Hydro

[411ken]

Just wondering... how much are you guys' hydro bill every 2 months? (summer and winter bills)

Noticed our bill doubled from Aug-Oct bill and Oct-Dec. bill

First time home owner here btw so I could use all the info

[Soundy]

Do you have electric heat?

Oct-Dec. may be your adjustment period - generally they look at the house's bill for the past year, then average your bi-monthly bills over the next year based on that. Once a year, they look at the actual usage, and adjust that bill by that amount.

For example, if your total usage was $2400 last year, they'd then bill you $200/mo for the next year, but at the end of that year, if you actually used a total of $2500 worth, that bill would be $300.

[411ken]

Yea, we have electric heat

Electric Charges

Oct 07 to Dec 07 ( Residential Conservation Rate 1101 )
Basic Charge: 62 days @ $0.14480 /day
8.98
*
Energy charge:

Step 1: 1376 kW.h @ $0.06670 /kW.h
91.78
*
Step 2: 1354 kW.h @ $0.09620 /kW.h
130.25
*
Rate Rider at 2.5%
5.78
*
Regional transit levy: 62 days @ $0.06240 /day
3.87
*
* HST
28.87

BC HST Residential Energy Credit
16.58
CR

[411ken]

Does this look about right? So our "bill" is really 91.78$ only but they add $130$ based on the last year if I understand that correctly.

Our bill from Aug-Oct was 93$ or something


We've only been living here for 6 months

[TRDood]

I don't believe residental rates use any baseline measures. Those are comercial customers. Hydro's residential rates have 2 parts - low rate up to a certain threshold ($91 in your case) and high rate after a certain threshold ($130 in your case).

Use less energy? But seems like you will have to cut your energy consumption by half if you don't want to get hit by the higher rate.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Soundy]

What does the previous bill show?

[2 n r]

the step one threshold is 22.2kwh per day
so 22.2x62day=1376kwh.. anything above that then enters into step 2 rate
that is a pretty high jump
might want to go read ur meter see if the meter reads similar or slightly higher than what it says on the bill. meter readers may sometimes misread ur meter and over bill
also, do u have electric or gas heat?

[411ken]

Previous bill shows as this

Electric Charges
Aug 09 to Oct 06 ( Residential Conservation Rate 1101 )
Basic Charge: 59 days @ $0.14480 /day 8.54 *
Energy charge:
Step 1: 1122 kW.h @ $0.06670 /kW.h 74.84 *
Step 2: 0 kW.h @ $0.09620 /kW.h 0.00
Rate Rider at 2.5% 2.08 *
Regional transit levy: 59 days @ $0.06240 /day 3.68 *
* HST 10.70
BC HST Residential Energy Credit 5.98 CR


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

$93.86

[411ken]

2nr- we got electric

Just crazy how step 2 got up so high... the wife likes the heater on and the laundry i guess sucks up the hydro...

I guess just gotta find ways to adjust

[411ken]

Also, i guess it's good to join the "team power smart"? LOL

[tiger_handheld]

how come you guys don't go on equal monthly payments?

our bill every month is $44 and is reconciled once a year.

over the past 5 years , our monthly payment has increased from $36-$44

[411ken]

^ Noob here... but what difference would it make if you dont mind me asking

Is your bill still at 44 a month even during winter? :S

[tiger_handheld]

Originally Posted by 411ken

^ Noob here... but what difference would it make if you dont mind me asking

Is your bill still at 44 a month even during winter? :S

Yes, its $44 per month during winter.

Equal monthly plans look at the previous electricity usage at the address, and devy up the costs equally over 12 months. Lets assume, $120 per year for 1200 kwh used in 2010. Using that info Hydro will bill you $10 per month for 2011 (Jan -Dec). In December hydro notices that you used 2400kwh in 2011, your final bill in december (or whatever the reconciliation month is) will be $130 (extra usage at $120 and $10 monthly payment). In 2012, hydro will adjust your monthly payment to $20 per month since in 2011 you used 2400kwh.

Equal monthly plans , make it very easy to budget and every month you see a "Bill amount to date" and "Cost of gas to date" , if you cost of gas is higher, expect your monthly amount to increase next year and vv.

Hope that helps.


*for simplicity sake, i'm assuming rates never go up - but even if they do everything will be reconciled in the reconciliation month

[quasi]

Edit: NM answered above.

[tiger_handheld]

Originally Posted by 2 n r

the step one threshold is 22.2kwh per day
so 22.2x62day=1376kwh.. anything above that then enters into step 2 rate
that is a pretty high jump
might want to go read ur meter see if the meter reads similar or slightly higher than what it says on the bill. meter readers may sometimes misread ur meter and over bill
also, do u have electric or gas heat?

Meter readers visit the property every two months. First month they will see that OP used 100 kwh, second month Hydro ASSUMES OP used another 100 and bills for that. Third month meter reader visits the property again and sees that the meter is only at 280, instead of 300 , so they will adjust in 3rd month for the assumption made in the second month.

I'm not sure if it's different for Equal payment customers, but this happened to me, and it was adjusted in the 3rd month.

[411ken]

Thanks! so it's pretty much the same as we'll have to pay the difference in chunk if we go "over" at the end of the year...

We'll see how the next 2 months go.. lol.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by 411ken

^ Noob here... but what difference would it make if you dont mind me asking

Over the course of a year... none. Just a difference of how it's all split up. Kinda like Autoplan 12 - your insurance costs the same whether you pay it all upfront for the year, or split it over the 12 months.