xposted: alt.energy.homepower,alt.home.repair.misc.rural

Our average electricity usage for the last 6 years for December is 653 kwh
with a range of 120. December 07 our usage was 682 kwh. This would not have
been unusual except for the fact that, due to an ice storm, we had NO
electricity for 6.5 days. Billing cycle per the bill was 31 days. I was
expecting a bill 20% lower than the average bill and was dismayed when it
was actually higher. So far this month of January, we are using at the
about average rate (22kwh/day) as we did in December, the only odd thing is
that we had NO power of nearly a week in December. I've spoken with a few
neighbors who also lost power and 'come to think of it' their bill went up
or didn't go down as much as they would have expected for a 20-25% time of
no usage. I ask the REC and they said we 'just used more'. They also tried
to blame 'recovery usage'. I'm not buying it. They claim they didn't
estimate the bill and when I received the bill I immediately checked and the
meter reading seemed in line with normal. I'm talking KWH her not $$ which
can be affected by rate changes, surcharge and taxes etc.

Facts:
During the ice storm we used a gas generator intermittently during the
daylight to power the freezer, tv, occasional PC and a few lights .
We relied 100% on wood heat, never falling below 60F.
For the entire billing period we did nothing that we can think of unusual
that would increase the consumption over the previous December. No extra
Xmas lights, no 'recovery' usage after power restoration other than 1
refrigerator .
Normal is LP furnace supplemented by high efficiency wood fireplace.
Gas water heater and stove.
Elec clothes dryer.
1 powered outbuilding.
We live ¼ mile away from nearest neighbor so no chance of somebody running
an extension cord and stealing from us.

After receiving the bill, I shut the power off below the meter and it quit
turning. We've done some other testing by turning off house circuit breakers
and watching the meter but have isolated nothing unusual yet. With all house
breakers off the meter stops. I have purchase a Kill-a -Watt and have begun
looking for the energy thief. I've found nothing yet, although the KAW is
fun and interesting.

Where would the electricity go?
When reconnecting the lines, can a 'surge' spin the meter forward?
Previously we had 2 lines coming into our neighborhood, both lines fell but
only 1 was reconnected to restore power. Can this have any bearing?
What am I missing?
What other testing can I do?

Your thoughts and comments appreciated.

Steve IA

Posted by franz fripplfrappl on January 19, 2008, 10:54 am

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On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:40:37 -0600, Steve IA wrote:

> xposted: alt.energy.homepower,alt.home.repair.misc.rural

> Our average electricity usage for the last 6 years for December is 653

> kwh with a range of 120. December 07 our usage was 682 kwh. This would

> not have been unusual except for the fact that, due to an ice storm, we

> had NO electricity for 6.5 days. Billing cycle per the bill was 31

> days. I was expecting a bill 20% lower than the average bill and was

> dismayed when it was actually higher. So far this month of January, we

> are using at the about average rate (22kwh/day) as we did in December,

> the only odd thing is that we had NO power of nearly a week in December.

> I've spoken with a few neighbors who also lost power and 'come to think

> of it' their bill went up or didn't go down as much as they would have

> expected for a 20-25% time of no usage. I ask the REC and they said we

> 'just used more'. They also tried to blame 'recovery usage'. I'm not

> buying it. They claim they didn't estimate the bill and when I received

> the bill I immediately checked and the meter reading seemed in line with

> normal. I'm talking KWH her not $$ which can be affected by rate

> changes, surcharge and taxes etc.

> Facts:

> During the ice storm we used a gas generator intermittently during the

> daylight to power the freezer, tv, occasional PC and a few lights . We

> relied 100% on wood heat, never falling below 60F. For the entire

> billing period we did nothing that we can think of unusual that would

> increase the consumption over the previous December. No extra Xmas

> lights, no 'recovery' usage after power restoration other than 1

> refrigerator .

> Normal is LP furnace supplemented by high efficiency wood fireplace. Gas

> water heater and stove.

> Elec clothes dryer.

> 1 powered outbuilding.

> We live Â¼ mile away from nearest neighbor so no chance of somebody

> running an extension cord and stealing from us.

> After receiving the bill, I shut the power off below the meter and it

> quit turning. We've done some other testing by turning off house circuit

> breakers and watching the meter but have isolated nothing unusual yet.

> With all house breakers off the meter stops. I have purchase a Kill-a

> -Watt and have begun looking for the energy thief. I've found nothing

> yet, although the KAW is fun and interesting.

> Where would the electricity go?

> When reconnecting the lines, can a 'surge' spin the meter forward?

> Previously we had 2 lines coming into our neighborhood, both lines fell

> but only 1 was reconnected to restore power. Can this have any bearing?

> What am I missing?

> What other testing can I do?

> Your thoughts and comments appreciated.

> Steve IA

Check your utility bill to see if it is an estimate or direct read. Some
utilities try to save money by not reading meters every month. Instead
they take an average. Any differences are made up in subsequent billing
cycles.

Have you called the utility to find out what they think?

Posted by Bernardo Gui on January 19, 2008, 11:08 am

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wrote:

>Check your utility bill to see if it is an estimate or direct read. Some

>utilities try to save money by not reading meters every month. Instead

>they take an average. Any differences are made up in subsequent billing

>cycles.

>Have you called the utility to find out what they think?

It can be frustrating for a poster to write a detailed description of
a situation, only to read a response from somebody who obviously
didn't read it.

Here is the part of the OP's posting that should have prevented your
question:

>>I ask the REC and they said we 'just used more'. They also tried to

>>blame 'recovery usage'. I'm not buying it. They claim they didn't

>>estimate the bill and when I received the bill I immediately checked

>and the meter reading seemed in line with normal. I'm talking KWH her

>not $$ which can be affected by rate changes, surcharge and taxes etc."

I suspect that some utilities have lax procedures that benefit them,
but are only detectable during situations like this.

Bernardo

Posted by Joseph Meehan on January 19, 2008, 5:33 pm

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I would not rule out an estimate. They could have under estimated the
prior month and while the current "month" was not directly based on an
estimate, it would have included the automatic adjustment for the past
month.

> wrote:

>>Check your utility bill to see if it is an estimate or direct read. Some

>>utilities try to save money by not reading meters every month. Instead

>>they take an average. Any differences are made up in subsequent billing

>>cycles.

>>Have you called the utility to find out what they think?

> It can be frustrating for a poster to write a detailed description of

> a situation, only to read a response from somebody who obviously

> didn't read it.

> Here is the part of the OP's posting that should have prevented your

> question:

>>>I ask the REC and they said we 'just used more'. They also tried to

>>>blame 'recovery usage'. I'm not buying it. They claim they didn't

>>>estimate the bill and when I received the bill I immediately checked

>>and the meter reading seemed in line with normal. I'm talking KWH her

>>not $$ which can be affected by rate changes, surcharge and taxes etc."

> I suspect that some utilities have lax procedures that benefit them,

> but are only detectable during situations like this.

> Bernardo

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

Posted by ransley on January 19, 2008, 11:13 am

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> On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:40:37 -0600, Steve IA wrote:

> > xposted: alt.energy.homepower,alt.home.repair.misc.rural

> > Our average electricity usage for the last 6 years for December is 653

> > kwh with a range of 120. =A0December 07 our usage was 682 kwh. This woul=

> > not have been unusual except for the fact that, due to an ice storm, we

> > had NO electricity for 6.5 days. =A0Billing cycle per the bill was 31

> > days. I was expecting a bill 20% lower than the average bill and was

> > dismayed when it was actually higher. =A0So far this month of January, =

=A0we

> > are using at the about average rate (22kwh/day) as we did in December,

> > the only odd thing is that we had NO power of nearly a week in December.=

> > =A0I've spoken with a few neighbors who also lost power and 'come to thi=

> > of it' their bill went up or didn't go down as much as they would have

> > expected for a 20-25% time of no usage. =A0I ask the REC and they said w=

> > 'just used more'. =A0They also tried to blame 'recovery usage'. =A0I'm n=

> > buying it. =A0They claim they didn't estimate the bill and when I receiv=

> > the bill I immediately checked and the meter reading seemed in line with=

> > normal. I'm talking KWH her not $$ which can be affected by rate

> > changes, surcharge and taxes etc.

> > Facts:

> > During the ice storm we used a gas generator intermittently during the

> > daylight to power the freezer, tv, occasional PC and a few lights . We

> > relied 100% on wood heat, never falling below 60F. For the entire

> > billing period we did nothing that we can think of unusual that would