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LIPA was just here.. We turned off my breakers in my apt.. went down the basement.. Meter was NOTrunning.. he tested the meter. it was accurate.. Then he replaced the meter. .and it will be tested again in Hicksville (LIPA)..
So it looks like my bill is accurate.. I spoke to my super and he said alot of people are getting extremely high bills.. but mine is really extreme..
LIPA guy said. it doesnt' make any sense. He agreed.. but can only go with what he was seeing on the testing..
I have no clue what to do anymore.. if the meter is accurate then why this huge jump.. It makes no sense..
Any ideas what else could be doing it.. My a/c's are in the wall and I always clean the filters.. My fans. like I said are new. and they're energy savers .. floor fans really small . nothing elaborate.
I cook rarely and I do use the stove (top) to stir.. but i"m talking a quickie stir fry and I do use my micro. but only for about 3 minutes at best.. to heat my veggie burgers or whatever I'm eating..
I am lost as to what made this jump.. ????? SIGH
Helene
Check your last two or three bills and compare the amounts of the actual readin...NOT the total (1262) but the total amount on the register. They deduct from the prior ACTUAL read, as I have stated earlier. If they deducted the amount of the read for this bill, from the amount of your last ACTUAL read 2 months ago, withOUT factoring in the 443 estimate you got, there is your problem!
The fact that others in your complex have the same issue lends credence to this theory. It stands to reason that most likely, they got estimated reads too. It sounds like a clerical error. The LIPA tech who came would not pick up on that.
Spoke to LIPA once again. spoke with a supervisor who went over my usage for the last 3 years. that I've lived here.. My usuage. last year at this time. bill was 181.00.. so this bill while it's higher.. it's accurate.
These were actual readings.. the estimates are on the printout I did from the LIPA site. and I can see each month, whether its estimated or actual.. and it does seem to be correct.
So the only thing I can think of. is that it was the humidity factor and I do run my a/c's and there's nothing more I can do.
The meter will be tested once again(the guy today tested it) but it also now goes to Hicksville for testing.. I dont' think its going to show anything 'off'.
So I'm done. I have no other recourse.. I paid the DA*& bill with the supervisor . and I'm done.
I do need my a/c to be able to breathe(I have major allergies). so I need it. and will just have to deal with it.. and hopefully the next few bills will be lower
I"m so fed up.. but there's nothing else that can be done.. LIPA charges what they want..
Thanks for all your advice and help.. and if anyone else comes in with a huge bill. please post.. Just so that I'm not alone. LOL..(but I hope nobody else has this problem)
Spoke to LIPA once again. spoke with a supervisor who went over my usage for the last 3 years. that I've lived here.. My usuage. last year at this time. bill was 181.00.. so this bill while it's higher.. it's accurate.
These were actual readings.. the estimates are on the printout I did from the LIPA site. and I can see each month, whether its estimated or actual.. and it does seem to be correct.
So the only thing I can think of. is that it was the humidity factor and I do run my a/c's and there's nothing more I can do.
The meter will be tested once again(the guy today tested it) but it also now goes to Hicksville for testing.. I dont' think its going to show anything 'off'.
So I'm done. I have no other recourse.. I paid the DA*& bill with the supervisor . and I'm done.
I do need my a/c to be able to breathe(I have major allergies). so I need it. and will just have to deal with it.. and hopefully the next few bills will be lower
I"m so fed up.. but there's nothing else that can be done.. LIPA charges what they want..
Thanks for all your advice and help.. and if anyone else comes in with a huge bill. please post.. Just so that I'm not alone. LOL..(but I hope nobody else has this problem)
Again, thanks so much.
Helene
You are quite welcome...but you might not be done yet. They aren't the sharpest tools in the shed over there in Hicksville. I just want to make sure you understand what I'm saying. The fact that they're showing you actual reads is great. MY point is that each read is a deduction of the prior read.
Let's say your meter register said 20000 on it when they actually read it in July. They subtracted the total from the prior month's read and came up with your usage, sent you a bill, etc...
Now, they come in August to read your meter but they can't access it. They estimate you for 443 and bill accordingly.
When they came for your last read, it's possible their reading was 21262. It's possible they subtracted 20000 from 21262 and came up with 1262 ACTUAL. The problem is they already billed you for 443 last month. They should only have billed you for 819 kwh OR credited you what you paid last month in this bill, if that's the case.
If you understood this, then disregard this post. If you didn't understand it the first time, but do now, check it out again. It happens a lot.
Hi. I was trying to see if I could send you the printout from LIPA.. but I can't seem to send it.. It does show all the months.. with the actual/and then the estimate. and it goes right along with the last 3 years.. So while this bill. is alot higher.. last year around this time. it was 181.00.. so it's not that far off.
I think I have to just leave it alone. cause the bill does seem right. I spent over 20 minutes on the phone before with that supervisor who went over every line of the bill/and the usage. and like I said while it's higher than last year at this time.. this was a very hot summer (though I still can't quite grasp what that has to do with it). cause my a/c's run the same.. from year to year.. I dont' vary.
Oh, and like I said my next door neighbor also got a high bill . 243.00.. maybe my area- dix hills/deer park.. is a higher usage area?? I have no clue.. whether that factors into anything
Just really a bummer..
Thanks again..
I think I'll live in the dark .LOL... and sweat as well.. LOL.. No seriously. I can't give up my creature comforts.. I need them.. LOL
i'm with you HB, unfortunately, we will have to pay these insane fees for our luxury comfort. but i am just NOT a nice person if i'm hot! (got my new bill today... still sticker shock even though we've had that bit of a cool down and less humidity. might be smart to voluntarily set up a monthly pay-over plan now for next summer!)
I agree. it's insane that we have to pay these high bills (and I was only kidding about sweating) cause I still plan to use my a/c whenever the he** I want.. LOL
Its really awful that our bills are so high.. I remember years ago (when I had a split level house in Hicksville) . (14 years since I moved and have been divorced).. but we used to run large a/c's in the wall units. and use ceiling fans.. have a pool (above ground) but the filter ran about 20 hours.. and I had hi hats and all sorts of lighting that 'would consume alot'. one would think. (oh and ran the washer/dryer every other day) and STILL my bills were never that high..
We were on budget back then -but it always equaled out yearly
I plan to go on budget .. but not right now. cause now they want 111.00 a month. if I wait 2 months when the bills are lower.. my budget will be lower.. hoping somewhere in the 80's.. so we'll see..
Not fair.. living on LI has always been expensive.. but this is totally crazy.. Oh well..
Hi. I was trying to see if I could send you the printout from LIPA.. but I can't seem to send it.. It does show all the months.. with the actual/and then the estimate. and it goes right along with the last 3 years.. So while this bill. is alot higher.. last year around this time. it was 181.00.. so it's not that far off.
I think I have to just leave it alone. cause the bill does seem right. I spent over 20 minutes on the phone before with that supervisor who went over every line of the bill/and the usage. and like I said while it's higher than last year at this time.. this was a very hot summer (though I still can't quite grasp what that has to do with it). cause my a/c's run the same.. from year to year.. I dont' vary.
Oh, and like I said my next door neighbor also got a high bill . 243.00.. maybe my area- dix hills/deer park.. is a higher usage area?? I have no clue.. whether that factors into anything
Just really a bummer..
Thanks again..
I think I'll live in the dark .LOL... and sweat as well.. LOL.. No seriously. I can't give up my creature comforts.. I need them.. LOL
Helene
You don't have to send me anything. I can walk you through the whole thing. I work in the industry and I'm trying to help you. I realize you have resigned to giving in BUT everything you've presented here suggests there actually is a problem:
Quote:
Originally Posted by HBLMSL
Thank you so much. I went online and just saw my acct and have it printed out THANK YOU..
My highest bill ever was back in oct 2011 and that bill was 177.06 so that was high and the usage was 935
this bill that I have is 251.07 and the usage is 1262.. so much higher.. which makes no sense..
I was able to view bills back to 6/2010.. and my 2010 bill at this time. was only 137. with usage of 655
and my 2011 bill was 112. with usage of 550
So we're talking
usage.. . 655 (2010)
550 (2011)
and NOW.. 1262 (2012) which makes NO SENSE cause nothing I am doing is different.. same appliances. same pattern.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HBLMSL
The bill was for 34 days.. and the actual reading was 1262 kwh and the previous month was estimated 28 days and 443 kwh.. so while the previous month 'might've been low. I'll grant them that. but if you take both months. and add the usage and moreso the amount of the bill.. it is. 92.77 PLUS 251.07 which would make my usage for 2 months.. $354.00 .. now divide that by 2.. and its impossible that I use that my electric in a one bedroom apartment.. thats $ 177.00 a month.. Thats totally impossible
I did tell maintenance. and they 'claim' that nobody can 'hook up to the indiv meters down the basement.. We did have workers here.. doing boilers and stuff. but they also claim that they have a dedicated line (for stuff like that) so they're not attaching to our indiv meters.
I have my printout from the LIPA site(again, thanks. cause I didnt know that was available) and I plan to call again today and find out just when the new meter is being installed.
The strange thing. the woman next door. who had a bill similar to mine the previous month. This month she TOO got a huge bill .hers was I think 243.00 and the month before in the 90's as well..
So something is wrong. But what??
I'm keeping on top of this. cause while I know I have to pay this bill and I'm someone who pays the bill the second it comes in. This bill hasn't been paid 'yet'. its due on Sept 22nd. and I pay on the phone. so they can just 'wait!! LOL
Thanks again.
helene
You said you averaged approximately 600 kwh a month. Now you have a bill for 1262. You have to realize that for them to get that 1262, they need a definitive number to start from. The only definitive number they have is from your last ACTUAL read. Estimated reads are rare and I advise you never to pay a bill with an estimated read. More often than not you lose, and they are usually when you close the account, and never have a chance to get an adjustment. Granted, in your case the estimated read seems low, but I do believe it's the root of your problem. This is what you need to do:
Get the bill before your current one, that has your last ACTUAL read. I'm assuming this is from 2 months ago. On the bill you should see "Electric Usage", under that should be two reads from two separate dates. The later of the two dates, which should be the higher read amount, is what you're looking for. Write it down. Post the date and amount here.
Next, go to this current bill that has you seething. Under electrical usage, go to the two dates again. Post the date and amount of each read, and state if each is ACTUAL, or the bottom read says ESTIMATED. If they subtracted this months read from your ACTUAL read 2 months ago, they owe you a credit.
Not sure you can really compare this month's bill to last year's bill. At our house we lost power for 6 days in the month of August, which would mean an additional 20% or so should be added onto the bill. Plus July was really humid this year. Our usage went up 142KW over the prior year, even though the average temp was the same. The combination of those 2 things and your estimated bill for July could add up to the increase you saw.
Hopefully this comes thru as I typed it. sorry for the mixup last post.
Thanks again.
helene
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(got my new bill today... still sticker shock even though we've had that bit of a cool down and less humidity. might be smart to voluntarily set up a monthly pay-over plan now for next summer!)
