Walmart, the race track and all the others get.
dloudy:
Well done!
I too have been tracking my usage of heat, which is the only thing different from summer as far as the lights and other appliances are concerned, by the hour. I am not using 125.00 worth of just heat. There’s no way, but that’s what they jumped me to in just one month.
If this community organizes we can put a lot of pressure on TVA through BTES.
TVA gets about 80% of what BTES takes in.
Gotta stay on Obama, Alexander and Roe (good luck) about it too. We should lean on Roe heavily because many of us, both Democrat and Republican, helped him get where he’s at.
Keep up the good work.
I have been tracking my usage every 24 hours by reading my meter and writing it down myself, since my last bill. Thus far, BTES is trying to have me believe that I averaged using over twice in November than what I have from December 18th to present…..based on my readings and recordings. Yeah, I paid it…but when this month’s bill arrives and if the numbers are way off, it’s not going to be pretty.
I do have one of the new digital meters, wherein they are supposed to be able to read it from the office. I guess that eliminates the infamous mythical “meter man.“ I guarantee you I am not paying for one kilowatt more than I actually use…which passes through my meter.
Stay tuned. This could get interesting.
No $2.00 out of evey $5.00 should go into a savings account. You pay yourself first then use the rest to pay your bills. Once you get this saving process down you realize you must learn to live below your means so you can save money.
It is not an eay way to live always trying to plan for the furture and living like a Depression could hit tomorrow and you would be prepared for it.
I keep a freezer full of food but I have a large family so it can be empty in a few weeks if an emgerency hits us.
I have not bought a new car sine the 1970’s necause to cost and useful life of used cars was so cheap with all these people buying new cars every year. I am able to keep 3 or 4 older vans around I can tag any time one vreaks down.
I am not knock people I am only trying to pass along an alternative to shopping all the time and being at the mercy of business. I can’t and won’t live in economic slavery so I will be providing my own electric with a windmills and solar panel mix.
I hope more people will stand up and do the same.
We should be able to build our own pwoer units unless the Republican Dominated Tennessee Government starts passing a lot of laws limiting our ability to provide our own power.
The Republicans love Barrier laws that give businesses a protected profit base. For some reason the hate competition and a free market.
Dad—you are assuming that everyone has a cell phone and I-pod. Not everyone has. Most of us have house payments or rent so we have a place to live; car payments so we have a decent way to work when we can’t car pool; utilities such as electric, water, sewer; insurance-car, and health if we can afford it; land taxes, etc. If there is some left over we might take a ride through the Fantasy in Lights or go see a movie, IF there is any left over. Sometimes there aren’t two dimes left to rub together, as MY grandfather use to say. Now there are some people out there who can afford to have some luxuries and I am happy for them. I don’t understand your posting. Are you saying we should have been saving two dollars out of five to pay the light bill? Sometimes that is not possible. If you lose your job due to plant or business closings and can’t pay your bills, necessary bills such as I mentioned, they have a habit of taking back your stuff. No one should have to do without the basic things in life such as a decent roof, a decent car, food on the table, clothes on your back and heat in the home. No one should have million dollar salaries and benefits when their neighbors are having to freeze in their own homes to try to keep the electric bill down.
My Gradfather taught us when you make $5.00 save $2.00. I have tried my best to stick to that all my life. Sometime I was unalbe when paying hospital bills but I always operate from a chas position.
I feel for those who have trapped themselves buying into Consumerism as a way of life. Always speding and buying more stuff that has an even shorter useful life and the product before so the businesses can sell you more stuff and make more profit.
All the money you have spent on IPODs and Cellphones, paying to talk by the minuite. Hey those are only 2 way radios using a digital format. There is no reaosn for $100.00 Cell Phone bills.
But you don’t question that.
Of I made Electric Power for you of even Gasoline and you were paying $100+ for a darn cellphone bill my Electric and gasoline would be very very expensive.
Be casreful of what signal you send the business community on what your willing to pay for a service. Your cutting your own throats.
Sorry, goldenview. But you tell us “know what we’re talking about” but you told us nothing to the contrary.
All we know is that you’re willing to let the electric company rob you without standing up for yourself.
I explained below that we were being averaged and how. That info was pre a BTES employee that got tired of hearing me call and complain (squeaky wheel gets oil).
You didn’t address my information on temperature averaging. Do you dispute this?
You said “TVA buys natural gas and coal”. Wow, your kidding (thick sarcasm). From who and how much do they pay?
We have provided detail concerning our positions. You did nothing other than attempt to be condescending.
If you have some details I’d love to read them.
Advertisement