SMECO Add Ons

[Animal]

Thank you for that VERY INTELLIGENT response to the "Where does SMECO purchase their power from?" question that I did not ask. I mearly stated that I BELIEVE that SMECO gets its power from the coal plant that is by the Nice bridge.
As for your "move back" statement. I believe that I am not the only one on this forum that is aggrivated regarding the out of control prices that SMECO is charging for power. Conversly, I believe that it is only you that is rushing to their defense! Are you an employee, relative of employee, etc.? There are a lot of people in this area that are fed up with the "estimating" power tactic that SMECO employs. It seems to me that they should be reading the meters ACCURATELY every month. If someone reads the meter every month and they tell me that I owe them $400 for my bill, then that is OK with me. However, if they tell me they "estimated" it based on the same month last year (when the temperatures were averaging 10 degrees warmer) then I think it is a load of crap!
Finally, the transformer that is so well taken care of has been replaced 3 times! And the enclosure that it is in is severly degraded and HAS been covered by a plastic bag with DANGER tape over it. If YOUR beloved SMECO is so smart, you would think they would replace the faulty enclosure before it causes a FOURTH transformer to blow! Hopefully before it blows up on Christmas Eve which was the last time they came out to replace it!

SMECO used to own Chalk Point but now Mirant owns it as well as the Potomac River plant.

 

[ICit]

Thank you for that VERY INTELLIGENT response to the "Where does SMECO purchase their power from?" question that I did not ask. I mearly stated that I BELIEVE that SMECO gets its power from the coal plant that is by the Nice bridge.
As for your "move back" statement. I believe that I am not the only one on this forum that is aggrivated regarding the out of control prices that SMECO is charging for power. Conversly, I believe that it is only you that is rushing to their defense! Are you an employee, relative of employee, etc.? There are a lot of people in this area that are fed up with the "estimating" power tactic that SMECO employs. It seems to me that they should be reading the meters ACCURATELY every month. If someone reads the meter every month and they tell me that I owe them $400 for my bill, then that is OK with me. However, if they tell me they "estimated" it based on the same month last year (when the temperatures were averaging 10 degrees warmer) then I think it is a load of crap!
Finally, the transformer that is so well taken care of has been replaced 3 times! And the enclosure that it is in is severly degraded and HAS been covered by a plastic bag with DANGER tape over it. If YOUR beloved SMECO is so smart, you would think they would replace the faulty enclosure before it causes a FOURTH transformer to blow! Hopefully before it blows up on Christmas Eve which was the last time they came out to replace it!

I have learned how to keep my electric bill down.... It does not matter where I work or if my family works there or not. Im just as fed up with prices going up as everyone else ... but go ahead and check out BGE's rates or Pepco's rates... THEY ARE HIGHER!!! All the info I have stated is on the web site.... its for the public to go to.. feel free.

 

[SG_Player1974]

I have learned how to keep my electric bill down.... It does not matter where I work or if my family works there or not. Im just as fed up with prices going up as everyone else ... but go ahead and check out BGE's rates or Pepco's rates... THEY ARE HIGHER!!! All the info I have stated is on the web site.... its for the public to go to.. feel free.

I am not debating the prices of power. In that regard, I will believe you.

What my problem is, as with many other people who have posted on this thread, is with the way SMECO bills their customers. How is it possible to have a $200 electric bill one month, then have a $400 bill the next when you keep all of your large energy drain items (A/C, Water heater, washer/dryer, etc.) at the same usage levels?
We all know how to save on our electricity. I am constantly monitoring my usage at my home however, I just cannot see how my bill doubles in a month without drastic changes in my usage unless SMECO is somehow at fault with its estimating policy. So what if I used $400 worth of electricity in August last year! I may have only used $250 this year in August however, since they "estimate" from last year it is the home owners that are getting screwed!

THEY NEED TO MONITOR METERS MONTHLY FOR ACCURATE BILLING! Thats the bottom line. Maybe they can use some of those "upkeep" fees that they charge to hire some meter readers.
I understand that they have handicapped people read meters from time to time and that is great! They need to have professionals accompany them MONTHLY to ensure it is done properly!

 

[ICit]

I am not debating the prices of power. In that regard, I will believe you.

What my problem is, as with many other people who have posted on this thread, is with the way SMECO bills their customers. How is it possible to have a $200 electric bill one month, then have a $400 bill the next when you keep all of your large energy drain items (A/C, Water heater, washer/dryer, etc.) at the same usage levels?
We all know how to save on our electricity. I am constantly monitoring my usage at my home however, I just cannot see how my bill doubles in a month without drastic changes in my usage unless SMECO is somehow at fault with its estimating policy. So what if I used $400 worth of electricity in August last year! I may have only used $250 this year in August however, since they "estimate" from last year it is the home owners that are getting screwed!

THEY NEED TO MONITOR METERS MONTHLY FOR ACCURATE BILLING! Thats the bottom line. Maybe they can use some of those "upkeep" fees that they charge to hire some meter readers.
I understand that they have handicapped people read meters from time to time and that is great! They need to have professionals accompany them MONTHLY to ensure it is done properly!

Gotta love SMECOs solution to cut back.... get rid of their meter readers and contract it out! Dont the contractor do a great job? My friend was a meter reader and it was not an easy job... and if they brought back "so many estimates... they would be written up!!!" If they got so may miss reads - they were written up, if they didnt finish their routes - yep written up...... so there..... Contractor in this case will prove Im sure less quality and will estimate more than what was before. That is why I encourage everyone to learn how to read their meter... (oh she tried to teach me and I gave up on it - cant do it) Compare it to your bill. Its BS that a company gets rid of employees jobs and then contracts it out.

As far has real handicapped people read meters... not possible... maybe just plain stupid and lazy people now. The Professionals were found other jobs or released from their positions... so now we can than the contractor for estimating the bills

 

[smilin]

ya know somethings just not right with this.......... $231.00 electric bill ... $177.00 for the electric and 54.00 in bs charges!!!!

Does anyone really understand what all those added fees are?

Wow. Unless you are living in a super huge house with a hole sucking your electricity out - something isn't right.
My bill (evenly monthly) is $176/mo with three people (two teenagers), three computers, 2500 square feet, has never been over $230 in one month.
Call SMECO ask them if they can do an energy audit or something similar. Do it quickly before we get hit with the winter storm of the century LOL

 

[Jigglepuff]

Gotta love SMECOs solution to cut back.... get rid of their meter readers and contract it out! Dont the contractor do a great job? My friend was a meter reader and it was not an easy job... and if they brought back "so many estimates... they would be written up!!!" If they got so may miss reads - they were written up, if they didnt finish their routes - yep written up...... so there..... Contractor in this case will prove Im sure less quality and will estimate more than what was before. That is why I encourage everyone to learn how to read their meter... (oh she tried to teach me and I gave up on it - cant do it) Compare it to your bill. Its BS that a company gets rid of employees jobs and then contracts it out.

As far has real handicapped people read meters... not possible... maybe just plain stupid and lazy people now. The Professionals were found other jobs or released from their positions... so now we can than the contractor for estimating the bills

Yup...moving or getting of the grid is starting to become more of a logical solution.

I do hear DC/Balto residents do pay more.

Charleston's cost of living and substantially lower electric rates are becoming more attractive to me at this moment.

I...like many other residents under the "Iron Fist" of BGE, PEPCO and SMECO of fed up and feel helpless to their communist tactics.

So much for f@$%g supply and demand. "Get CFL's, a programable thermostat...turn your thermostat up in the summer and down in the winter" and the bill still goes up at an alarming rate. I am waisting my money and time with this sh!t.

15cents a kWh is bs. Not a damn thing I can do about it but B@tch and wait until I either move or get off the grid.

 

[Mama_Mia08]

Move????

Customer Choice

No one has to buy power from SMECO... but what you do have to pay for is for them to distribute it. Feel free to check with the PSC for BGE and Pepco rates. If thats not enough .. then move. :shrug:

I am aware there is customer choice. However it's not much of a choice we have really when all companies charge about the same. One may charge a higher fee for one thing but will make up for it with another. I've come to the conclusion that we cannot do anything else to cut the electric. The water heater is at 115, we use CFL's, lights are not left on, etc.

I guess I could sell the house we just bought, pack all our stuff up, and my husband could quit his job just so we can move and get cheaper electric...no sense at all. Then again, if we don't work we could have everyone else pay our electric...hmmmm....(sarcasm)

 

[daisycreek]

Wow. Unless you are living in a super huge house with a hole sucking your electricity out - something isn't right.
My bill (evenly monthly) is $176/mo with three people (two teenagers), three computers, 2500 square feet, has never been over $230 in one month.
Call SMECO ask them if they can do an energy audit or something similar. Do it quickly before we get hit with the winter storm of the century LOL

umm nope, @ 980 square foot, single, at work all day, Laundry 2x a week cold, turn lights off in empty rooms, ac on 80 while away, 75 when home, no tv running.....




I don't know if it would do any good if everyone wrote our elected officials, but I have also heard rumors that the rate per kilowatt is going up again in the future...

 

[SG_Player1974]

umm nope, @ 980 square foot, single, at work all day, Laundry 2x a week cold, turn lights off in empty rooms, ac on 80 while away, 75 when home, no tv running.....




I don't know if it would do any good if everyone wrote our elected officials, but I have also heard rumors that the rate per kilowatt is going up again in the future...

I just received my SMECO bill and it was quite a shock! After paying $400 for my last bill, shockingly enough, this one was only for $231! I just dont understand it! I really think it has to be the "estimating" that causes these fluxuations. WE NEED METER READERS MONTHLY!!!!!

Also, my charge was for .125 per kWh. A little less than the .15 that others are getting however when you talk about thousands of hours it does add up. I think my bill was for 1444 kWh!

 

[MissKitty]

I just received my SMECO bill and it was quite a shock! After paying $400 for my last bill, shockingly enough, this one was only for $231! I just dont understand it! I really think it has to be the "estimating" that causes these fluxuations. WE NEED METER READERS MONTHLY!!!!!

Also, my charge was for .125 per kWh. A little less than the .15 that others are getting however when you talk about thousands of hours it does add up. I think my bill was for 1444 kWh!

I was outside Saturday when the guy walked up to read the meter. I read what the meter was and we wrote it down. I'm waiting to compare it to my bill and see if they match up.

 

[smilin]

umm nope, @ 980 square foot, single, at work all day, Laundry 2x a week cold, turn lights off in empty rooms, ac on 80 while away, 75 when home, no tv running.....




I don't know if it would do any good if everyone wrote our elected officials, but I have also heard rumors that the rate per kilowatt is going up again in the future...

I forgot, it was built in 1959.

 

[SG_Player1974]

I was outside Saturday when the guy walked up to read the meter. I read what the meter was and we wrote it down. I'm waiting to compare it to my bill and see if they match up.

I have lived in my home for 5 years now. My wife has been a stay-at-home mom for the last two. I can honestly say that we have NEVER seen anyone come to read our meter! Those SMECO contracted meter readers are either very sneaky and fast or they read our meter at 3a.m.!!!!!!!
I mean honestly..... 5 years and never seen a single meter reader. GOD'S HONEST TRUTH!

 

[kwillia]

I have lived in my home for 5 years now. My wife has been a stay-at-home mom for the last two. I can honestly say that we have NEVER seen anyone come to read our meter! Those SMECO contracted meter readers are either very sneaky and fast or they read our meter at 3a.m.!!!!!!!
I mean honestly..... 5 years and never seen a single meter reader. GOD'S HONEST TRUTH!

It's my understanding that some meters can easily be "read" via a hand-held device from the truck. They can do a "drive-by" and not ever leave the truck.