Submitted by GrossDomesticProDuck t3_zlsp9g in jerseycity
I just woke up to a 4x cost of electricity bill. How on earth is that possible? We are living in a 1br with my wife and the bill is just south of $300?!?!
Comments
_switch360_ t1_j06wrl7 wrote
Did you call PSEG versus running to Reddit and ask why?
I’m sure their phone number is on the bill! Try making a call it is fulfilling.
NJYagaYeet t1_j06xb06 wrote
Dude, mine is usually 30-60 dollars and this month it is somehow $600?!?!?!
Definitely going to call to find out what the hell is going on
wasting_-my-_time t1_j06xhzp wrote
Reddit has better answers
Ipoopforfreedom t1_j06y7rh wrote
It is most likely an estimate that PSEG came up with. They did that to me last summer and said my bill was $600. I called and mentioned my bill was abnormally high, and they said "oh yea that's just an estimate, your actual bill is $120". Beyond annoying, but definitely call.
joethedistance t1_j06y8cx wrote
Same. Are you signed up for the Equal Payment Plan? If so, it's your "true up" bill. From my bill last month:
"This is your true-up bill. On this bill, you have received a charge for the difference between what you've paid and what you actually used. Your Equal Payment Plan will restart next month."
Suffice to say that I will likely be opting out of the EPP going forward.
upnflames t1_j06y9c3 wrote
Only if you are more interested in speculation and drama then actually solving a problem.
datatadata t1_j06zc52 wrote
$300 lol do you have the heat on all the time?
illgainedgoods t1_j06zqiu wrote
Reddit sometimes has solutions to make the call quicker though. I don't know about you but I hate being on hold, so when someone told me how to spot an estimate bill and what PSE&G needs to fix that made my call much quicker.
badquarter t1_j070m6h wrote
Random guess - is this your first winter in an apartment with an electric PTAC?
mickyrow42 t1_j0726gq wrote
that definitely sounds like you haven't had actual meter readings for a while.
BenevolentCheese t1_j0727f0 wrote
Because it's been cold.
NJYagaYeet t1_j072en1 wrote
You are absolutely correct mickyrow42! They have not read the dam thing in 5 months. Just called PSEG and that’s the situation
someguyfromnj t1_j072h00 wrote
NJ in general sucks for utilities. My buddy has a place in Orlando…AC is on 24/7, 2B/2B, they cook and wash/dry clothes daily. Three people. Total utilities is never more than $75 a month. Insane.
crustang t1_j072rua wrote
Yeah, but Orlando is in Florida
lucke0204 t1_j073d7x wrote
This has happened to me too recently. My apartment was vacant for several months before we moved in, so the usage estimates were laughably low. The best option was to set up a repayment plan to spread the large sum across the next couple of bills.
someguyfromnj t1_j073dvx wrote
Yes. That is correct.
needfulsalsa t1_j074liu wrote
They take forever sometimes over phone.
mickyrow42 t1_j0788iz wrote
Also rates go up in the winter.
primmmslimmm t1_j07cu6i wrote
They could have read it wrong, get on the phone with them and read them the number from your meter. Had the same thing happen to me. They tried to charge me $400 when it was actually $50
EL_Prolifik t1_j07d794 wrote
They should give you a credit, I don't know if you have access to your meters, but I make a note of the dates the meters are due each month and upload the photos on the app. They definitely suck at estimating
RebeccaLoneBrook29 t1_j07e2hx wrote
This whole post belong on r/boringdystopia .
w1zgov t1_j07fyl0 wrote
Geography checks out.
jjvvllxx t1_j07hoam wrote
same usually mine is $40-60 but for some reason it's 150 this month
cvc5049 t1_j07m77d wrote
This happened to me over the summer. I had really low electric bills for a while ($40-$50) and I got a bill for $369 in July. It was due to “estimated” readings and then they finally did a reading. I contested it including sending meter pictures and they stood by the bill and I paid it. Really annoying.
JeromePowellAdmirer t1_j07m7ws wrote
AC is cheaper than heating
worldlybedouin t1_j07wmo8 wrote
Having to live with a PTAC for the past 10+ years, yeah, it sucks electricity.
Positive_Debate7048 t1_j07wuix wrote
People shit on ptacs but I have one that I run like all the time and I still only pay 60 at most per month. Good insulation is way more important than the method by which you heat or cool.
someguyfromnj t1_j07ygwv wrote
They use heat as well. But only one month out of the year.
Complex_Difficulty t1_j07yscy wrote
Well, I'd argue the method still matters. PTACs heating with a reversed heat pump are going to be energy efficient. When the resistive heater turns on though, not so much.
_switch360_ t1_j07yw70 wrote
Or go online - look at account and compare usage and cost per kilowatt - it’s not hard. Could have been actual reset on equal pay or rate increase …
Either way pre Reddit lazy - people figured things out for themselves.
MailenJokerbell t1_j088af9 wrote
You scared me so much, I went to see mine and it's actually the lowest bill I've had in a while. 63 for me
JeromePowellAdmirer t1_j089bxl wrote
Presumably it takes much less energy to heat from a 65F outdoor environment than a 30F one.
Mother-Dragonfly7595 t1_j089xxk wrote
Luckily we’ve been having almost consistent billings. I dare not call because I feel like we consume more because I work from home.
andychsiao t1_j08cr3y wrote
Same for me! Usually around $40 and it’s $100 this month
someguyfromnj t1_j08j6zk wrote
True. Weather is warmer in FL.
[deleted] t1_j08kmrj wrote
pixel_of_moral_decay t1_j08t0qe wrote
Depends also on size. Heat transfer efficiency depends on surface area. In theory they can heat to below 0F outside…. If big enough. But many PTAC’s will stop at 40F due to their small size.
Desi_techy_girl t1_j0913hu wrote
what is PTAC?
ImReallyProud t1_j098e8a wrote
fandagan t1_j09dgr9 wrote
It's a goddamn crime being installed in buildings north of South Carolina is what it is.
Morkitu t1_j09ladt wrote
Check the heating/gas portion. If you have baseboard heating, the bill will skyrocket. Also, check to make sure that you don't have another company/carrier on your bill. Your energy supplier and carrier should be PSE&G. If there's any other name on the bill like a company you never heard of, someone switched your supplier.
There are companies that go door to door, or make calls to residents asking them to switch their service. They make it seem like they are from PSEG and trick customers into signing onto another energy carrier. These carriers can charge whatever they want per kilowat hour, and folks don't realize until they have been switched over.
fulanita_de_tal t1_j0a4dmv wrote
Mine has been $30-60 for 6 years though.
fulanita_de_tal t1_j0a52li wrote
I grew up in Florida. Our electric bills were like $300 and my bill in JC has never been more than $90 even though I pay for my own heat.
mickyrow42 t1_j0aca34 wrote
They wouldn’t let you go that long without a real reading, but that also sounds pretty sus. You must use nothing ?
fulanita_de_tal t1_j0be9qk wrote
No I’m being sincere! We’ve got a 1br with 2 of those PTAC units. Always running at a comfortable temperature and I never open windows. It’s typically $45 a month. In an extreme polar vortex month sometimes it’ll be $90 but that’s rare.
MrLurker698 t1_j0clgf7 wrote
Normal for the season if your heat is electric PTAC units. Mine went up about that. Get excited, it’ll about double again when it hits deep winter!
restricteddata t1_j0euaqb wrote
Our place was unoccupied for like a year and so now PSE&G's estimates are all based on the idea that we use essentially zero electricity and gas per month. I've tried to post my own readings on their website (there is a place where you can do that) but they ignore them. My little "energy used" graph on their website is totally flat except for the one month they came and checked it, which is through the roof because it is multiple months rolled into one. So irritating!
ebastoria t1_j06wq2o wrote
My bill was $46. That said, I turned the heat on for probably 10 minutes the entire month.