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Our electric cooperative is really gouging us. Last bill was $376 for one month. Our main heat source is propane although we do use wall heaters occasionally. Having already paid off the initial line installation contract, half 376. for January sounds more reasonable. When I call them they have a "reason" for every increase. How do you fight these folks?
OP, what is your KW rate (how much per kilowatt-hour?) and how many KWh did you use?
That is a rather high bill, but FWIW a co-op does not "gouge" a member, they operate at break-even and return any profit they make on you to you. Unless they have selected you for specific abuse, which is not likely.
Regular plug-in heater will use about one KWh per hour - that is, they draw about 1000 Watts. If your rate is say 10 cents per KWh, if they are on 24/7 each small heater could be adding $2.40 to your bill daily, so could be costing you $72 each for a 30 day month. Unlikely you have them set so high they stay on 24/7, but maybe you do, or if you have old-school heaters with no thermostat, that could be a lot of your bill.
Beyond that, how big a house, how many people, what level of insulation, electric or gas water heat, electric or gas range (and how much do you cook) and of course what region of the country are you in?
Oh wait, were you serious? Are there places where there are actually choices of electricity providers?
In my area, my only choice besides Idaho Power is to go off the grid completely, with solar or something. It is difficult to fight the electric company's decisions when there is no competing company. You take what they dish out, or you provide your own power.
Idaho Power files rate changes with Idaho Public Utilities Commission. If they aren't serving your needs as a consumer, then it sounds like your state government is allowing a company to exploit its citizens for profit, and that's something you'll have to take up with your state government.
Oh wait, were you serious? Are there places where there are actually choices of electricity providers?
In my area, my only choice besides Idaho Power is to go off the grid completely, with solar or something. It is difficult to fight the electric company's decisions when there is no competing company. You take what they dish out, or you provide your own power.
Hahahahahhaha
Yes there are different electric providers. We have several in Ohio.
Idaho Power files rate changes with Idaho Public Utilities Commission. If they aren't serving your needs as a consumer, then it sounds like your state government is allowing a company to exploit its citizens for profit, and that's something you'll have to take up with your state government.
No, I don't feel like Idaho Power is taking advantage of us, in fact, we have some of the cheapest power in the country. I'm really quite happy with Idaho Power, for the most part. I was just pointing out that changing power companies, as was suggested, is not always an option.
Then the system is working as it should. The point is that in the OP's situation (remember, this is a thread based on the OP's situation - not yours) either changing suppliers or going to the utilities commission is the proper direction. Sitting behind your computer, you have no idea which is the right approach for the OP, because the OP has chosen not to share their locality with you.
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