Kind of funny
@GardenGerty (169406)
United States
February 8, 2020 7:09am CST
I have often heard about choosing different billing models on utilities. I have never tried it, but we have a new energy company for our electric. Actually just two area ones merged. It seemed like a good time to look into it.
I am currently on the standard residential rate. Their website showed me a comparison of that and the Peak Energy Rate. If I chose Peak Energy Rate I would "shift some activities to a different time of day when costs are less."
What is funny is this comparison shows me that based on our usage pattern, if we made this change we would spend more than $200 MORE per year. Not happening. So it is funny that a money saving move would actually cost us money.
Also funny to me. This is Saturday. I did not set my alarm. I planned to sleep in. Well that did not happen. I was wide awake at my regular time. Who cares if I went to bed late? Who cares if it is Saturday?
This tells me that a.) I am feeling better and b.) Spring is on her way.
Life can be kind of funny.
Also funny to me. This is Saturday. I did not set my alarm. I planned to sleep in. Well that did not happen. I was wide awake at my regular time. Who cares if I went to bed late? Who cares if it is Saturday?
This tells me that a.) I am feeling better and b.) Spring is on her way.
Life can be kind of funny.12 people like this
12 responses
@LadyDuck (502190)
• Italy
8 Feb 20
We have no choice here, we are on the "residential plan" (we are not a company), we have a lower rate when we use the electricity from 10 pm up to 6 am. I use my dryer during the night, it is in the laundry room in the basement, so we hear nothing.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
Residential Plan here is to use any time you choose. Peak usage plan would be similar to what you describe as 10 pm to 6 a.m. I do a lot of my heavy usage before 6 in the morning anyway. In the summer I leave the doors and windows open for fresh air and use a clothesline some, so comparing to last year's average the utility company says doing things the way I do them is cheaper in the long run for me.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502190)
• Italy
9 Feb 20
@GardenGerty Electricity is not very expensive here and the dryer and the over are the two things that surely use more electricity. We use gas to eat and to cook and I wash my dishes manually, for two people a dishwasher is just a waste of electricity.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
@LadyDuck I still like my dishwasher. I feel it sanitizes because it uses hotter water and the lighting is poor in my kitchen so I feel it gets dishes cleaner. I do run full loads and I do cook a lot, so once a day full dishwasher, usually at night. My cook stove is natural gas, but I have many small electrical appliances.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
8 Feb 20
Charlie woke me. I was up and on the floor!
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
Drink apple cider vinegar with a little honey at bed time. Boot old Charlie out.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
@andriaperry Original or low sodium V8 type juice works as well. Both options, being liquid, work faster than the old advice to eat a banana.
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
9 Feb 20
@GardenGerty I have to see if I have any, thanks Heather.
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
I went back to bed for a serious nap, though. It felt good.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
9 Feb 20
@GardenGerty I'm sure it did. I do that sometimes too.
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
They actually put the analysis right up there and made it hard to miss.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135583)
• Marion, Ohio
9 Feb 20
@GardenGerty Thats good. Most would try to hide that in small print.
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
They provided the charts to illustrate what we commonly are billed and what they estimate we would be billed. No hidden agenda, I just am good at being cautious with my usage all the time.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
9 Feb 20
Life can be funny. I hate getting up early when i dont need to.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
I have always been an early riser, and seldom take naps. I did go back to bed today and take a nap, before my husband even woke up.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
9 Feb 20
@GardenGerty my mom always got up at the same time every day, when we went to school, without an alarm. But now she cant do it. She likes to try to sleep in when she can.
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
8 Feb 20
Yeah, I don't bother with the time of day use... I'll use my electricity when I want to. Having said that, I do turn off lights and the computer when not in use.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
That is my main strategy, to run around behind hubby and turn off all the switches he leaves on in every room of the house. Since I usually am an early riser my washer and dryer use are early in the morning. We only have one television, and that helps as well.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
Oh, me too. Those coughs were like a full body work out.
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
8 Feb 20
Our electric company has something that is (or was when I signed up for it) EMPP — estimated monthly payment plan. They calculate your “average” bill based on a year’s worth of usage and divide it by 12. It makes the payments less in the winter (where the payments can be $200 or more because of the gas usage) and more in summer (when you’re not using as much gas), but they’re the same all year long. At the end of the “year” (whatever month you signed up in — mine is August), they will re-calculate based on the previous 12 months. My bill has stayed the same ($108) for about three years. I like it because it’s easy to budget instead of having $250 in the winter and $50 in the summer.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
Our electric will tend to be higher from July through September, because those are the hottest months. I am not sure that this is the estimated cost thing or not. I will look at that another time. I had a similar plan in another town with a different power company. Last year my highest electric bill was about $123, and that is about what my highest gas bills run in the winter.
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
Yes, I find I do most of that, and I do not need to sign up for the program to get the deals. It also matches with the time of day I work, we obviously use fewer utilities when no one is home. In the winter it is nice to generate some extra heat by doing chores that need power and in the summer I do not want to create heat in the middle of the day.
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8765)
• United States
9 Feb 20
It's a good thing you caught the 200 dollars more per year savings. 
It's weird how our bodies become synched with a schedule and will do what they want.
It's weird how our bodies become synched with a schedule and will do what they want.@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
9 Feb 20
They put the analysis up there, and were not trying to deceive us at all, but I am glad I bothered to read it. I have been an early riser for almost all of my life.
1 person likes this
