I assume you mean the true electric part and not electric as in all utilities. Natural gas and water are what screw us.
yeah, we use NG in the winter which is why we can stay under 200 then. NG is the cheapest is has been in a decade, how are you getting screwed with that?
Well I suppose it is cheaper than electric heat, but in the winter our total utilities run between $400-$500 a month and in the summer the total is usually around $200-$220 a month. We also have natural gas hot water. Everything is municipal supplied so the city has their paws in the cookie jar. Every few years there will be a big stink about the city gouging consumers on the natural gas at which the pols who don't want to lose their jobs will give a rebate or cut prices for a bit and then jack them back up when the dust settles.
Well I suppose it is cheaper than electric heat, but in the winter our total utilities run between $400-$500 a month
Just curious really? We have 2,644 sq ft and our electric bills average $200/month or less year around.
our home is about 1200 sq. Ft. I just totaled my 2012 bills for electric and gas (heat/cooking).
Electric: $704 for the year (about $58/month)
gas: $731 for the year (about $61/month)
sweet
Yeah, well, on the other hand, my real estate taxes are $4,800 a year. OMFG!!!
Mine were $3100 this year, supposed to be $3400 next year. Illinois does get you on property taxes. Do you guys pay it on the cars too? we do, that was another $1000 for us.
I find this very hard to believe unless your house is uninsulated or you leave all the windows open.
My wife does like to keep the house a lot warmer than I would but otherwise not really.
Well "I can't effing believe it!!" are often the first words out of my mouth when I open the utility bill too in winter. I don't know if it is true but I heard what they do is take the total cost to the city for gas and prorate it based on your level of consumption so gas customers share in the cost of lost gas from leaks and such but IDK if that is true or not. We also have smart meters which supposedly are much more accurate than the dial meters. On top of that, the city is putting in all new gas lines so I imagine that might factor into the cost somehow. My city is pretty tight lipped about utilities until people are ready to lynch them. I have had a bill as high as $800+ for one month same house when there was some huge price spike.
yeah, well, on the other hand, my real estate taxes are $4,800 a year. Omfg!!!
I'd have that meter checked for accuracy. Oh, they're going to say, "It's impossible!!!" Check with your neighbors. If your bill is exponentially higher than theirs, really! It could be the meter. It was with my water meter. And it was suipposed to be a Smarty Pants, too. Had a new one put in after I bitched and moaned for four months about my bill -- my water bill dropped in half. HALF!!
Though I am sorry to hear about your problems Fisher I think anyone getting a new home is a fool if they don't get gas put in. The world is going through a natural gas boom, it's definitely the fossil fuel of the future, and prices are likely to stay stable and supplies plentiful for decades to come.
Hell, if the prices on such units were low enough for the general housing market, I would get a natural gas refrigerator and air conditioning unit.