wrote in message
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On Sun, 29 May 2011 09:59:48 -0400, Home Guy wrote:


So are you saying that customers with "demand meters" are billed on the
basis of their peak demand - a reading based on only a few minutes worth
of energy usage as seen over an entire billing period?

No. As others have said, the peak determines the rate used. For
example, if your peak is below 5 KW, then you might be billed at 12
cents per KWH. If your peak goes above 5 KW, you might be billed at
15 cents per KWH. Those are just made up numbers. Your rates at
various peaks will be different. In summary, your peak is based on
just a few seconds, but you bill is still based on actual usage.

** The point being, if you are totally ignorant as to how the dollar amount
on the electric bill is determined, the first place to ask questions is the
company supplying the electricity and providing the bill. Once you get all
those nasty details figured out, you'll have a better idea of how to go
about verifying the numbers