Hi all. My Mom lives in New York state, in ConEd territory. Recently
she's been haggling with them over her electric and heating bills.
She's been conserving power usage (practically freezing herself to
death), but her bills have dropped only slightly. The following is an
extract from a reply sent to her by ConEd. Does this square with
other people's experience with the increased cost of electricity/heat,
or are is ConEd conning my Mom? Thanks in advance for all feedback:

"In regards to your bill, the increase cost of the electricity and gas
did create higher bills.

"Your gas usage has decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you used
205 therms of gas at a cost of $298.53 compared to 02/10/2006 you used
129 therms at a cost of $265.90. The therms were decrease , however,
the increase of the gas rates created a high bill.

Your electric usage also decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you
used 600 kilowatt hours at a cost of $109.52 compared to 02/10/2006
you used 460 kilowatt hours at a cost $104.80. I see that you are
conserving energy and that has helped with the bills because the bills
would have been much higher."

Steve O.



"Spying On The College Of Your Choice" -- How to pick the college that is the Best Match for a high school student's needs.
www.SpyingOnTheCollegeOfYourChoice.com

"Steven O." wrote in message
news
Hi all. My Mom lives in New York state, in ConEd territory. Recently
she's been haggling with them over her electric and heating bills.
She's been conserving power usage (practically freezing herself to
death), but her bills have dropped only slightly. The following is an
extract from a reply sent to her by ConEd. Does this square with
other people's experience with the increased cost of electricity/heat,
or are is ConEd conning my Mom? Thanks in advance for all feedback:

"In regards to your bill, the increase cost of the electricity and gas
did create higher bills.

"Your gas usage has decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you used
205 therms of gas at a cost of $298.53 compared to 02/10/2006 you used
129 therms at a cost of $265.90. The therms were decrease , however,
the increase of the gas rates created a high bill.

Your electric usage also decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you
used 600 kilowatt hours at a cost of $109.52 compared to 02/10/2006
you used 460 kilowatt hours at a cost $104.80. I see that you are
conserving energy and that has helped with the bills because the bills
would have been much higher."

Steve O.


The 40% increase in gas rates sounds about right. Not sure about the 25%
increase in electric rates. Glad I'm here instead of there - no electric
rate increase.

If we built off-the-rack nuclear plants like France, we wouldn't have
these problems. Instead we don't build nuclear, and when we did, every
plant was different.

I also live in New York State. National Grid territory. I heat with
propane which has risen in price quite a bit. But as for electricity I just
paid my bill - they provide a comparison. Last year used 7.6 KWH per day at
a cost of $1.55 a day. This year used 7.4 KWH per day at a cost of $1.77 a
day. So yes, I used less and it cost more.

JonquilJan

Learn something new every day
As long as you are learning, you are living
When you stop learning, you start dying

"Steven O." wrote in message
news
Hi all. My Mom lives in New York state, in ConEd territory. Recently
she's been haggling with them over her electric and heating bills.
She's been conserving power usage (practically freezing herself to
death), but her bills have dropped only slightly. The following is an
extract from a reply sent to her by ConEd. Does this square with
other people's experience with the increased cost of electricity/heat,
or are is ConEd conning my Mom? Thanks in advance for all feedback:

"In regards to your bill, the increase cost of the electricity and gas
did create higher bills.

"Your gas usage has decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you used
205 therms of gas at a cost of $298.53 compared to 02/10/2006 you used
129 therms at a cost of $265.90. The therms were decrease , however,
the increase of the gas rates created a high bill.

Your electric usage also decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you
used 600 kilowatt hours at a cost of $109.52 compared to 02/10/2006
you used 460 kilowatt hours at a cost $104.80. I see that you are
conserving energy and that has helped with the bills because the bills
would have been much higher."

Steve O.

ConEd is telling the truth. The gas and electric rates are stated on each
bill, so it is simple to compare the 2006 and 2005 rates. What does your
mother have in her house that uses 460 KWH a month? Rather high electric
usage for a single person or couple.

On Tue, 07 Mar 2006 21:31:34 -0500, jdoe wrote:

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 01:42:39 GMT, Steven O. wrote:

Hi all. My Mom lives in New York state, in ConEd territory. Recently
she's been haggling with them over her electric and heating bills.
She's been conserving power usage (practically freezing herself to
death), but her bills have dropped only slightly. The following is an
extract from a reply sent to her by ConEd. Does this square with
other people's experience with the increased cost of electricity/heat,
or are is ConEd conning my Mom? Thanks in advance for all feedback:

"In regards to your bill, the increase cost of the electricity and gas
did create higher bills.

"Your gas usage has decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you used
205 therms of gas at a cost of $298.53 compared to 02/10/2006 you used
129 therms at a cost of $265.90. The therms were decrease , however,
the increase of the gas rates created a high bill.

Your electric usage also decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you
used 600 kilowatt hours at a cost of $109.52 compared to 02/10/2006
you used 460 kilowatt hours at a cost $104.80. I see that you are
conserving energy and that has helped with the bills because the bills
would have been much higher."

that's an accurate response, exactly what is your point?

Sorry, I should have been more clear -- the point was, are they jiving
my Mom, or do these reflect the real increases in energy costs?

Steve O.

"Spying On The College Of Your Choice" -- How to pick the college that is the Best Match for a high school student's needs.
www.SpyingOnTheCollegeOfYourChoice.com

Steven O. writes:

Hi all. My Mom lives in New York state, in ConEd territory. Recently
she's been haggling with them over her electric and heating bills.
She's been conserving power usage (practically freezing herself to
death), but her bills have dropped only slightly. The following is an
extract from a reply sent to her by ConEd. Does this square with
other people's experience with the increased cost of electricity/heat,
or are is ConEd conning my Mom?

Hi Steven,

Natural gas prices jumped by like 60% or more this past year--it was
all over the news this past Fall, after hurricane Katrina calling for
homeowners to brace for some ugly natural gas prices for the winter
we're in.

ConEd isn't pulling a fast one on her. In fact, their response is
remarkably detailed and appears to have actually been composed by a
human.

Your mom, like all of us, is feeling the wrath of Hurricane Katrina's
impact to natural gas infrastructure like the rest of us poor *******s
in the temperate zone, and everyone's seeing heating bills like
they've never seen before...ever, I believe.

Energy prices overall are up with oil trading over $60/bbl, coal
costing more due to demand, and I'm sure there are other factors I've
missed on this, but yup, basically energy costs are sharply up this
year, and it's kickin the ass of those on a fixed income, or the
masses who haven't seen much wage increases in the past years, but
have seen energy and healthcare prices take a big chunk out their
disposable income.

[cue the political flamewar about our country's dependence on foreign energy]

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Steven O. wrote:
Hi all. My Mom lives in New York state, in ConEd territory. Recently
she's been haggling with them over her electric and heating bills.
She's been conserving power usage (practically freezing herself to
death), but her bills have dropped only slightly. The following is an
extract from a reply sent to her by ConEd. Does this square with
other people's experience with the increased cost of electricity/heat,
or are is ConEd conning my Mom? Thanks in advance for all feedback:

You must live in a closet with no radio or TV. Everything in the
response seems about right. Your mother sure has done a good job of
cutting down on the energy used and this has saved her a bundle as the
utility stated.
You can bark at the moon all you wish and it won't change the cost of
energy.

In article ,
Steven O. wrote:

Hi all. My Mom lives in New York state, in ConEd territory. Recently
she's been haggling with them over her electric and heating bills.
She's been conserving power usage (practically freezing herself to
death), but her bills have dropped only slightly. The following is an
extract from a reply sent to her by ConEd. Does this square with
other people's experience with the increased cost of electricity/heat,
or are is ConEd conning my Mom? Thanks in advance for all feedback:



Have you been living in a cave in the mountains of afghanistan? This
[higher energy costs for home heating stemming from higher costs for heating
oil due to distallate production bottlenecks and incapacity and a deficit in
producing/stockpiling natural gas] has been front page news on and off for
the better part of a year.

It is so not a surprise that .... are you living in a cave in afghanistan??

The Word: http://eia.doe.gov/


..max

wrote in message
oups.com...
If we built off-the-rack nuclear plants like France, we wouldn't have
these problems. Instead we don't build nuclear, and when we did, every
plant was different.

And the question is: Why is that the case? Nuclear plants aren't exactly
designer showcases so why do they have to be different? Why not have one
good standard design and build according to one plan. It seems to me it
would be easier to create one good safe (as safe as possible )design and
standardized things so if problems ocurr it would be easier to consults with
experts.

They are spot on correct and you got a surprisingly detailed response,
SteveO. It is what it is.
Tomes

"Steven O." wrote in message
news
Hi all. My Mom lives in New York state, in ConEd territory. Recently
she's been haggling with them over her electric and heating bills.
She's been conserving power usage (practically freezing herself to
death), but her bills have dropped only slightly. The following is an
extract from a reply sent to her by ConEd. Does this square with
other people's experience with the increased cost of electricity/heat,
or are is ConEd conning my Mom? Thanks in advance for all feedback:

"In regards to your bill, the increase cost of the electricity and gas
did create higher bills.

"Your gas usage has decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you used
205 therms of gas at a cost of $298.53 compared to 02/10/2006 you used
129 therms at a cost of $265.90. The therms were decrease , however,
the increase of the gas rates created a high bill.

Your electric usage also decrease from last year, in 02/10/2005 you
used 600 kilowatt hours at a cost of $109.52 compared to 02/10/2006
you used 460 kilowatt hours at a cost $104.80. I see that you are
conserving energy and that has helped with the bills because the bills
would have been much higher."

Steve O.



"Spying On The College Of Your Choice" -- How to pick the college that is
the Best Match for a high school student's needs.
www.SpyingOnTheCollegeOfYourChoice.com

Janie wrote
wrote

If we built off-the-rack nuclear plants like France, we wouldn't have
these problems. Instead we don't build nuclear, and when we did, every
plant was different.

And the question is: Why is that the case?

Just another example of the inevitable outcome of the
very fragmented power generation system seen in the US.

Nuclear plants aren't exactly designer showcases so why do they have to
be different?

See above.

Why not have one good standard design and build according to one plan.

See above.

It seems to me it would be easier to create one good safe (as safe as
possible )design and standardized things so if problems ocurr it would be
easier to consults with experts.

See above.

And they're too stupid to buy one of the frog designs too.

Cave in Afghanistan? Perhaps bin Laden will post a complaint about his
gas bill here, how it's been apologies to Allah f---ing cold this
winter, and he's been trying to conserve, but his bodyguards are giving
him mean looks...and he'll finally be tracked down by an enterprising
meter reader.

Just a thought on the nuclear plant comments....

What if we used one nuclear reactor design and it proved to be a bad
design 15 years later. We would have to fix all our plants or maybe
mothball them. Multiple designs could lead to a more robust network.

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 03:32:49 GMT, someone wrote:


Sorry, I should have been more clear -- the point was, are they jiving
my Mom, or do these reflect the real increases in energy costs?

Notice how OP has dropped out of this thread?

Actually as far as the consumer is concerned, there has been a "real
increase" in the RATES charged by ConEd. A far as most of us would
know, this is related to a "real increase" in ConEd's costs. As to if
the RATE increases reflect (say) 80% or 100% or 120% of ConEd's COST
increases, that has not been addressed.

But I also don't understand what OP's fear is. The rates is listed on
the bill. Get out last year's and compare it to this year's. The
useage is listed on the bill. Compare this year's to last year's, and
also go downstairs and read your own meter if you think they are
faking the readings????

What does he expect to hear, "Yes they are jivving your Mom, what they
are charging her is NOT the rate times the useage?" WTF is he
thinking???


Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.