Tell me how it is $809 for one freakin month!!!!! Then an outlet catches fire!!

[sdmay3]

We get our gas bill today for over $1300. We were already behind and had made payment arrangements. They want a payment for $223 for the back bill and $809 for the current bill. They are saying that our current bill is the $809. WTF!!!!! Our bill averaged $450 in the winter time. They want me to believe that it has almost doubled in the spring? She wanted to offer me some energy tips to help cut back. They are going to send someone out within the next three days to check our line. If they can't find a problem we are responsible for the bill.

Then as soon as I get off of the phone with them fire starts shooting out of an outlet. Not sparks bit FIRE. The fire department comes. Everything is OK. But they say that while the wiring is newer it is not up to code and needs to be redone.

We have disconnects on everything and have $100 to our name. We need groceries.

I am thinking about filing for bankruptcy.

Hope everyone else has a good day!!!!

[cole70]

{{HUGS }}
We are in the same boat with disconnects. The gas company has been really accomidating. They let us go on a payment plan and when we couldnt pay that on time they reduced the payment due for us. The electric company was sort of helpful-let us pay what we could but it HAS to be paid by the due date. Both the gas co and electric co did notify the county that we may be disconnected-must be a state law. Phone company suxs and would not work with us so we have no phone (our cell phones are company paid so at least we are reachable). And the city water would not budge a bit even though we proved that we were not getting paid by our employer! So they are the first we pay.

Good luck! And remember it doesnt hurt to ask for assistance from the utilties! Oh and yes, the price of natural gas has skyrocked this spring/summer!

[cinnamonch]

My gf called me yesterday about her gas bill and she was told the meter reader uses binoculars to read the meters (wth - her bill was 1/3 of last year's entire billing). She hung up with that person and called back and after she got through, she has a credit of about $150.

Have you gone out yourself to look at the meter to see what the reading is? A lot of times, the people who read the meters just estimate it and never actually check it. If you have your bills from the last few months, check to see what they said the readings were and compare them.

Are you renting your home or something? Who did the wiring were you live? If you had someone to do it, then they are liable and you need to get on the phone and get them over there ASAP.

[Sunnymoonx]

Our gas company installed new meters a few years ago. They are remote. The company drives by and uses some kind of remote to read the meter. They dont have to get out of the car or use their binoculars (OMG i cant believe someone actually said that!)
Seems so far to be pretty accurate and we havent had any problems.

Sdmay I am so sorry to hear about your money troubles. I know the feeling and it stinks! It always seems as if it all comes down at the same time. Good luck to you. I hope everything turns out OK.

[~MK~]

We were in the same boat. We owe the gas company over 3000.00. They were supposed to come shut it off a month ago but never did. I wonder if that's because they couldn't get to the meter. :D

BTW, filing bankruptcy won't help unless you plan on moving somewhere with a different electric company. They will shut you off immediately and charge awful deposits.

[rain_cries]

OMG! I am going through this same thing with the electric company. We use propane heat, so our electric bill shouldnt go up in the winter and our bill was over $700! They did send a guy out and they dont know where the electricty is going... Good luck hon... (((hugs)))

[magicwoman19]

Oh I am so sorry to hear about that, I owe our gas company 300.00, and if we ever move out of this apartment, we won't have any gas. We got lucky and got an apartment with gas and water furnished. That is the only way we have those two things right now. I know what you are going through, and you are in my thoughts and prayers. {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}

[enola615]

I know this will upset a lot of people, but please don't blame me. I heard on the news the other night that due to a large shortage of natural gas to the US they estimate at least a 300% increase in natural gas. I'm glad I've got all electric in my apartment.

[Gumball1960]

Don't count on all-electric being cheaper either. I saw on the news today where several of the power plants that produce the electricity run on natural gas and not coal. The cost will be passed on to you anyway. :mad:

[Gitty]

There is a phone # on the bottom of your bills. It says, If you are having problems with a utility and it isn't resolved please call this # (your states utility commission or attorney genrals office) Call that # and ask them to help you. Maybe you have a leak in your yard or down the street. Or maybe someone has hooked up their to yours. Call the # they will do a investigation.

[RNB16]

We had a really high gas bill 2 months ago and found out that it was the supplier of our gas. Awhile back we had suppliers calling everyone saying they can lock them into the lowest rate right now if we switch to them as our supplier. Well much to my surprise 6 months later I found out they were 2 times as much as our regular company that bills us. So we had DTE as our gas company with another supplier listed. Well I switched back to the regular company and now our bill is less than half of what it was. When I called the supplier company U.S Poer and Gas I told them I feel as if I had been mislead by their represetative. Well now if I could only find out why my electric bill is double I'd be happy. But they refuse to come and check out meter and lines to see if there is a problem.

[sdmay3]

I called the utility company and complained. She wanted to give me some energy tips over the phone. I told her I didn't need any energy tips as the only gas we are using is to the water heaters. She admited that this bill was double what we were paying in the winter and did not seem right. So she sent someone out to check the meter. Last month they had estimated the reading and this month it was read wrong. We have been overcharged altogether around $1000 dollars. So they told me not to pay anything until we get another bill. They are going to put a new meter in next week. You have no idea how big of a relief this is!!!!

[cinnamonch]

Sdmay,

Im glad to see it worked out ok.