Wow anyone else receive a SMECO bill :elaine: that was outrageously high??? :jameo:

More than a 1/3rd increase!!! :wench:

Wow anyone else receive a SMECO bill :elaine: that was outrageously high??? :jameo:

More than a 1/3rd increase!!! :wench:

It went up AGAIN????????
I hate to open that envelope every month!

:howdy:
But then, I live with a heat pump and the dates the bill covered were some really cold days. Still, it was a lot higher than last year's at the same time.

Wow anyone else receive a SMECO bill :elaine: that was outrageously high??? :jameo:

More than a 1/3rd increase!!! :wench:

Mine was normal! YAY!

Wow anyone else receive a SMECO bill :elaine: that was outrageously high??? :jameo:

More than a 1/3rd increase!!! :wench:

Mine wasn't much different than last year.:shrug: Although they did put a post it note in there saying that they were coming to claim my first born child when next month's bill comes out.:bawl:

Haven't gotten mine yet. Went up 6 months ago and probably go up again. Called SMECO and due to a computer upgrade billing will be late.

Mine actually went down (12/28-1/29); hmmm...but that reminds me that I haven't gotten a bill for 1/29-2/28 though? Think I should inquire where it is? :lmao:

Haven't gotten mine yet. Went up 6 months ago and probably go up again. Called SMECO and due to a computer upgrade billing will be late.

That probably explains why I haven't seen my Jan-Feb bill yet...........

That probably explains why I haven't seen my Jan-Feb bill yet...........

Me either

When I signed up for their budget billing, they STOPPED sending me my monthly bill. It wasn't until I logged on to SMECO to see what was happening that I saw I was a month past due.

I need a bill each month to remind me to pay it, as silly as that sounds. They didn't tell me they were stopping my bills when I went on budget billing. Now, I have a post-it stuck to my computer screen reminding me to pay them! :coffee:

When I signed up for their budget billing, they STOPPED sending me my monthly bill. It wasn't until I logged on to SMECO to see what was happening that I saw I was a month past due.

I need a bill each month to remind me to pay it, as silly as that sounds. They didn't tell me they were stopping my bills when I went on budget billing. Now, I have a post-it stuck to my computer screen reminding me to pay them! :coffee:


When I paid the bill online one time they stopped sending me bills too. So I went to their office in White Plains and requested to start getting bills again. Maybe they will do that for you too. It couldn't hurt to try.

Mine is usually withdrawn from my checking account by the 5th, but nothing has been swept by SMECO yet this month. Last months bill was over $400.00 :eyebrow: mostly due to Xmas lights, but it wasn't anything like National Lampoons Christmas either. It's been averaging about $300, spouse and I live alone, no one is home all day and the house is about 2500 sq ft. I have insulated the house all I can even putting plug protectors in the sockets of outside walls and insulators around the light switches...still over $300 :nomoney:

When I paid the bill online one time they stopped sending me bills too. So I went to their office in White Plains and requested to start getting bills again. Maybe they will do that for you too. It couldn't hurt to try.

Thanks, I'll do that. I freaked when I saw what my two-month balance due was! :jameo: :faint:

Thanks, I'll do that. I freaked when I saw what my two-month balance due was! :jameo: :faint:

I know I did too. If it weren't for hot showers it would almost be worth it to be amish... :lmao:

Wow anyone else receive a SMECO bill :elaine: that was outrageously high??? :jameo:

More than a 1/3rd increase!!! :wench:


Yes :faint:

Originally Posted by chernmax
Wow anyone else receive a SMECO bill :elaine: that was outrageously high??? :jameo:
More than a 1/3rd increase!!!
Supposedly, they had a system change on Feb. 19th, and all their bills went out late.
Also -- everyone's account number changed and there was a note in with the bill about paying online/over telephone, that we are supposed to change it when we make a payment. Our bill was a little over the top also. :faint:

Supposedly, they had a system change on Feb. 19th, and all their bills went out late.
Also -- everyone's account number changed and there was a note in with the bill about paying online/over telephone, that we are supposed to change it when we make a payment. Our bill was a little over the top also. :faint:



great.... there goes my tax return... I was going to buy something nice with it too. oh well....

Mine was 120 dollars more and this year i've been going to the laundry mat because my washer and dryer broke. :jameo: o my bill should be less

Wow anyone else receive a SMECO bill :elaine: that was outrageously high??? :jameo:

More than a 1/3rd increase!!! :wench:

We actually thought it was a bill for two months because ours was so high last month. Getting the SMECO bill is never fun.

Well my billis also automatically deducted from checking monthly. I pay mine online also, have used low voltage bulb's and pretty much have the same daily usage as January if not less since I took my Xmas lights down and it jumped like $179.00!!! :wench: Ouch...

Wow anyone else receive a SMECO bill :elaine: that was outrageously high??? :jameo:

More than a 1/3rd increase!!! :wench:
Check to see if it is more than a month. I haven't received my bill yet but the meter reader was here about 5 days later than usual.

I was pleasantly surprised that the electric bill I received yesterday was somewhat modest - only $157 and some change.

However, I have to admit that we've been using our gas fireplace alot to supplement the electric heat pump. Our last bill for gas wasn't that bad, though.

I haven't rec'd SMECO's bill for this month, but our gas bill is $142. :faint: It's usually about $50 a month. :ohwell:

This last one I got was the highest I've ever had, which was only the month before that and was like a $30 increase. I know a few people who's bill is $5-$600 :jameo:

This last one I got was the highest I've ever had, which was only the month before that and was like a $30 increase. I know a few people who's bill is $5-$600 :jameo:


Holy crap! What are they heating?! LOL. That stinks. It may be time to invest in some new insulation.

This last one I got was the highest I've ever had, which was only the month before that and was like a $30 increase. I know a few people who's bill is $5-$600 :jameo:

Just checked mine online and for one month it was nearly 500, unreal that it was that high when the last bill for one month was only 192. I know it's been cold, but wow, I can't believe the heat ran that much. :faint:

I haven't gotten my bill yet. Should be posted today or tomorrow. I'm so excited I can hardly wait :sarcasm:

I emailed their customer support email to inquire about my bill, because I noticed it was much later than usual. They said because of the billing system change, bills were going out later than usual.

I also noticed a pretty steep increase. My bill went from just over $100 to $180. :shocking: That was kind of disheartening since I had brand new, energy-efficient vinyl windows installed in early January, thinking it would help save some money on my electric bill. As suggested, I checked the bill to see if there was more than 30 days between meter reads and apparently, there wasn't. The billing period was from 1/22/07 to 2/21/07. It does, however, look as though February was a 'higher energy useage' month than January. :boo:

Welcome to deregulation! How do you like all those nit-picky charges. I think there are about 6 or 7 different lines.

Mine is over $400. For the same kilowatt hour usage last year, it was under $300. Someone's getting rich, and it ain't us consumers! Write to your state representatives to complain. I will be.

OBTW, an article in yesterday's Enterprise discussed a bill that would give SMECO more freedom to purchase power on the open market. I sure hope they make wish choices, because we'll have to pay.

I emailed their customer support email to inquire about my bill, because I noticed it was much later than usual. They said because of the billing system change, bills were going out later than usual.

I also noticed a pretty steep increase. My bill went from just over $100 to $180. :shocking: That was kind of disheartening since I had brand new, energy-efficient vinyl windows installed in early January, thinking it would help save some money on my electric bill. As suggested, I checked the bill to see if there was more than 30 days between meter reads and apparently, there wasn't. The billing period was from 1/22/07 to 2/21/07. It does, however, look as though February was a 'higher energy useage' month than January. :boo:

My energy usage more than doubled from Jan to Feb, I can understand with the heat running more, but that just seems like a lot. Maybe their new billing system is having issues.

I set up an online OPTION to pay my bill. I requested an email reminder when my bill was ready for review. I then received notice that I would no longer receive paper bills, only electronic, via email notification.

Just when I thought the amount owed would continue to go down (as it had for a couple of months) - WHAMMO - went right back up!

I knew our electric bill in the new house would be more because it 1.5 times larger then the old house but I was suprised to see $223. I realize that the coverage dates had a lot of cold days in there, but I was still shocked. I wish the main living levels were on one zone and the basement was on another because I would then not heat the basement because we currently do not use it but the basement and first floor share and the upstairs has its own zone.

All of our lights have multiple bulbs so I have removed some of the bulbs from the bedrooms and I keep the temperature set at 68. I'm hoping spring comes soon and the bill will come down.

I knew our electric bill in the new house would be more because it 1.5 times larger then the old house but I was suprised to see $223. I realize that the coverage dates had a lot of cold days in there, but I was still shocked. I wish the main living levels were on one zone and the basement was on another because I would then not heat the basement because we currently do not use it but the basement and first floor share and the upstairs has its own zone.

All of our lights have multiple bulbs so I have removed some of the bulbs from the bedrooms and I keep the temperature set at 68. I'm hoping spring comes soon and the bill will come down.

We moved her on Jan 1, our first bill at 192 was a nice surprise because in our old place we were paying electric (way more than 192) oil for heat and propane for cooking plus the phone, cable and water. I really shouldn't complain too much since this electric bill is still less than one tank of oil at the old house and we don't have oil and propane to deal with.

"Someone's getting rich, and it ain't us consumers! Write to your state representatives to complain. I will be."

SMECO is a Co-op. According to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Asso, "Electric cooperatives are private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned businesses."

My energy usage more than doubled from Jan to Feb, I can understand with the heat running more, but that just seems like a lot. Maybe their new billing system is having issues.
It's quite possible. Mine went from a January useage of 971 to a February useage of 1456. That's an increase of 485 kWh. I mean, my place isn't very big (about 1200 sq. ft.), I keep my heat set on 70° in the evening and 68° during the day, and I know February was colder, but sheesh! I didn't think one person and a small dog used up that much electricity. Time to buy more candles!!

It's quite possible. Mine went from a January useage of 971 to a February useage of 1456. That's an increase of 485 kWh. I mean, my place isn't very big (about 1200 sq. ft.), I keep my heat set on 70° in the evening and 68° during the day, and I know February was colder, but sheesh! I didn't think one person and a small dog used up that much electricity. Time to buy more candles!!

I think I remember them saying this past February was the coldest one on record. Hopefully March will have more warm days then cold and we all won't cringe when we open our bills next month.

Just checked mine online and for one month it was nearly 500, unreal that it was that high when the last bill for one month was only 192. I know it's been cold, but wow, I can't believe the heat ran that much. :faint:

Bingo, $290 last month $479 this month... SMECO = :smack:

Bingo, $290 last month $479 this month... SMECO = :smack:
Why is everyone blaming SMECO for their energy consumption? :jameo: This thread is silly...:lol:

Why is everyone blaming SMECO for their energy consumption? :jameo: This thread is silly...:lol:

No blaming SMECO here, mine's Dominion Power.

Bingo, $290 last month $479 this month... SMECO = :smack:

Thank god that I am not the only one in this! Our garage went from $29 to $57...the only difference is we plugged the truck in a few of the super cold nights. The house went from $300 to $420, and our workshop doubled too. I had always budgeted for a $300 to $350 bill, this month the total was $520!
This hurts!!! (and we just installed all those damn Al Gore Pimped lightbulbs that were supposed to save us all kinds of money!...all it did was reverse global warming and jack up my utility bill!)

Why is everyone blaming SMECO for their energy consumption? :jameo: This thread is silly...:lol:
not suprised - just a little shocked at the jump when measures are taken to prevent this, I suppose. It's not like I won't continue paying it. :shrug: It was just wishful thinking on my account.

No blaming SMECO here, mine's Dominion Power.
But do you blame them for your energy consumption?

Why is everyone blaming SMECO for their energy consumption? :jameo: This thread is silly...:lol:

Because b!tching about the high charges is much more therapeutic than shooting someone silly lady!!! :jameo:

not suprised - just a little shocked at the jump when measures are taken to prevent this, I suppose. It's not like I won't continue paying it. :shrug: It was just wishful thinking on my account.
The better part of February never reached above freezing (32) temps. We had weeks where the nights barely got above the single digits. I don't think changing lightbulbs and blocking plug sockets are going to compensate for the energy required to keep our homes in the 60s and some folks in the 70s (depending on how they set their thermostat). This past month had been freakishly cold for our area.

Why is everyone blaming SMECO for their energy consumption? :jameo: This thread is silly...:lol:

I'm not blaming SMECO, just surprised that my bill was so high. I can't wait 'til Spring so I won't use so much energy.

But do you blame them for your energy consumption?


We have an unused workshop with no change in consumption...it almost doubled. If there were a change I wouldn't complain, just like I know it will go up from fall to winter, but this is no change just un believable rate increases. Our bill changed by a 30% increase...10x's the rate of cost of living.

We have an unused workshop with no change in consumption...it almost doubled. If there were a change I wouldn't complain, just like I know it will go up from fall to winter, but this is no change just un believable rate increases. Our bill changed by a 30% increase...10x's the rate of cost of living.

Thank god that I am not the only one in this! Our garage went from $29 to $57...the only difference is we plugged the truck in a few of the super cold nights.
But there was a change in consumption. :shrug:

But there was a change in consumption. :shrug:

Not on the workshop...it is unused and still went up 30%.

The garage had a small change in consumption...it almost doubled. :coffee:

Why is everyone blaming SMECO for their energy consumption? :jameo: This thread is silly...:lol:
I don't think anyone is blaming SMECO. I think we're just kind of shocked by the difference this month and venting. At least, I know I am.

Ours was high too and we haven't even ran the furnace. We have two wood stoves (one is actually a wood burning furnce) and they heat the house great. I was really surprised to see it went up when there was no additional usage.

I don't think anyone is blaming SMECO. I think we're just kind of shocked by the difference this month and venting. At least, I know I am.

:yeahthat:

And if I had hit the meg millions, you wouldn't have heard a thing from me.

i haven't got my new one yet but it should be free anyhow since I accidentally paid it twice last month :duh:

When I signed up for their budget billing, they STOPPED sending me my monthly bill. It wasn't until I logged on to SMECO to see what was happening that I saw I was a month past due.

I need a bill each month to remind me to pay it, as silly as that sounds. They didn't tell me they were stopping my bills when I went on budget billing. Now, I have a post-it stuck to my computer screen reminding me to pay them! :coffee:
You can request a bill still be mailed to you and an email notification that your bill is ready online.

:yeahthat:

And if I had hit the meg millions, you wouldn't have heard a thing from me.

Ditto...................... :lmao:

i haven't got my new one yet but it should be free anyhow since I accidentally paid it twice last month :duh:
If you have money enough to pay your electric bill twice, then why the heck do you keep bugging Citgo Joe for a handout... :banghead:

:yeahthat:

And if I had hit the meg millions, you wouldn't have heard a thing from me.
Nor me... because I'd be on an island somewhere, sleeping on a bed of green, green money, and without a care in the world. Energy schmenergy.

Holy Crap! I just checked mine online, it went from $143 (November) to $300 (now). I swear I have been using the gas fireplace to help and keeping my thermostat under 68 degrees. Maybe I'll just get some firewood and heat my home off of that!

If you have money enough to pay your electric bill twice, then why the heck do you keep bugging Citgo Joe for a handout... :banghead:


cause i can :duh:

For all of you who are shocked by SMECO bills...

After one year of service, you can request average monthly billing. My bill is alway the same until the end of a one year period. That is when SMECO requires a catch-up payment and recaculates your average payment based on the previous year usage. Last year my catch-up payment was $1.01 for the entire month of July and my average monthly payment was recaculated from $184 down to $155.

A much easier way to maintain your Budget!!!

I just looked at mine online. It went down by $40.










Which means my oil usage went up.

:howdy:
But then, I live with a heat pump and the dates the bill covered were some really cold days. Still, it was a lot higher than last year's at the same time.

I am on a heat pump too. I haven't looked at my bill yet. I had the outside unit worked on over Christmas and the inside unit worked on in February. I am actually waiting for March's bill to see what the cost actually will be now that both are completely fixed (allegedly).

SMECO Messages
Since SMECO upgraded its computer system on
February 19, we have had a delay in printing and mailing
some monthly bills. Your bill due date will be adjusted
accordingly.
You have also been assigned a new account number.
Please use this new number for payments and
correspondence.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.


From the Smeco page.

From the Smeco page.
"your bill due date will be adjusted accordingly"

I'm wondering... does that mean the bills that are just now coming in cover a longer period of time than the previous bill cycle? Could this be part of the explanation as to why there is such a noticable increase in totals?

Mine went up to ~$150 last month. It's been cold. I expected it to go up :shrug:

"your bill due date will be adjusted accordingly"

I'm wondering... does that mean the bills that are just now coming in cover a longer period of time than the previous bill cycle? Could this be part of the explanation as to why there is such a noticable increase in totals?

I checked the dates, mine was 30 days, same as the last bill.

For all of you who are shocked by SMECO bills...

After one year of service, you can request average monthly billing. My bill is alway the same until the end of a one year period. That is when SMECO requires a catch-up payment and recaculates your average payment based on the previous year usage. Last year my catch-up payment was $1.01 for the entire month of July and my average monthly payment was recaculated from $184 down to $155.

A much easier way to maintain your Budget!!!

How do you sign up for this?

This is our 1st year in a house w/ heat pumps and whoa, what huge difference.:faint: We were using our pellet stove pretty much constantly during February and we also had an increase in our bill. When we had this place built we increased all the insulation to DOE standards, had all energy star appliances installed and of course the pellet stove. Like someone posted earlier what are gonna do? Become Amish?

I checked the dates, mine was 30 days, same as the last bill.
Then I would think we can expect next months bill to come in on the normal schedule. That would mean this months bill should be arriving in about two weeks and I haven't even gotten last month's bill yet...:dead:

How do you sign up for this?

We tried that, and the truth is that the best thing to do is watch your energy usage or upgrade your heating and air conditioning. Even our averaged monthly bill was high, and it can be tempting to NOT watch your consumption if you think it doesn't matter. Our "average" bill was in the 300's, and the "catch-up" bill went the other way.

Then I would think we can expect next months bill to come in on the normal schedule. That would mean this months bill should be arriving in about two weeks and I haven't even gotten last month's bill yet...:dead:

Good luck with the numbers... :coffee:

Then I would think we can expect next months bill to come in on the normal schedule. That would mean this months bill should be arriving in about two weeks and I haven't even gotten last month's bill yet...:dead:
Yep something isn't quite right, my last months bill was only 133.00, when the average is around 250.00. So either they made a mistake reading my meter or the time frame is different.

When I signed up for their budget billing, they STOPPED sending me my monthly bill. It wasn't until I logged on to SMECO to see what was happening that I saw I was a month past due.

I need a bill each month to remind me to pay it, as silly as that sounds. They didn't tell me they were stopping my bills when I went on budget billing. Now, I have a post-it stuck to my computer screen reminding me to pay them! :coffee:

Yeah, same thing happened to us. I never dreamed they'd stop sending paper, as virtually ALL our other bills come in the mail even if they're paid online. We ended up THREE month's behind - a "reminder" in e-mail is useless when you're used to fifty e-mails a day or your junk email screener throws it away for you.

I had to just call them up now and request paper.

Yep something isn't quite right, my last months bill was only 133.00, when the average is around 250.00. So either they made a mistake reading my meter or the time frame is different.
You may be on to something... my last month bill was lower than I expected it to be... maybe looking at it over a three month span would make it a wash... hmmmmm....:eyebrow:

My last bill was $350 for a 3BR house on a heat pump just to keep the temperature about 65! :jameo:

Turns out my heat pump was broken. The inside unit ran but the outside unit did not. As a result the inside unit ran continuously. That seemed normal because everyone says that's what heat pumps do especially in very cold weather. It wasn't until I got the bill that I checked out the outside unit and found it out was damaged. So for at least a month the inside unit was running continuously and periodically activating the aux heat $trip$. I felt dumb for not checking out the outside unit earlier, but it's hidden away from daily life and I've never had a reason to check on it (until now!).
:buttkick:

Rant time: I paid $75 to Southern Pride service to come do a check on the system. The guy said my thermostat was bad (it's NOT bad) because I installed it myself. He was baffled that I did not hook the E wire to anything--well, on this and other t-stats, that's the right thing to do. He offered to replace my programmable t-stat with a non-programmable one for $250 and to replace my $12 contactor for a mere $185, with no guarantees that either would fix anything. He did conclude my outside unit control board was OK, but as it turns out, that was the ONLY part that was actually broken.

I had another guy from G&S actually check my system. He fixed the control board, verified that I did wire up the t-stat correctly (he was actually familiar with the t-stat I used unlike the last guy), topped off the freon, and gave the rest of the system a thorough check.

The better part of February never reached above freezing (32) temps. We had weeks where the nights barely got above the single digits. I don't think changing lightbulbs and blocking plug sockets are going to compensate for the energy required to keep our homes in the 60s and some folks in the 70s (depending on how they set their thermostat). This past month had been freakishly cold for our area.

I *WISH* I could tell this in a way people would listen! Light bulbs that aren't used do waste energy, but if you leave a 100 watt bulb on all month long, it still only costs 20 bucks. If you leave every light on in the house all the time, it still won't explain a 500+ bill. The biggest waster of electricity is heating and air conditioning followed by major appliances. Anything you can do to insulate your home or in any way minimize the use of heat/AC or appliances saves tons. Our January bill was the lowest January we've ever had, but that's because we had the temp set at 60 and we wear sweaters.

My house has hardwood floors throughout, it always seems to feel so cold inside no matter what. I really like the hardwood floors, but thinking carpet may be a better choice for warmth and cutting down on the heating bill.

My SMECO bill went up around $100 when compared to one of last year's bills where the kilowatt hours were very similar.

My SMECO bill went up around $100 when compared to one of last year's bills where the kilowatt hours were very similar.
I don't think anyone is questioning that. SMECO and all other electric companies had made it widely known that a kilowatt this year would be much more expensive than last year's kilowatt. The confusion seems to be over why this months bill was so much more than the previous month's bill.

Yep something isn't quite right, my last months bill was only 133.00, when the average is around 250.00. So either they made a mistake reading my meter or the time frame is different.

Do you have a digital meter or the old fashioned one.
They put on a digital one at our house last year and now it seems like the bill went way higher than before when we had the older model. :confused:

I checked my online Smeco account and it stated that I had a past due amount and hadn't paid last months bill. The payment was taken out of my checking account so when I called them they said it was the new systems causing it to not recognize the payment and that I was current....

My house has hardwood floors throughout, it always seems to feel so cold inside no matter what. I really like the hardwood floors, but thinking carpet may be a better choice for warmth and cutting down on the heating bill.
Warm fuzzy slippers are much cheaper. :yay:

My house has hardwood floors throughout, it always seems to feel so cold inside no matter what. I really like the hardwood floors, but thinking carpet may be a better choice for warmth and cutting down on the heating bill.


They have these things called "rugs" that you can put on your floors in the winter time. They come in all different sizes and colors so they fit the room and match the decor. They're an amazing invention!

The insulation value of a rug is not all that great. It just feels warmer on the feet.

The insulation value of a rug is not all that great. It just feels warmer on the feet.

It's not? They seem to work for me.

My new bill was $200 higher then normal. :faint:

I went on line and looked at my bill.
I used twice the amount of electric in Febuary as I did in January.
Guess what my bill doubled and worse than that I see they read my meter on the 9th of every month. :yikes: I just paid the last bill two days ago. :jameo:

I need my tax refund.....I need my tax refund. :faint: Don't look at your SMECO bill. It could mess up your whole day.. :faint:

I went on line and looked at my bill.
I used twice the amount of electric in Febuary as I did in January.
Guess what my bill doubled and worse than than I see they read my meter on the 9th of every month. :yikes: I just paid the last bill two days ago. :jameo:

I need my tax refund.....I need my tax refund. :faint: Don't look at your SMECO bill. It could mess up your whole day.. :faint:

In Jan I used only 1813 kwh and this months bills says 3030 kwh, no way. :faint:

The insulation value of a rug is not all that great. It just feels warmer on the feet.

Have them in every room and no they don't help that much.

Well I feel much better now knowing my misery is shared by others, thanks for the support!!! :lmao: :coffee:

Have them in every room and no they don't help that much.


Your house is probably not well insulated.

But do you blame them for your energy consumption?

No it was a cold month. Hubby and I have talked about measures to reduce our energy consumption to reduce the bill. I know how we use our energy dictates what our bill will be. I have to give up the long hot showers and hubby needs to stop washing 40+ hand towels a week.

Well I feel much better now knowing my misery is shared by others, thanks for the support!!! :lmao: :coffee:
They say misery loves company; and it looks like we're all in the same boat. But it is nice to know that it's not just you. :)

They say misery loves company; and it looks like we're all in the same boat. But it is nice to know that it's not just you. :)

Agree, Harmony B!tching!!! :huggy:

Agree, Harmony B!tching!!! :huggy:
Here ya go! (http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0307electric-pennies07-ON.html) :lol:

A man who's fed up with higher electric rates has come up with a way to show his displeasure while paying his bill.

Robert Han#### says his monthly power bill jumped nearly 200 percent, to $526.62. So he's going to send Ameren 52,662 pennies.

Han#### says he's worked things out with a local bank to get the coins and with the post office to mail the money. It will cost about $50 extra for postage, but Han#### says that if he can cause Ameren a little inconvenience, it's worth it to him.

It's not? They seem to work for me.
Better than nothing, but no substitute for actual insulation under the floor.

Better than nothing, but no substitute for actual insulation under the floor.

Looked under the crawl space, looks well insulated, the house was remodled a couple of years ago, insulation is new. We have a heat pump, they don't seem to heat well anyway. Don't want to give up the hard wood floors, but the padding for wall to wall carpet may help also.

because we had the temp set at 60 and we wear sweaters.

:yikes: :faint: OMG, I would die from hypothermia. I need my heat. I LOOOOVE my pellet stove. Unfortunately, I we ran out of pellets, and due to it being "Spring" we didn't run out and grab anymore, so I'm sure we burned some seriouls oil these past few days. :frown:

Our electric bill is always high, we are energy hogs. 2 fridges, 3 computers, hot tub, doing endless loads of laundry....... It sucks, but I need my electricity. :lol:

Our electric bill is always high, we are energy hogs. 2 fridges, 3 computers, hot tub, doing endless loads of laundry....... It sucks, but I need my electricity. :lol:
No lie! We have 4 fridges, 3 computers, 7 TVs and I do endless laundry as well and can't bring myself to put the water setting on cold/cold...:lol:

Here ya go! (http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0307electric-pennies07-ON.html) :lol:

A man who's fed up with higher electric rates has come up with a way to show his displeasure while paying his bill.

Robert Han#### says his monthly power bill jumped nearly 200 percent, to $526.62. So he's going to send Ameren 52,662 pennies.

Han#### says he's worked things out with a local bank to get the coins and with the post office to mail the money. It will cost about $50 extra for postage, but Han#### says that if he can cause Ameren a little inconvenience, it's worth it to him.

I'll just pay the bill, however I contacted SMECO and requested a meter reread (new digital readers can be suspect!), if it does not change, so be it, but it will cost SMECO the service call and if enough people complain and request the same let SMECO fund it from their overhead costs... :coffee:

$50.00 goes a long way for some nice bottles of wine to relieve my tension... :huggy:

No lie! We have 4 fridges, 3 computers, 7 TVs and I do endless laundry as well and can't bring myself to put the water setting on cold/cold...:lol:

OMG, me neither. :lmao: Everyone says clothes come out the same using cold water, but I just don't buy it.

No lie! We have 4 fridges, 3 computers, 7 TVs and I do endless laundry as well and can't bring myself to put the water setting on cold/cold...:lol:
You guys aren't trying. Al Gore was able to get his utilities up above $2400! Come on you wusses! Get some decorative fountains and outdoor lighting and leave it on 24/7. Security tv monitors on around the clock. Do you have a four car heated and airconditioned garage? You don't? Slackers! How hot is your heated pool? Only 80 degrees? What, you belong to the polar bear club?

You guys aren't trying. Al Gore was able to get his utilities up above $2400! Come on you wusses! Get some decorative fountains and outdoor lighting and leave it on 24/7. Security tv monitors on around the clock. Do you have a four car heated and airconditioned garage? You don't? Slackers! How hot is your heated pool? Only 80 degrees? What, you belong to the polar bear club?
Heat your decorative fountains for more usage! :yay:

Heat your decorative fountains for more usage! :yay:
Oh, right, or we're talking ice sculpture. :lmao:

Here ya go! (http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0307electric-pennies07-ON.html) :lol:

A man who's fed up with higher electric rates has come up with a way to show his displeasure while paying his bill.

Robert Han#### says his monthly power bill jumped nearly 200 percent, to $526.62. So he's going to send Ameren 52,662 pennies.

Han#### says he's worked things out with a local bank to get the coins and with the post office to mail the money. It will cost about $50 extra for postage, but Han#### says that if he can cause Ameren a little inconvenience, it's worth it to him.
:lol: Thanks for the afternoon laugh, kwillia.

I'm going to call around and get some estimates on a new heat pump (inside and outside). Mine is 14 years-old and it might be time to suck it up and invest in a newer, more energy-efficient model. *le sigh* My whole candle idea, as a means to save on electricity costs, isn't too appealing. With my luck, I'd burn my house down! :lol:

OMG, me neither. :lmao: Everyone says clothes come out the same using cold water, but I just don't buy it.

We always use cold, but for mostly a different reason - there's no guarantee that the well water won't leave iron stains. We have a purifier, but the only sure way of making sure your whites aren't covered in stains even WITH it running is to use cold water. I've thrown away too many clothes.

And I just get used to cold, eventually. I mean, in the colder months, I wear t-shirts under sweaters and sweatshirts. Before I set the thermo down, the first thing I'd do coming home would be to switch into lighter clothing - and honestly it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

The only downside has been, some of our indoor plants have died because of the cold - all of the palms, for example. But others seem to have thrived.

I'd like to use a wood stove more - but I'm nervous about the idea of using it more, with toddlers on the way.

:lol: Thanks for the afternoon laugh, kwillia.

I'm going to call around and get some estimates on a new heat pump (inside and outside). Mine is 14 years-old and it might be time to suck it up and invest in a newer, more energy-efficient model. *le sigh* My whole candle idea, as a means to save on electricity costs, isn't too appealing. With my luck, I'd burn my house down! :lol:

I TRIED that one year, when I lived in Lusby. Useless. I made my own candles and covered my huge coffee table with them. Nada. Zippo. They just didn't yield enough heat.

That was a rough winter, so the way I handled it was, I just turned down the heat in the house (I lived alone) and took a small space heater into my bedroom, where I had everything - TV, computer, master bath. That DID save money.

with toddlers on the way.


Umm, What.. there is a dual meaning there.. got something to tell me??? :popcorn:

Save hot water, shower with a freind!

Umm, What.. there is a dual meaning there.. got something to tell me??? :popcorn:

Only one coming in the next month - hopefully the next within a year.

Ummm - oh, no! *I* see where you're going. No, not likely. Gosh that would be bad timing, huh?

Save hot water, shower with a freind!

That only saves water if your showers are over with in five minutes.

:razz:

We tried that, and the truth is that the best thing to do is watch your energy usage or upgrade your heating and air conditioning. Even our averaged monthly bill was high, and it can be tempting to NOT watch your consumption if you think it doesn't matter. Our "average" bill was in the 300's, and the "catch-up" bill went the other way.

I did watch my energy usage. Have florescent lightbulbs throughout the house, had the heat pump serviced, used the gas fireplace to help, closed off vents and doors to the extra rooms that aren't used, kept lights off when they weren't needed, and kept the thermostat under comfortable 65 - 68 degrees. I seriously don't know how an electric bill goes from an average of $124 to a whopping $300.00. Maybe SMECO needs to check their new computer system.

Mine was $10 less than the previous month. They did forget to include a return envelope which irks me though.

Better than nothing, but no substitute for actual insulation under the floor.

My builder advised me against insulating between floors/walls...I actually asked about that. He said it would make it more difficult to heat the house.

My downstairs is a slab on the ground, so there is no way to insulate that.

I did watch my energy usage. Have florescent lightbulbs throughout the house, had the heat pump serviced, used the gas fireplace to help, closed off vents and doors to the extra rooms that aren't used, kept lights off when they weren't needed, and kept the thermostat under comfortable 65 - 68 degrees. I seriously don't know how an electric bill goes from an average of $124 to a whopping $300.00. Maybe SMECO needs to check their new computer system.

We haven't got a paper bill yet - it turns out once you start paying online, they STOP sending the paper! I had to request they send it again.

Not sure - I mean, my bill in the Ranch Club was sometimes terrible - and I ONLY had flourescents in my house - had the heat low - used a kerosene heater to offset the cost - covered windows in plastic - used about three blankets at night.

Maybe when someone gets their bill, they can take the total cost and divide by the kw-hrs used - because SMECO charges all of their little fees based on usage. Then see if it went up last month.

Only one coming in the next month - hopefully the next within a year.

Ummm - oh, no! *I* see where you're going. No, not likely. Gosh that would be bad timing, huh?



"bad" timing.. no.. but, don'cha know- that is the way it works. :lmao: But then again with lindey, and then bri and j.. who knows! AHAHAHAH

Well I just checked by phone - our bill is more than twice last time. I guess it didn't help to set the thermo down to sixty.

After you add up all the little add ons. SMECO is charging 12.5 cents per kWh.

Does seem like much till you use 4000 kWh and your bill comes to $500.00. :jameo: :jameo:

My builder advised me against insulating between floors/walls...I actually asked about that. He said it would make it more difficult to heat the house.

My downstairs is a slab on the ground, so there is no way to insulate that.
I was mainly thinking of a floor above a crawl space. My house has that and I keep thinking of insulating it but I have no desire to actually do it.

Not that it's a big part of the bill, but where does St Marys county get off on taxing the power?

Well I just checked by phone - our bill is more than twice last time. I guess it didn't help to set the thermo down to sixty.
How many KWH did you use? Mine was 1453 for 29 days. Previous month was 1863.

My electric bill actually went down from last month. But we do have oil heat. And I got a new frontloading washer and dryer which is promised to cut down on energy costs. :shrug:

How many KWH did you use? Mine was 1453 for 29 days. Previous month was 1863.

Dunno. I didn't get a paper bill, I just called them on the phone this morning.

Pretty sure we have never gone above 2000 KWH even on our very very worst month. But I saw that damned blue light on the heat pump on almost every time I went by it.

Dunno. I didn't get a paper bill, I just called them on the phone this morning.

Pretty sure we have never gone above 2000 KWH even on our very very worst month. But I saw that damned blue light on the heat pump on almost every time I went by it.
Yeah that heat strip heating is costly. Be almost cheaper to spend the really cold nights in a hotel and shut it off.

My bill went up. I average $150 or so. This time, its $250!!! My wifes going to flip!! :jameo:

My bill went up. I average $150 or so. This time, its $250!!! My wifes going to flip!! :jameo:
Next month'll be better. Or the month after that.

My bill went up. I average $150 or so. This time, its $250!!! My wifes going to flip!! :jameo:

Ours is typically in the high 200's. It's over *600*. Consider yourself lucky.

Next month'll be better. Or the month after that.
But central air season kicks in the end of April, beginning of May...:jameo:

But central air season kicks in the end of April, beginning of May...:jameo:
True, doesn't get rough until late June though. I hate to hear that thing running all night long.

Oh geez. After seeing that some of you are paying upwards $300 - $600, I guess I should quit my #####in'. I'm sorry to read that some of you are really getting hosed with the higher bill this month. :frown:

Ours is typically in the high 200's. It's over *600*. Consider yourself lucky.
First time I got one like that I went around outside to see if someone was tapping me or a tree was shorting me out.

First time I got one like that I went around outside to see if someone was tapping me or a tree was shorting me out.

When my bills in the Ranch Club were too high, I kept unplugging crap in the house, including VCR's, computers that were turned off, toasters - anything. Recharging electric razors and toothbrushes. Even those air freshener thingies. I even unplugged the fridge. Only one thing stopped the wheel - throwing the big switch. SOMETHING was always eating my electric, but I never figured out what.

I tell you what, I started unplugging items that I dont use. My desktop computer...UNPLUGGED, razor, radio, air freshers, All unplugged. I even lowered my heater to 55. Im wearing sweaters and sweats all day and night until summer comes around. :yay:


Oh, SamSpade... I hope you have a good job to pay your SMECO bill. I would have probably applied for a part time job, just to pay that bill.

Ours is typically in the high 200's. It's over *600*. Consider yourself lucky.

Is this from the latest rate increase or the cold weather we had?

Has anybody ever thought of installing the heating coils (Replaces water heaters) to save on energy? I figured, if I install the coils, then I wont have to worry about heating my water heater. Especially in the middle of the night when you dont use your water heater.

In the long run.... Save some money....Hopefully!!

When my bills in the Ranch Club were too high, I kept unplugging crap in the house, including VCR's, computers that were turned off, toasters - anything. Recharging electric razors and toothbrushes. Even those air freshener thingies. I even unplugged the fridge. Only one thing stopped the wheel - throwing the big switch. SOMETHING was always eating my electric, but I never figured out what.


When I did my Kitchen remodel, under the floor, I found a 12/2 wire that had shorted to the 6 guage ground wire that crossed perpendicular underneath it. never had a problem with any of my breakers popping either. I'm sure though that I had power running right back to the electric company or to ground. From the looks of it, it's been that way since new...1963. :rolleyes: You just never know.

And yea, I have noticed a HUGE decrease in my power bill, but, I installed all new energy efficient appliances too.

Has anybody ever thought of installing the heating coils (Replaces water heaters) to save on energy? I figured, if I install the coils, then I wont have to worry about heating my water heater. Especially in the middle of the night when you dont use your water heater.

In the long run.... Save some money....Hopefully!!

I have thought of that, but couldn't afford it when I replaced my water heater. It's a slightly more expensive up front cost, but makes up for it pretty quickly from what I've read.

well the beavers likes to be nestled next to some wood to keep warm.

well the beavers likes to be nestled next to some wood to keep warm.

:cool: Yes, yes they do. :hot:

Has anybody ever thought of installing the heating coils (Replaces water heaters) to save on energy? I figured, if I install the coils, then I wont have to worry about heating my water heater. Especially in the middle of the night when you dont use your water heater.

In the long run.... Save some money....Hopefully!!
I found out about those right after my house was finished. If I had known about them, I would have had one installed instead of the water heater that I have.

I'm leaning towards a gas model.
http://forums.somd.com/showthread.php?p=1992132#post1992132

When my bills in the Ranch Club were too high, I kept unplugging crap in the house, including VCR's, computers that were turned off, toasters - anything. Recharging electric razors and toothbrushes. Even those air freshener thingies. I even unplugged the fridge. Only one thing stopped the wheel - throwing the big switch. SOMETHING was always eating my electric, but I never figured out what.

Hot water heater? Water pump? ( do you have a well?)

I got my SMECO bill today. I almost S###! The bill says that I used 3X more kilowatts for the month of Feb. I had a $500 electric bill. And when I called to tell them that there had to be a mistake, this ignorant woman tells me that it is because of the ice storm we had. I can not believe this crap. I have never used more than 1919 kilowatts EVER in the 3 years we have lived in this house and last month we used 4100! I know we haven't done anything different. Thermostat is set on 68! So we aren't even warm! I can not believe this. This is the first bill that we have gotten since they replaced all of the underground wires and green boxes on the side of the road in our neighborhood. I am thinking that my meter must be going for more than 1 house or something. It has to be wrong. There is just no way. And as for the ice storm, it only lasted 23 hours. Imagine if it was as bad as the last one we had! I would pay more for the electric than I would for the mortgage payment. :burning:

Ok... I think I am done ranting now.

my bill went from 120last monthto 253thi month :jameo:

I called smeco today because I haven't been able to see my new bill online. They told me since they were changing their computer systems that our meters were being read late and that mine was due to be read any day now. So I asked her when my bill would be due. I was all ready to pay it now and figured around 300.00. We just moved in this house in December. Our first bill was like 150, then went up to 300 last month (50.00 of that was for a deposit) This month it will have another 50 added on for deposit also. My thing was she told me that my bill will be due 22 days after it shows up online. So that would mean that I don't actually have to pay my bill in March. I could actually get away with paying it on April 1st or so and so I'm thinking with this billing switch it has made me like almost skip a month. I'm sooo confused..lol. But Hey, It sure would be nice to have an extra 300 this month that I had held back to pay them now. Hmmmmm...Just not sure what to think...Nothing is ever easy.
As far as the water, we only wash in Cold water. We were used to living in Military housing and not having to pay an electric bill. So all this is new to us so I kinda freak out when its time for the Smeco bill never knowing what its going to be. I constantly gripe at the kids to turn off light, tv's etc. I have to get a good system going on how to keep the costs down more. I never expected 300 a month bills...Thats Crazy!

I would hold on to that $300. Just in case they slam you with a double bill next month. They are known for stuff like that.

Since I'm all about budgets, I went online to the SMECO website and requested to change my monthly billing to pay a constant average which means my bill will be the same every month (regardless) and on the anniversary of when I signed up, I'll get a bill that will state the year end difference or surplus which would then be applied to me next bill as credit...

If interested, SMECO now offers online sign up verse their old method that you had to send them a letter requesting the billing service.

Regardless, I wont be waiting for my :flowers: from SMECO after the good baggin they gave me...

SMECO = :elaine:

In Jan I used only 1813 kwh and this months bills says 3030 kwh, no way. :faint:

I just checked my usage and it was 3030 kwh. When we lived in Maryland I never saw it go over 1500, but I guess when the house is double the size I should have expected a doubling in the bill. Our electric (Dominion) is cheaper, I calculated it at $.08, including all charges and taxes.

Does anyone know if there's any benefit to turning the heat off when no one is home? Will the house cool down so much that the heat will have to work overtime to get the house to 68 again and it will end up costing more?

I tell you what, I started unplugging items that I dont use. My desktop computer...UNPLUGGED, razor, radio, air freshers, All unplugged. I even lowered my heater to 55. Im wearing sweaters and sweats all day and night until summer comes around. :yay:


Oh, SamSpade... I hope you have a good job to pay your SMECO bill. I would have probably applied for a part time job, just to pay that bill.

One of the biggest electricity hogs is your water heater (assuming yours is electric). Two things you can do are put a thermal blanket (insulation) around the WH tank and turn the heater down. There's really no reason it should be set above 120 degrees. Should probably be even lower. If it hurts your hand to touch the water when running hot water by itself at your sink, then your water heater is set too high. Another good test is that when showering, you should be able to turn the shower on (hot water only) and be comfortable in the shower. If you have to adjust it by adding cold water so it doesn’t burn you then your hot water heater is set too high. Believe me, this works. Lowering the hot water temp and adding a thermal blanket to the tank could, potentially, knock $50 - $75 off the monthly SMECO bill. I’ve done it and it works. Plus I don’t have to worry about the young ones accidentally burning themselves while using hot water in the shower or from the faucet.

I just checked my usage and it was 3030 kwh. When we lived in Maryland I never saw it go over 1500, but I guess when the house is double the size I should have expected a doubling in the bill. Our electric (Dominion) is cheaper, I calculated it at $.08, including all charges and taxes.

Does anyone know if there's any benefit to turning the heat off when no one is home? Will the house cool down so much that the heat will have to work overtime to get the house to 68 again and it will end up costing more?
The ex tried this experiment this year. Every morning they turned the heat down to 60 and turned off the furnace, they also unplug every single thing not being used, so only the fridge and oven are powered - he said it has made a huge difference in his electric and heating bills.

Why is everyone blaming SMECO for their energy consumption? :jameo: This thread is silly...:lol:
Because it should be free. I can't see electricity. If I can't see it, it should be free.

My energy consumtion was less and my bill was more. After comparing a bill from last summer to last months bill, I see another rate increase was added. :jameo:

When I signed up for their budget billing, they STOPPED sending me my monthly bill. It wasn't until I logged on to SMECO to see what was happening that I saw I was a month past due.

I need a bill each month to remind me to pay it, as silly as that sounds. They didn't tell me they were stopping my bills when I went on budget billing. Now, I have a post-it stuck to my computer screen reminding me to pay them! :coffee:


I'm on the budget plan but I still get a bill :confused:

Where's that damn chainsaw guy when you need him? Can't he just bust in there and go crazy or something?

One of the biggest electricity hogs is your water heater (assuming yours is electric). Two things you can do are put a thermal blanket (insulation) around the WH tank and turn the heater down. There's really no reason it should be set above 120 degrees. Should probably be even lower. If it hurts your hand to touch the water when running hot water by itself at your sink, then your water heater is set too high. Another good test is that when showering, you should be able to turn the shower on (hot water only) and be comfortable in the shower. If you have to adjust it by adding cold water so it doesn’t burn you then your hot water heater is set too high. Believe me, this works. Lowering the hot water temp and adding a thermal blanket to the tank could, potentially, knock $50 - $75 off the monthly SMECO bill. I’ve done it and it works. Plus I don’t have to worry about the young ones accidentally burning themselves while using hot water in the shower or from the faucet.

Knockoff $50 to $75? I think your exagerating a little. I have a 50 gallon electric water heater and my electric bill is about $70 a month in the winter.

I noticed the first cold night last year, that our heat pump NEVER shut off. Shortly after that I started using the fireplace for heat. We close off the back bedrooms, and during the day even the Master bedroom. When we aren't home or asleep we turn the heat down to 68 (have the heatpump set to 66 just in case) and while we are up and at home to 72. The fireplace, even on the coldest night, never ran near 50% of the time.

I can imagine if last month we were dependant on the heat pump, it would have ran 24 hours a day for the entire month, and would have been costly.

ALSO we have hardwood floors throughout the house (was it BayCat?) and they are exceptionally warm, even in the morning in bare feet.. now the tile floors in the bathrooms.. THAT wakes me up every morning, and it keeps Nicholas out of the bathrooms until they warm up.

I guess the question would be with the hardwood, is it hardwood, or is it laminate like Pergo?? Pergo would be like trying to insulate with a single sheet of notebook paper, I've seen the wood BG had put into this house and it's THICK!

We are also looking into an instantaneous/ endless hot water heater (gas). I can't find one I like, all the ones I've looked at so far state, "One major hot water user at a time." You can't shower when the dishwasher, or wash machine is running, nor can you be operating two showers at once.

I guess the question would be with the hardwood, is it hardwood, or is it laminate like Pergo?? Pergo would be like trying to insulate with a single sheet of notebook paper, I've seen the wood BG had put into this house and it's THICK!
Our Pergo is considerably warmer than our previous berber carpet was.

Ahhh...this wood stove sure is nice.:biggrin:

I wish I could get a wood stove or fireplace. We just don't have the room for one. I am thinking of saving over the summer to get an oil furnace in the fall. Oil heat is much warmer than the heat pump.

Your house is probably not well insulated.


My Moms house was put up in the 50's the insulation is 1/2 air gap from the firing strips on the block wall to tack the sheet rock to. :faint:


we have striped 2 rooms so far to the block wall put up 2x4's and fiberglass insulation, and added new windows ........

The house is heated by Gas Forced Air - i want to put in hot water base board,no not the cheap copper fined crap - it cools down to fast - but cast iron base, something with some thermal mass - because as some as the air quits blowing the house immediately drops 5-10 degrees ...... oh the addition a previous tacked on the heat never really heats the bedrooms .....

Moms room is in the low 60's @ night when it is in the 30's outside .........



:popcorn:

Looked under the crawl space, looks well insulated, the house was remodled a couple of years ago, insulation is new. We have a heat pump, they don't seem to heat well anyway. Don't want to give up the hard wood floors, but the padding for wall to wall carpet may help also.


Heat Pumps are for FL homes where in never gets below 60 in the winter - useless energy suckers for this are where we get cold weather like this .....


IMHO ......... :whistle:

No lie! We have 4 fridges, 3 computers, 7 TVs and I do endless laundry as well and can't bring myself to put the water setting on cold/cold...:lol:


Fridges are the biggest house hold energy users ....... the run 24x7x365 .... there are all sorts of Phantom Power Suckers these days .....

TV, VCR, Cordless Phones - have to charge .... anything with a memory

But Seriously 4 Fridges ?? :confused: ....... how may are for BEER ? :lmao:

Fridges are the biggest house hold energy users ....... the run 24x7x365 .... there are all sorts of Phantom Power Suckers these days .....

TV, VCR, Cordless Phones - have to charge .... anything with a memory

But Seriously 4 Fridges ?? :confused: ....... how may are for BEER ? :lmao:


I just got a new fridge on Saturday. :howdy:

Heat Pumps are for FL homes where in never gets below 60 in the winter - useless energy suckers for this are where we get cold weather like this .....


IMHO ......... :whistle:

Funny, I was just told this by a friend on Saturday also.

:nomoney: :confused:
I paid our bill online on the 1st of the month. The new bill came in the mail a few days later (with the new acct. #) I called them that day to make sure that when I paid online that it was for the new account number and not the old one and was told that yes the payment posted the new account number. Well- checked the Smeco account online with the new account number this weekend and NO PAYMENT HAS POSTED. But it has posted on our bank statement. I am going to be calling them today. SHOW ME WHERE MY MONEY WENT! :twitch: :shrug:

:nomoney: :confused:
I paid our bill online on the 1st of the month. The new bill came in the mail a few days later (with the new acct. #) I called them that day to make sure that when I paid online that it was for the new account number and not the old one and was told that yes the payment posted the new account number. Well- checked the Smeco account online with the new account number this weekend and NO PAYMENT HAS POSTED. But it has posted on our bank statement. I am going to be calling them today. SHOW ME WHERE MY MONEY WENT! :twitch: :shrug: At least you got a bill. Last bill I received was the 1st of Feb. Still haven't got the one for March. :shrug:

At least you got a bill. Last bill I received was the 1st of Feb. Still haven't got the one for March. :shrug:

:yeahthat: Im starting to get worried :jameo:

How about $525! YIKES

I'm going to call them today to find out where my bill is.. I will go :jameo: If it has doubled.

I'm going to call them today to find out where my bill is.. I will go :jameo: If it has doubled.Mine did that about 6 mos. ago. If it doubles again I'll go into shock. :shocking:

I have not received a bill in the mail, but I see the Jan 25 through Feb 26 bill listed online. It's 3247 Kwh , $392.47! That was an increase of 1031 Kwh from last month and 1282 Kwh from exactly a year ago. I was expecting a decrease in the bill since I just replaced every incadecent light bulb in the house with the new energy saving gas bulbs. No such luck!

Knockoff $50 to $75? I think your exagerating a little. I have a 50 gallon electric water heater and my electric bill is about $70 a month in the winter.

No, I wasn't eaggerating. I can only speak for my situation. Everyone will be different based on WH tank size, heating source, size of family, etc.

What is sad is that gas for your car and electric for your home are two things that regardless how much they go up, we will still pay for and get more. Of course we could picket SMECO, not sure if it will help however it will gain attention.

Because it should be free. I can't see electricity. If I can't see it, it should be free.


The perfect mental midget comment.

What is sad is that gas for your car and electric for your home are two things that regardless how much they go up, we will still pay for and get more. Of course we could picket SMECO, not sure if it will help however it will gain attention.


Contact the Public Service Commission, with rates of other areas as comparison. If we're higher, they should correct. If we're not, no one will listen (least of all the monopoly that you can't do without).

i've come to vent as well. My bill has almost doubled from January to now. Every month it's like the Money grubber fairy comes to visit via my smeco bill. My bill says i'm using 70% more energy than the last two months. There's no ####ing way. I am a light/heat nazi. I make sure our thermostat stays between 68-70 and every light is turned off in the house if we're not around. what the deuce?!?!?!?!!? :burning:

Interesting that everyone else is seeing a rise, too.

We got ours on Thursday...$562.00 !!! That's up from a modest $220 in January.

The first thing I did was jump in my husband's s#&t because I figured he'd been leaving on the TV and computers all night. February was a cold month (we have Electric heat), but still...more than double? Misery loves company, I guess...I'm glad it wasn't just us.

Alright. So it seems that a lot of your bills have gone up. The prices are staying about the same...roughly $ 0.10 per kWh. So the only thing that has changed is the AMOUNT of electricity you are using. Some peoples bills doubled last month. Why don't YOU go out and check your meter's readings every week, keep track, and see if maybe they are fibbing a little bit. I can't believe that every single persons bill is being almost doubled if prices are staying the same.

My SMECO bill seemed "reasonable", almost normal. (Sawry, I don't have specifics with me to share detail.)

Is this only happening in certain areas or for certain types of customers?

I'm in Mechanicsville.

I didn't sign up for online statements/bill pay.

My bill was adverage... about $20 bucks more

They have these things called "rugs" that you can put on your floors in the winter time. They come in all different sizes and colors so they fit the room and match the decor. They're an amazing invention!


SMECO Bill 03-13-2007 02:50 PM you're an ugly person, inside and out!

You need to remove the xray glasses. :yikes:

My SMECO bill seemed "reasonable", almost normal. (Sawry, I don't have specifics with me to share detail.)

Is this only happening in certain areas or for certain types of customers?

I'm in Mechanicsville.

I didn't sign up for online statements/bill pay.
If you look at it these are all heat pump with electric backup people. Any time you get a long cold spell the usage goes through the roof.
Mine is still not available to pay online by the way. I can look at it all I want though. :lmao:

My most recent electric bill (dtd 3/26/07) was for $156.97. I just received the gas bill for our fireplace, and that was $188.51. Total $345.48 to light and heat our 1,600 sq ft home, a large shed containing a big chest freezer and an extra fridge, plus the endless loads of laundry that comes from a typlical household.

I was expecting much worse.

SMECO Bill 03-14-2007 11:58 AM ahh poor baby. couldn't have happened to a nastier person!

Thanks for the Karma, drink up B!TCH!!! :wench:

Heat Pumps are for FL homes where in never gets below 60 in the winter - useless energy suckers for this are where we get cold weather like this .....


IMHO ......... :whistle:

What's the alternative? We don't have natural gas lines, and at this point, oil heat would be more expensive in the short term, because I'd have to pay for the furnace.

Surprise, surprise. Finally got my bill. Went down from $169 to $140. :yikes: Called SMECO and they said it was only for this bill. The rest of the year will be $169. Not terrible.

http://www.mymeterstore.com/index.php?cPath=39&products_id=4155

Check this out-- you can monitor your electric usage with a display in your home--looks like you can purchase software to record the data. Then there will be no surprises! I wonder if it really works....

I get my SMECO bill notification via email by the 11th of every month, but still haven't received anything. I checked the web site and still no bill. I'm starting to get worried. :frown:

I get my SMECO bill notification via email by the 11th of every month, but still haven't received anything. I checked the web site and still no bill. I'm starting to get worried. :frown:Maybe their calculators don't go that high. :shrug: I don't have mine either.

Maybe their calculators don't go that high. :shrug: I don't have mine either.

:yikes: I hope not. It's usually low in the winter as I have oil heat. Speaking of that, I just got 200 gallons delivered last week. I can't wait for THAT bill. :ohwell:

:yikes: I hope not. It's usually low in the winter as I have oil heat. Speaking of that, I just got 200 gallons delivered last week. I can't wait for THAT bill. :ohwell:So that means you'll have fuel sitting in the tank for several months. Furnaces run like crap on stale fuel.

I get my SMECO bill notification via email by the 11th of every month, but still haven't received anything. I checked the web site and still no bill. I'm starting to get worried. :frown:
Call them and get billing to call you back. I called them yesterday, told information to have billing call me between the hours of 4:30 and 7pm. Billing called back at 5:30 and told me my bill was in the mail on the 9th. Gave me the amount, etc. I should have it today at the latest. :yay:

http://somd.com/news/headlines/2007/5587.shtml

Call them and get billing to call you back. I called them yesterday, told information to have billing call me between the hours of 4:30 and 7pm. Billing called back at 5:30 and told me my bill was in the mail on the 9th. Gave me the amount, etc. I should have it today at the latest. :yay:

I finally got my bill notification in my email yesterday. I went on the web site to pay it and saw this notice:

Important Notice - New Account Number

Since SMECO upgraded its computer system on Feb. 19, we’ve had a delay in producing some monthly bills. Your bill due date will be adjusted accordingly.

You received a new account number when the computer system was upgraded. If this is the first time you've accessed SMECO’s online bill payment site, you'll need your new account number to enroll. You may wait until you receive your bill or call 1-888-440-3311 to get your new account number.

If you've used SMECO’s online site before, use your User ID to access your billing information. If you've forgotten your password, call SMECO for your new account number. Your password will be e-mailed to you.

http://www.smeco.com/account/paying.html

My bill only went up $8. :yay:

I finally got my bill notification in my email yesterday. I went on the web site to pay it and saw this notice:



http://www.smeco.com/account/paying.html

My bill only went up $8. :yay:
I haven't gotten a bill for last month, so I'm thinking they felt sorry for me and are just gonna skip that month. :smile:

I haven't gotten a bill for last month, so I'm thinking they felt sorry for me and are just gonna skip that month. :smile:

I hope you have a good stock of candles. :smile:

I finally got my bill notification in my email yesterday. I went on the web site to pay it and saw this notice:



http://www.smeco.com/account/paying.html

My bill only went up $8. :yay:
I was able to pay mine online today and the notice was gone.

I was able to pay mine online today and the notice was gone.

I just clicked the link I posted and it's still there. :confused:

Got my bill today. It was down $60 from January. :banana: I figured it would be more.

I just figured out my last two month bills. In February I used 992 kWH more power and my bill was $74.92 less than January. :confused:

Got my bill today...Went up about $50.00....I did use a little more heat this past month though...I was looking over the bill and they sure make them hard to understand...I had a"Standard Offer Service", "Distribution Service", "Regulatory, State, and Local Taxes", and "Other Charges and Credits" I used 2688kWh @ $0.0869 for Energy Charge....$0.007447 for Power Cost Adjustment....$0.0219 for Distribution Charge....$0.00024 for Demend Side Mgmt Surcharge....$0.00062 for Public Serv. Co. Franchise Tax....$0.000139 for Md Environmental Surcharge....That doesn't include Electric Universal Service Charge, St. Mary's County Energy Tax, or A Customer Charge of $8.60....They did deduct $2.50 for Load Management Credit though...Now can any one explain these charges to me? What am I going to do? I'm going to pay my $327.98 and stop bit(hin.... :lmao:

Got my bill today...Went up about $50.00....I did use a little more heat this past month though...I was looking over the bill and they sure make them hard to understand...I had a"Standard Offer Service", "Distribution Service", "Regulatory, State, and Local Taxes", and "Other Charges and Credits" I used 2688kWh @ $0.0869 for Energy Charge....$0.007447 for Power Cost Adjustment....$0.0219 for Distribution Charge....$0.00024 for Demend Side Mgmt Surcharge....$0.00062 for Public Serv. Co. Franchise Tax....$0.000139 for Md Environmental Surcharge....That doesn't include Electric Universal Service Charge, St. Mary's County Energy Tax, or A Customer Charge of $8.60....They did deduct $2.50 for Load Management Credit though...Now can any one explain these charges to me? What am I going to do? I'm going to pay my $327.98 and stop bit(hin.... :lmao:


I agree, I've always wanted to research all the different charges, Some are rather interesting...:bubble:

If you go to the link, you can mouse over the various charges to get an explaination of them...

http://www.smeco.com/account/resbill.htm

I agree, I've always wanted to research all the different charges, Some are rather interesting...:bubble:

If you go to the link, you can mouse over the various charges to get an explaination of them...

http://www.smeco.com/account/resbill.htm
I've done it and met with SMECO, as I pay them about $1 million through my job per year. It's confusing as heck. I kind of understand it now. You should see some of the bills I pay at work. I only blink twice if I get one that I think should be $20,000 and is $25,000.

Wow anyone else receive a SMECO bill :elaine: that was outrageously high??? :jameo:

More than a 1/3rd increase!!! :wench:

:mad: :howdy:

Mine doubled. In the 3 years I've lived here..I guess I used twice as much electricity last month than ever before.

Odd.

:mad: :howdy:

Mine doubled. In the 3 years I've lived here..I guess I used twice as much electricity last month than ever before.

Odd.
Check the kilowatts compared to last year.

Check the kilowatts compared to last year.

Yeah...I knew to do that. Funny thing is...they Zero'd out the historical kilo records from last year. This is the first month of that, too....

And they wonder why we "wonder"...

I agree, I've always wanted to research all the different charges, Some are rather interesting...:bubble:

If you go to the link, you can mouse over the various charges to get an explaination of them...

http://www.smeco.com/account/resbill.htm

Thanks, that sure answered my question....I did notice that on my bill the "Electric Usage Profile" at the bottom RH of the bill....According to that I didn't use any kWh for the months of Mar, May, June, & Sept of 06...There are zores in the box....I guess I didn't use any for those months....I wanted to compare but don't have anything to compare to....

Got mine :yahoo: Stayed the same!!

What's the alternative? We don't have natural gas lines, and at this point, oil heat would be more expensive in the short term, because I'd have to pay for the furnace.


Sam - i understand, it is that people have been sold this "IDEA" that Heat Pumps are so fantastic ......... till you get cold winters, and the price of fuel that produced that electricity rises like it has - FYI the gas bill went up too - IMHO forced air hearting sux ...... sure things have improved, but nothing beats a warm cast iron radiator for heating ( I was a plumber for 7 yrs ) it all comes down to cost .... piping maintince etc ......

I worked on this custom house in S CC - Rock Point we put in hot water heat in the floor ...... the boiler was oil fired and 1st time I fired the system in Feb with temps in the 30's the 1st floor of the unfinished house the house wonderfully warmer ( like in the 50's ) in the 1st hr with 65 degrees in maybe 2 ... I had one of those kerosene turbo heaters 50k BTU in the week before heating things while I tied all the piping together :whistle:


The owner did all the under floor piping (clear Flexible type of plastic) to save money and I did all the tie in and copper piping / boiler work .....

Yes it was not cheap having me there for a week of 8 hr days ...... but in the end it was much better heating system ..........


Heat Pumps cost less to install and are lower maintenance, but you pay @ the meter

Mine wasn't much different than last year.:shrug: Although they did put a post it note in there saying that they were coming to claim my first born child when next month's bill comes out.:bawl:

I get to keep my first born. The bill was only 6 dollars more this month. Carry on.:lol:

Got ours today (March 19th). It's twice what we paid last winter, but after reading what some have posted, we're about average. New heat pump threw a real monkey-wrench into the budget!

Problem: the bill's due date is March 23rd. Hey, nothing like a little notice for paying a $400 electric bill!!!!

:shocking:

I get to keep my first born. The bill was only 6 dollars more this month. Carry on.:lol:Ours was about the same too:yay:

Mine went down ~$20 this month :shrug:

Got ours today (March 19th). It's twice what we paid last winter, but after reading what some have posted, we're about average. New heat pump threw a real monkey-wrench into the budget!

Problem: the bill's due date is March 23rd. Hey, nothing like a little notice for paying a $400 electric bill!!!!

:shocking:


Well, I still haven’t got a bill (paper or online). What I’ve been doing though is sending payments in anyway. I called SMECO and got my new account number and have sent in payments in Feb and I sent one last week. I checked online and even though no new bill is there, credit for my payments is shown. At least, this way, when my bill does finally come, the shock will be lessened by the payments I’ve already made.

SMART!! Now I need to call SMECO and ask if they can cut a retiree slack until the first of the month. Wish I'd been that smart.

Got mine yesterday it was normal :yay:

I can’t believe it! I finally got my bill today. Actually two bills. One for 01/22 – 02/21 which was $181. The other one is for 02/21 – 03/21 which was $162. This was less than I expected, especially after reading about all of the horrific bills folks have been getting on this thread. Since I had sent estimated payments of $208 in Feb and $250 in March, my account now shows a credit of $115 for the cycle due on 04/17. I’ll probably go ahead and pay anyway based on the current month’s charges of $162 so I can stay a month ahead. Besides summer A/C costs are just around the corner.

I got another bill today. :tantrum

I can’t believe it! I finally got my bill today. Actually two bills. One for 01/22 – 02/21 which was $181. The other one is for 02/21 – 03/21 which was $162. This was less than I expected, especially after reading about all of the horrific bills folks have been getting on this thread. Since I had sent estimated payments of $208 in Feb and $250 in March, my account now shows a credit of $115 for the cycle due on 04/17. I’ll probably go ahead and pay anyway based on the current month’s charges of $162 so I can stay a month ahead. Besides summer A/C costs are just around the corner.


Mine was $400 for February and $200 for March. If you have an end-of-the-month billing date, then your February billing was delayed by a new computer system they installed. I received my February invoice on March 19th. And then I received my March invoice yesterday.

My bill is under $200:faint:

My bill is under $200:faint:

Mine was only 92 for a month! Wow, what a difference not using the heat makes. Plus with this lovely weather I've been hanging some of the laundry out, so I'm sure that cut it down. Can't believe it was over $450 bucks back in the winter. :yahoo:

My bill is under $200:faint:

Mine was a little over $60 last month. :razz:

Of course, it didn't help much to offset the $500+ oil bill nor the $1,000+ car insurance bill. :ohwell:

Mine was a little over $60 last month. :razz:

Of course, it didn't help much to offset the $500+ oil bill nor the $1,000+ car insurance bill. :ohwell:
And I'm sure it had something to do with you living at work for the past month...:lol:

I scanned the first 18 pages and didn't see anyone mention this:

I heard some home meters are read via Binoculars! due to save time from driving to house to house, fear of dogs, etc. Don't know if this is true or not, but damn.... I would think a lot of meters are misread due to this?????

I scanned the first 18 pages and didn't see anyone mention this:

I heard some home meters are read via Binoculars! due to save time from driving to house to house, fear of dogs, etc. Don't know if this is true or not, but damn.... I would think a lot of meters are misread due to this?????

That's strange. I actually saw the guy pull up in my driveway last week and get out of his truck and go over to the meter.

That's strange. I actually saw the guy pull up in my driveway last week and get out of his truck and go over to the meter.


The SMECO guy reads our meter with some sort of scanning device.

My bill is under $200:faint:

Mine too.:faint: It came awfully late this month though. Just got it yesterday.:shrug:

The SMECO guy reads our meter with some sort of scanning device.

I didn't see him actually read it, not sure how they do it now.

That's strange. I actually saw the guy pull up in my driveway last week and get out of his truck and go over to the meter.

They still walk up and read alot of meters, some areas though they use binoculars. Just what I heard...?????

Mine too.:faint: It came awfully late this month though. Just got it yesterday.:shrug:
I haven't rec'd a paper statement in about 3 months. I've had to call their automated # every month to check the balance and pay by credit card.

I haven't rec'd a paper statement in about 3 months. I've had to call their automated # every month to check the balance and pay by credit card.
I don't remember when I got the last paper statement. I get them online.

I checked my online Smeco account and it stated that I had a past due amount and hadn't paid last months bill. The payment was taken out of my checking account so when I called them they said it was the new systems causing it to not recognize the payment and that I was current....



Oh that is lovely. So seeing that on my bill also, is not true. Well that is just great. SMECO needs to get their shiat straight. :jameo:

They still walk up and read alot of meters, some areas though they use binoculars. Just what I heard...?????


No that's not true. My boyfriend works for the company and he started off as a meter reader. That would be pretty cool for them though. I would like an easy job like that! :yay:

Oh that is lovely. So seeing that on my bill also, is not true. Well that is just great. SMECO needs to get their shiat straight. :jameo:
The last two months of their billing has been a mess.

:faint: Got mine today..

:faint: Got mine today..

We got ours last week to the tune of $655.00. The month before was $350.00. That is a huge :yikes:

We got ours last week to the tune of $655.00. The month before was $350.00. That is a huge :yikes:

You know, I started to revive this thread, but forgot about it...

Ours went from the mid 200's to the mid 400's on this latest one...

Nice to know we weren't the only victims...

:whistle:

We got ours last week to the tune of $655.00. The month before was $350.00. That is a huge :yikes:

What are y'all running? :faint:

Between gas and electric we usually max out at $300-$350 in a month during the worst months and we have about 2900 square feet of heating/cooling space.

That's why I signed up for SMECO average pay. They take your usage history, average it out over 12 months and determine a set monthly bill per year so you won't keel over from a heart attack like I did early this year when I first posted this thread, the good news is throughout the year since we have gotten smarter on our energy usage, my bill is only $53.00 dollars this month FTW!!!

What are y'all running? :faint:

Between gas and electric we usually max out at $300-$350 in a month during the worst months and we have about 2900 square feet of heating/cooling space.

7500 sq. ft house. Two heatpump/air units = Huge electric bills.:coffee:

Holy Christmas!!! Mine rarely goes over $150.00. What are you guys doing???

Mine was 176 last month and this month was 305..

Oh Chit! Got my fingers crossed that mine won't blow up!!

7500 sq. ft house. Two heatpump/air units = Huge electric bills.:coffee:

LOL, I know you're renting that thing for pennies on the dollar of what they were probably trying to sell it for...

:killingme

Holy Christmas!!! Mine rarely goes over $150.00. What are you guys doing???

Growing Medicinal Herbs in the basement of course.:killingme Just kidding. Now the feds will be crawling around in all the stuff we haven't found a home for yet.:killingme Makes me wonder if my box of massaging rods are still down there somewhere.:yahoo:

I can honestly say that I am glad we have a wood stove.
It's cut our smeco down...we arent freaking out this year.

I am thinking an Outside Wood Boiler if this year tax return is enough to do it.

7500 sq. ft house. Two heatpump/air units = Huge electric bills.:coffee:

Want cheaper bills, get a smaller house :shrug:

Mine was actually $20.00 less than last month; This last bill was $161.00 & we haven't used the fireplace yet this year.

As far as a 7500 sq. foot house, my goodness, I would need a maid to help keep it clean...:faint:

I know someone who's bill was over $3,500 for just one month. OUCH!!!