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March 27, 2009
National Grid Bill?
So, I'm extremely confused about my recent gas bill from National Grid (use Con-Ed for electric). For this past 33 day period, I was charged $80 for 37 therms. I barely used my heat that entire time (read: once or twice), so presumably hot water and cooking gas should be the only charges, and $80 seems extremely high for that...plus, I didn't use my oven - only the burners.
Does anyone else have experience with odd National Grid bills, or have any ideas as to why it's so high? This is only my third month dealing with them, and so far they have been supremely unhelpful over the phone.
I appreciate any advice!
-C
PS - I don't know my type of boiler per se, but it is small-ish with an electric control panel.
Comments
In general gas bills are something like $10 or $20 a month at a minimum (it's the monthly minimum to have service, regardless of use - I just forget which # is the baseline).
So figure $60-70 for other usage...
... how long was your heat on those 2 times? It might have only been on twice, but if it was on for 10 hours each time, holding at a constant temp, you're going to rack up some usage.
You said this is your third month with them, what have the bills been like the other 2 months?
Posted by: christopher at March 27, 2009 9:22 AM
Well, those two times the heat was probably on for 5-10 hours, although I always keep the thermostat at 62 if that makes a difference...
In January it was $180, which also surprised me, seeing as I live in a 350 sq ft studio and generally have very disciplined heat use. February was $60, which is also part of my confusion (since I used the heat more in February than this month, obviously).
From your estimate of $60-$70 for usage on top of the base, though, it sounds like my bills are somewhat normal? Maybe I just have to get used to the cost of heat/hot water in the city...
Posted by: collin85 at March 27, 2009 9:29 AM
The readings are oftentimes estimated and may not correlate with reality. Read your meter and call in the reading. I think the base charge is around $13.00. Compare the bills on price per therm and they should be the same on that basis, but the readings could be wrong and you may even get a credit when the readings are actually made.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at March 27, 2009 9:40 AM
A few things you can check into/confirm. Are you doing the readings yourself, is your landlord calling in, or does National Grid have access to the meters? You could just have a meter reading problem, not a gas usage problem. To be clear, I mean that if it is you/landlord/super there could be a reading problem--the National Grid folks don't usually make mistakes reading the meter.
Also, what kind of building are you in? Are you sure that your gas meter is strictly limited to your own heat/hot water/cooking? Some of the really old, multi-family homes don't have a perfect segregation of gas usage.
Posted by: curiositykilledthecat at March 27, 2009 9:42 AM
Very good question! I have had ongoing problems with National Grid for a year -- mostly outrageously high estimated bills but the non-estimated bills are pretty crazy too.
If you check your bill, you will see they put the charge for the therms on it. Mine are all under $1 per therm, except there is a $12 minimum. So -- shouldn't your bill be under $50 or $40??????
Another thing: I've found it's a good idea to turn off the boiler altogether if you're not using the heat. Simply turning off the heat/thermostat doesn't seem to do squat.
Posted by: mopar at March 27, 2009 12:51 PM
Mopar - How do you have hot water if you turn off the boiler?
Posted by: newsouthsloper at March 27, 2009 3:13 PM
Thanks for all the comments! I'll try and be sure that my meter is only measuring my unit, that's a very good suggestion as I just moved in recently...and I am a shareholder in a pre-war co-op, so I've been checking my meter in the basement and I'm pretty sure that it has been on target with what appears on my bill, but I'll definitely look into that again.
Mopar - I had considered simply turning the boiler off, but wouldn't that mean that I'd have no hot water or cooking gas either? If it just controls the heat, though, then I'd love to turn it off, as I realize that it probably works to keep a certain core temperature at all times.
Posted by: collin85 at March 27, 2009 3:17 PM
It's possible to have a boiler that heats the hot water and generates heat for the house, but most modern setups have a hot water heater that's separate from the boiler. We can just press a button on the boiler (the heater) to shut if off. We turn it off every summer. We still have hot water after we do that.
Posted by: mopar at March 27, 2009 3:22 PM
Collins, I don't know about your particular case, but in most coops, the charge for heat and hot water is included in your maintenance and not individually metered. Each shareholder pays for cooking gas and electricity. And you sure can't go messing around with the boiler! Of course, if this is a building with only three units, the story may be different.
Posted by: mopar at March 27, 2009 3:26 PM
Actually, my co-op is different in that everyone is individually metered (as far as I understand at least), and my own unit is stranger still because it operates with its own boiler seperate from everyone else's.
So, I would definitely be able to fool around with the boiler seeing as I own it as part of the unit, although you're right of course that this is not the case in most co-ops.
Posted by: collin85 at March 27, 2009 3:34 PM
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