... that my electric bill...
Dear Customer,Your 10/30/2012 statement for your Xcel Energy account is ready. You can view the entire bill at your convenience. Here is your bill summary:Name on Account: Norman PenningtonAccount Number: (you don't need to know that)Amount Due: $36.59 (you DO need to know that!)Due Date: (sometime soon)
This bill is not enrolled in an auto payment program and will need to be paid manually.Thank you for using My Account and for being a valued customer.Sincerely,Xcel Energy Customer Care
...is about 70% of my WATER BILL, which hasn't deviated more than 50 CENTS off of 50 YANKEE DOLLARS in the last 13 months? As a matter o' fact, my electric bill is reasonable, never even approaching $100.00, even during peak heating/air conditioning season. The water bill, OTOH, is way the hell outta whack, especially for a guy who lives alone (even though he showers every day).
There are some thangs in life I simply do not understand, and this is one of 'em.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that your water bill has something to do with living in a semi-arid steppe environment?
ReplyDeleteThat... and the fact the bastards never even bother to read the meter, except when I complain.
DeleteWe're $80 every month. Sometimes a little more in the Summer (has reached $100 or more often). Of course, there are 3 of us here still...when the house was full, it'd never be less than $100. A good bit of that is city garbage collection, ambulance service, and sewer usage, though.
ReplyDelete$50 seems kinda' high, but water is pretty scarce in your parts.
Less than half of my bill is for actual water... I pay the city for garbage, sewer, tax and "conservation" (four bucks!). The actual water part of last month's bill was $13.72.
DeleteWell there ya' go. Have you inquired as to whether there is a standard "minimum" water charge.
DeleteWe have that here in Bossier City. I think it is about $15 minimum, regardless of how little you use. Don't know why...heard once it was something like a "meter charge," or something.
I'm pretty sure there's no minimum charge, mainly coz when Marika lived next door I used to compare water bills with her all the time. She was always around 35 ~ 38 per month (inclusive), and that was her and a three year old... so you KNOW she did a lot more wash than I do, not to mention baths and such. I've bitched, pissed, and moaned to the city REPEATEDLY, all to no avail.
DeleteI wonder if there was a goof-up in the construction of the apartments, and you're also paying for a neighbor's water, too.
DeleteI covered that base, too. I originally suspected I was paying for the watering of the landscaping (since I'm the nearest unit to the trees and plants) so I had the property management company come out and check the metering on THAT. They assure me there's a separate meter for the landscaping.
DeleteMore ideers?
Fresh out.
DeleteHeh. You were on a roll there, for a while.
DeleteOkay...but the only reason I didn't mention this is because it is the first thing to be done, and probably already has been. But if not...if you have a mechanical water meter, make sure everything is turned off. Look at it several times in the day, and if the little triangle dealie is spinning you're either paying for somebody else's water...you have a bad meter...or there is a leak underneath the foundation.
DeleteAbsent any of those being the case, I'll give you one hint.
It's almost Winter. Go ahead and put your Water Wiggle, and Sliop&Slide away for the season.
Slip & Slide.
DeleteDamn typos.
All of the above have been done, except for the Slip and Slide. I'm keeping that out until it ices over.
DeleteWell...ya' try to hep a guy, but he defers to his inner child!
DeleteSadly, my work here is done...
You live in the desert where water is scarce. You live on the high plains where the wind whips and electricity is made cheaper. That is my only thoughts on the discrepancy. Other than that, I would go complain.
ReplyDeleteI've complained, often. My first water bill was over $100.00 and I went ballistic; the city said they misread the meter. But as I said: my bill never deviates more than 50 cents in one direction or another. I find that suspicious, especially when I run away to ABQ for a few days.
Delete