We just got our gas bill from Vectren yesterday. We used to pay just $3.50 several years ago as a service charge each month but that was increased to $7.34 about two years ago. Now, realize that we use NO gas at the "Old Crack House" or so little that we got billed for one ccf last year and that was for cumulative use of the tankless water heater. Now the fee has increased to $13.47 a month with an added volume charge based on usage. Next year it will go up to $18.37 with no volumetric charge. That means we are paying 83% more for a product that we aren't using. I don't understand it. The world markets are plummeting, we have another 100 plus years supply of natural gas and the cost of that has decreased about 30% since last summer. So, how can it cost 83% more to get it to my house when it has been coming in since the 1890s and I have gas lines in my floor to prove it!
Why not close out your account? I certainly wouldnt pay if I wasnt using it anymore! Get off the grid! Thats one of my big things over the next year or two. Completely disconnect myself from any grid. If there is ever a catastrophe, greater depression, whatever, I wont be worried like all the neighbors.
ReplyDeleteHere in SoCal, our gas bill last month was $16 :) and thats becuase we are cooking more to help out my dad choose better foods, instead of eating at restaurants. Sure it gets into the 40s at night still, and we really dont have insulation anywhere, but with enough blankets and a cat who thinks he owns the best, we are plenty warm :)
Yeah, what the previous poster said! You can have them either close out the account and shut you off altogether, or just suspend billing due to non-use/construction for now. I am doing a similar thing for the time being at my office - out heater is the only thing in the place that uses gas, and it needs work so it is shut off and the gas co is not reading the meter or sending a bill. They will resume when I call them after it's repaired. They were charging me $30 a month for NO gas use, just for the privilege of being billed.
ReplyDeleteWe could shut off the service but there is a $60 reconnection fee and since we plan on being in this place this year .... it isn't worth it.
ReplyDeleteLet me bend over to pick up that quarter ......
Maybe I missed some detail when reading, but it's going to cost more than $60 just to keep the account "active" until you plan on using the gas again. Any chance of switching to propane tanks? But, yes - it is outrageous anyway.
ReplyDeleteIn 4 plus months we will have paid about $60 to Vectren for the gas bill. We plan to be living here before then. Our water heater uses gas, our stove uses gas and our dryer is a gas dryer, so we need the service. I hope to get a new furnace installed too but gas will not be our primary source of heat if we can help it.
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