PNM Deposit seems excessive (credit rating, how much, movies)

[theplu]

Yeah we hooked up DirectTV with no LAN line. The Internet connection is only necessary for on-demand.

[dagnabit9]

Originally Posted by Poncho_NM

You do not have to have a telephone to establish service with DirecTV. I have not hooked up a phone to my DirecTV in over 10 years in two different states.

DIRECTV Phone Connection - Benefits and Requirements


Rich

Well, yes you do, Rich. As a transplanted Michigander, the only way to get sports packages (to watch my sports teams) is to have a phone line. The same is true for pay-per-view movies. Unless you're not using these features then, yes, you are correct.

[Bobby777]

I moved to Albuquerque in May and did not have to make any deposit to get my PNM service going. I'm fresh out of college and had no prior history with them. I do have good credit though.

[Billygoat the Kid]

Originally Posted by theplu

We just moved to ABQ and are required to put down a deposit with PNM since we have no history with them. I guess this is standard procedure here but the amount is almost $400! It seems crazy to me that anyone should have to cough up $400 up front just for them to hold on to - especially with all the other expenses that go along with moving! Is this amount the standard? I also understand that they are the only game in town so this seems a little gouge-y to me.

That is a lot of dough to be coughing up. I will say that even though I really don't like PNM, they do have a program where they buy energy from you if you have solar panels. I know of several people who get paid by PNM from selling their energy back to them.

I try to keep my bills as low as possible. My electric bill this month was $39 and my gas only $18. If I had put in those damn solar panels like I knew I should but didn't, they'd be paying me.


--BtK

[mortimer]

Originally Posted by Billygoat the Kid

I try to keep my bills as low as possible.
My electric bill this month was $39 and my gas only $18.

Would you call yourself a cheap b@stard?

You sound like me and I do.

Originally Posted by Billygoat the Kid

If I had put in those damn solar panels ...
...they'd be paying me.

That's real appealing, but your
payback period is quite high.

One puts solar panels on because it's something
you feel strongly about, not because it's a good
investment. You get a higher payback with
efficient lighting and windows.

[RamblinRoseRanch]

Originally Posted by Poncho_NM

You do not have to have a telephone to establish service with DirecTV. I have not hooked up a phone to my DirecTV in over 10 years in two different states.

DIRECTV Phone Connection - Benefits and Requirements


Rich

Ditto. We haven't ran a landline for years and have never had issues with either Dish or Direct. Of course if we wanted to download movies or dp pay per view we might- but otherwise we can DVR shows and everything without a phone line.

[Billygoat the Kid]

Originally Posted by mortimer

Would you call yourself a cheap b@stard?

You sound like me and I do.

<Humph!> I'd never refer to myself as a b@st@rd. That's low. I prefer the term, cheap S.O.B. It's much more refined and has a nice ring to it.

Originally Posted by mortimer

That's real appealing, but your
payback period is quite high.

One puts solar panels on because it's something
you feel strongly about, not because it's a good
investment. You get a higher payback with
efficient lighting and windows.

I have replaced most of my light bulbs with those toxic, fancy-pants 'ecco' bulbs that cost me $9 bucks a pop. I know I save some money in the end and they last a long time, plus they light up everything much better.

They say they're ecco friendly. I guess it's better for the environment when the HazMat team comes out to clean up the light bulb I just broke.


--BtK

[_yb]

Originally Posted by dagnabit9

Well, yes you do, Rich. As a transplanted Michigander, the only way to get sports packages (to watch my sports teams) is to have a phone line. The same is true for pay-per-view movies. Unless you're not using these features then, yes, you are correct.

Not true at all!

We have been with direct since the beginning and have never hooked in a phone line. We also subscribe to NFL Sunday ticket and have been for several years. No phone line required.

[mortimer]

Originally Posted by Billygoat the Kid

I have replaced most of my light bulbs with those toxic, fancy-pants 'ecco' bulbs ...

I don't replace bulbs that I turn on and off a lot with those.
They don't handle it as well as traditional bulbs.

Originally Posted by Billygoat the Kid

... that cost me $9 bucks a pop.

They don't cost that much any more.
I still have some that I probably paid that much for.

Originally Posted by Billygoat the Kid

... HazMat team comes out to clean up the light bulb I just broke.

People freak out over stuff that's toxic.
There's a miniscule amount in there and unless you break the bulb
over a casserole you just made and about to eat, you don't have
anything to worry about.

I remember that in the 6th grade I used to have a handful of
Mercury that I used to play with on a daily basis. I didn't eat it,
I just floated stuff in it and watched it roll around and bead up.

From what I understand, unless you heat it up and breathe
in the vapors, it's not seriously dangerous. It's not absorbed
by your skin.

Those bulbs are going to end up being replaced by LED bulbs anyway.

[Mike Horrell]

We've found out that those pigtail bulbs don't do well in fixtures that also have
the "night" switch that prevents them from being turned on except at night.
Apparently the housing code here now requires that a percentage (50% ??) of
outside fixtures on new homes have this feature that turns off the light during
daylight if you don't. We have a number of fixtures that are apparently set up
that way and they blow out pigtails in minutes but a regular bulb will last forever.

When we had the addition built, the electrician had to put at least one exterior
light in using a screw in adapter to met that code. Off course once the inspection
was complete, I could just unscrew it..

The previous owners seem to have used fixtures with that feature built-in on
all the exterior lights.... Never head of it before I moved here..

FWIW, we run about $150-170 a month combined total for all utilities. Each varies
up or down with the season; gas higher in January, electric higher in August
and water consistently about $45 year 'round.

IIRC, PNM charged about $250 for a deposit which I thought was too high.