On Apr 13, 4:27�am, ktos wrote:
Jeff The Drunk wrote :





On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:40:03 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

I was at a party last night and a neighbor who works for a commercial
HVAC company explained his method of ripping off the gas company.

He says that gas is a commodity and therefore is typically cheaper in
the summer than in the winter. In the summer he "over-reads" his meter
by 35 - 40 therms on average, paying for the extra therms at the
cheaper price.

In the winter, he "under-reads" his meter by the same amount, paying
for fewer of the expensive therms.

Since he is sending in his card every month, and he is staying within
"average use" for a homeowner, they only come to read his meter once a
year and it's always near the end of winter when his over-reads and
under-reads have just about cancelled out.

As they ask on Mythbusters - Busted, Confirmed or Plausible?

I didn't know a meter could be read only once a year. �Around here
they alternate between estimate and read each month. �And here we get
to lock in a 12 month price and choose the lowest between several
different suppliers. �My largest monthly bill is Feb, this year was
around $150.00.

If the company doesn't have access to the meter for the alternate reads,
they must come at least once per year.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I live in the UK. I haven't seen a meter reader in years and years!
The default position is they just guess. When the bill is wrong in
their favour, you can ring them up and give them the reading. You
don't speak to anyone, you dial in your account number when asked and
then it confirms your name & then you dial in your meter reading.
Some of them have voice recognition and you can just talk to the
computer. The latest wheeze is that they like you to set up your own
internet account & you fill in the meter readings when it suits you.
You get an Email tells you when they want money. You can set up a
standing payment or ring up and speak to their computer with your
credit card. You only see a meter reader if you move house.