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September 21, 2009
Conned by Con Edison?
I live in a tiny, Jr 1BR (read: glorified alcove studio) in Prospect Heights and I'm getting ridiculous bills from Con Edison and National Grid. Seriously, how does boiling water once a week translate into $123 worth of cooking gas in 2 months? I've talked to my absentee landlady, who gets slapped with ridiculous bills every so often as well, but she doesn't know what to do about it either. Some woman came in to read the meter months ago, but that hasn't helped. I've called both Con Edison and National Grid about this but they were (perhaps unsurprisingly) unhelpful. Would anyone be able to give me some advice?
Comments
$123/mo for cooking gas is seriously wrong. Should be more like $10.
Posted by: northsloperenter at September 21, 2009 10:51 AM
How does the last bill reading compare to the actual meter????
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 21, 2009 10:54 AM
Make sure they are actually reading your meter.
Also make sure it is just your apt on the meter
I got a few insane gas bills and it turned out the bill was for other units that were on my meter
Posted by: dirty_hipster at September 21, 2009 10:58 AM
You have to realize that just for the 'privilege' of having gas service, your bill will automatically be a minimum of 20-25 per month. This includes gas delivery charges, etc. Then on top of that comes your usage. Even still, your bills are too high and is likely caused by estimated billing and not based on actual readings. Either make sure someone is there to allow them access to read the meter each time or you can read it yourself and call in the numbers to get a more accurate bill.
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at September 21, 2009 11:03 AM
If you can't get any help from Con Ed/National Grid, file a complaint with the with the NY State Public Service Commission. I've found that utilities suddenly pay attention once a complaint has been made with the state.
Posted by: tinarina at September 21, 2009 11:06 AM
Have you checked the meter to see if the readings are accurate or are they estimates? Do you have an air conditioner? The place to file a complaint is the NY State Public service commission- when I filed a complaint against National gas they wound up putting in for free remote reads...
Posted by: smeyer418 at September 21, 2009 11:08 AM
"You have to realize that just for the 'privilege' of having gas service, your bill will automatically be a minimum of 20-25 per month."
My cooking gas bill has never been more than $18, and we cook a minimum of 4 nights a week.
Posted by: northsloperenter at September 21, 2009 11:09 AM
http://www3.dps.state.ny.us/ocs/itgate.nsf/%28webDPS_welcome%29?OpenForm
link to the complaint form
Posted by: smeyer418 at September 21, 2009 11:10 AM
Even with estimated billing, that's totally ridiculous. I frequently get them and they may be slightly higher but not 1000%. Your meter may be screwy or other apartments are on. In any case call them again and tell they must come and check the meter. And that you are expecting them to reimburse you for all the overcharges. Keep calling and then start calling 311. tell them there is a gas leak if you need to to get them to come over.
Posted by: bxgrl at September 21, 2009 11:10 AM
Also verify w/Con Ed what type of account it is... We had an apt in Park Slope that had an outrageous initial bill and it turns out it had been set up as a commercial account, and had an estimated usage based on that.
Posted by: kramer at September 21, 2009 11:11 AM
calling when there is no gas leak is a big no no and may get you arrested.
Posted by: smeyer418 at September 21, 2009 11:12 AM
NSR, you are likely right...I forgot to mention that I pay for my own heat as well as cooking gas so that likely makes the difference in my 'minimum' bill each month. I think the rates are different for cooking gas alone vs. cooking and heating gas supply.
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at September 21, 2009 11:12 AM
calling when there is no gas leak is a big no no and may get you arrested.
Posted by: smeyer418 at September 21, 2009 11:12 AM
HUH????? There are different extensions for different problems.
I call my readings in all the time. Oftentimes that results in a negative credit bill if a few previous ones were over-estimated.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 21, 2009 11:16 AM
Phone Mr. Sinclair at 718 403 2289 & ask for an inspection (if you don't get Sinclair, talk to anyone or leave a message.) Also try Rob't Hardy of the Field Inspection Office for an appt. 718 270 5747
Posted by: Arkady at September 21, 2009 11:19 AM
check your meter no. exactly with the bill no.
I was once getting a restaurant's bills because of a missing zero, it took me 6 months to sort it out, I eventually had to write to the company president.
Posted by: dittoburg at September 21, 2009 11:22 AM
Check your bill...are you set up to have third party delivery service from an ESCOS? That could be your culprit!
If so, call con ed/nat grid and have them put a "freeze" on your account.
Posted by: Action Jackson at September 21, 2009 11:41 AM
Call public service commission in albany and file a comlaint over the phone. It sounds like your gas bills are an estimation not a monthly reading.
In the meantime con ed is forced to provide service during the review.
Posted by: Ysabelle at September 21, 2009 11:42 AM
Wow, thanks so much for all the helpful responses! I should have come to the Brownstoner Forum much sooner :-/
Posted by: ettay at September 21, 2009 12:23 PM
If your bill for $123 is from Con-ed, as your header implies, then you are confused because that is your electric bill. Nat'l Grid supplies gas. If you haven't actually had your meter read in months then you are getting billed on estimates, which are probably high.
Posted by: wyckoff at September 21, 2009 1:12 PM
tinarina is right; call the Public Service Commission. On a number of occasions I've had almost immediate attention from various utilities when calling them directly just resulted in a run-around.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at September 21, 2009 1:41 PM
My last gas bill (from National Grid) starts with a minimum of $14.08 - then adds an additional $26 just for DELIVERY of gas. My Esco charge for 45 CCF's of gas was $26.66 - that's for the gas itself. Adding on a system benefit charge, and MTA surcharge, the sales tax on delivery, the GIT per CCF...it goes on and on. Total bill was $70.76 - for cooking gas and hot water heater.
No one's gas bill could be only $10 per month in Brooklyn. You could use no gas at all, and still will be billed minimum amounts plus tax. If the op's total Con Ed and National Grid charge for 2 months was $123 - that's doing pretty well.
Posted by: parkslopemom at September 21, 2009 1:50 PM
File a complaint with the public service commission. Ask for your meter to be tested IMMEDIATELY.
Posted by: guikazoid at September 21, 2009 2:06 PM
I don't get a 'delivery' charge on my gas bill. Perhaps delivery is charged to the building and the landlord pays that as part of the costs for hot water (which he pays for)??
I just get cooking gas in my apartment. Never had a bill over $20.
Posted by: northsloperenter at September 21, 2009 2:07 PM
Whoa - something is wrong! I actually had an issue w/gas last month w/our gas being shut off for no reason. Turns out the meters were swapped b/t apts (we're living in X and paying for Y and Y is paying for ours) when the building was built (4 years ago). I believe the original tenants moved out and shut their gas off, which really shut ours off. I'm currently asking for an investigation in the differences b/t apt X and Y, just in case we were paying more.
Regardless... I have a roommate and we use the stove pretty much every night and use the over maybe 2x/week. My National Guard Bill looks like this:
Aug Actual 0541
June Actual 0539
x thermal factor of 1.0269
= 2 therms used in 63 days
Min charge for first 2 therms or less is $28.61
Delivers rate ($.03/therm) $.06
System Benefits Charge ($.0169/therm) $.03
MTA Surcharge (WHAT?!) $.03
GAS DELIVERY SUBTOTAL CHARGES: $28.73
Gas Supply Charge ($.6023/therm) $1.20
4% sales tax $.05
SUPPLY SUBTOTAL: $1.25
4% sales tax on gas delivery $1.15
Bill Charge (inc tax and surchg) $1.65
TOTAL CHARGES: $32.78
The graph comparison also shows that we are using much less therms than other people. Range is 2 (low) to 194 (high)
Posted by: Bklynight at September 21, 2009 2:10 PM
delivery charge? I've seen it. Its like my old land line phonebill used to have a charge for "dial tone"
Posted by: dittoburg at September 21, 2009 2:21 PM
Bklynnight is right. I called National Grid and was told that every gas customer gets a bill with both the delivery charge (always comes from them) and a supply charge (which can come from them or an ESCO). There are all these extra fees and taxes. They told me if no gas was used at all on an account - the minimum charges would have to total close to $30.
Posted by: parkslopemom at September 21, 2009 3:01 PM
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