Advice on electric bill options, please. (Portland: apartment, credit, college)

[travelin'bones]

Hey everyone!

I am considering Equal Pay for my electric bills. I haven't been in this apartment for 12 months yet, so I don't qualify for Average Pay. My quote for equal pay would be $71.00/month. My bills since April have been on average $40/month.

I have a small, two level, 2 bedroom apartment with baseboard heating in each room.

Would it be wise to lock into $70/month now before winter arrives? I am thinking that using heat will surely increase my bill by at least the $30 difference. Am I correct?

Thanks!

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Sounds like a good plan. We do it and it works well.

[Minervah]

I use it too and I like it.

[Steve Pickering]

Many people use heat in Oregon on the west side around 7 to 8 months a year.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Many people use heat in Oregon on the west side around 7 to 8 months a year.

I am on the east side and I have used it up through June for a day or two. My apartment gets really damp and stays that way so last year there were a few June days when it was still cool outside when I turned the heat on to dry the place out. Old building. bad insulation.

[travelin'bones]

Good to know you guys like the program!

In order for the program to be worth while for me, I will need to spend $600 total on electric over the course of the next six months....I was just curious if I will reach that.

Any thoughts on that specifically?

[travelin'bones]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Many people use heat in Oregon on the west side around 7 to 8 months a year.

Are you speaking of Portland or Oregon in general?? If Portland, why is that?

[Sherwoody]

Originally Posted by travelin'bones

Good to know you guys like the program!

In order for the program to be worthwhile for me, I will need to spend $600 total on electric over the course of the next six months....I was just curious if I will reach that.

Any thoughts on that specifically?

I don't think this is true. The way I understand this program is this first initial payments are more like
"guesstimates" until they can accurately adjust your bill to a true average of your usage. Just use what you need when you need it and at some point (call and ask them when) they will adjust your average bill to an actual average.

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by travelin'bones

Are you speaking of Portland or Oregon in general?? If Portland, why is that?

Western Oregon from the southern border to the Columbia. I don't live in Eastern Oregon year round so I can't answer for there. The why is because they get cold and need heat, why else?

[gonpostal]

Are you with PGE or PP&L? I worked for PGE several summers while going to college. They offer 2 budget plans Equal Pay & Average pay. Equal pay requires you be in a residence 12 months. Average pay is for customer with less than 12 months usage history. They work differently.

Equal pay takes your 12 month average and bills you that amount each month for 1 year. At the end of that 12 month billing period if you have a credit or debit it is divided by 12 and that amount is added to your newly calculated equal billing amount. Since you haven't been there 12 months you won't be able to do that plan.

Average pay smooths out the peak ups and downs. Each month when your bill is calculated that bill amount is averaged with your other bills, if any, up to one year of bills. You do not pay the same each month. This is a good plan and I recommended to customers more than equal pay.

I realize you probably know this, but some I talked to didn't. No matter which plan you choose you are going to pay the same as if on no plan eventually. Many times I've listened to people who have moved and got hammered with a $600 bill go ballistic.

Going on the average pay plan before heating season is usually a wise choice. Just remember you won't be paying the same each month. Also, though they are trying to help, quoting you someone else's usage history is not a good idea do to human variables.
http://www.portlandgeneral.com/ebill...tPlanInfo.aspx

Now, If you are with PP&L they have equal pay. It differs from PGE in that any debit or credit at the end of 12 months is refunded or billed.
https://www.pacificpower.net/ya/wtp/epp.wcssn.html

Good luck. Let me know how long your phone hold time is if you call PGE.
I guess I could have saved some keystrokes by copying and pasting. Good to see my memory still works.