GAS bill TOO HIGH, need some suggestions..Buford Area..$523 a month (Atlanta: new house, water heater)

[happyharriedmom]

I know this is a little late, but I live in city limits and have the opposite experience. Our gas bill has been lower this year than in past years. We have 3000sft., including a fully finished basement with single paned windows. We tweaked our thermostat, but I am also home all the time, as are my children--we homeschool. So you would think our bills would be higher than others. And no, we aren't a nuts and granola, hyper environmental family--unfortunately, far from it. You may not be aware, but the city redid many gas lines in the last year. We know because for two days, they accidentally cut us off of the whole circuit when they converted over. Perhaps something happened when they changed over? The conversion was done in the late summer, I believe.

My point? Do check out your usage on a day when you aren't using much. That usage sounds outrageous. I'm sorry you're having trouble with getting city help. They've always been very helpful for our problems, responding quickly. But I believe there is definitiely something wrong.

Wish I could be more help.

[CHL208]

We live in like a 2000 square foot rental with poor insulation on a crawl and with the thermostat kept at 62-65 most of the time and at times higher. We used 53 therms in December at .84 cents a therm. In 2008 the most therms we used was 154 in a home that was roughly 3600 sq ft with a basement about 11 years old with vaulted ceilings and we were paying $1 a therm.

[gas guzzler]

I also live in Buford and have to use their gas. My home is 2300 sq ft and my gas bill in the winter is as high as 400.00. I asked the gas company to check it. They said they did. I had a heating and air guy come out. He found nothing wrong. My neighbors, with bigger houses, have much smaller bills. I keep the heat on 65 and I dont use much gas otherwise. City of Buford will do nothing!!! It is very frustrating. I have resorted to calling them a couple of times a month and making them come out to check it.

[MuchToDo]

The city of Buford has very unfair practices in thier Utility department. First, you can change your gas provider if you want even though you still get billed through the City. Check out the gas providers in the state at the Georgia Public Service Commission Gas Marketer's rate page. Second, their billing practices are horrendous - don't be even a week late on paying your bill or you may find your gas turned off.

The City of Buford is not regulated by any agency such as the Georgia Public Service Commission or the Georgia Administrative Prodedure Act. Also, if you contact the Georgia Municipal Association, they cannot resolve your complaint, even though one post on this thread suggests to contact them. I contacted them and they explained they really couldn't take my complaint.

The only real recourse is to attend a Buford Commissioner's meeting that happens at City Hall the first Monday of every month, but don't expect much unless you show up with an angry hoard, and even then I'm not sure you'll get much sympathy. Consider going all electric - but the City of Buford offers FREE gas lines to your builder as long as they agree to install gas heat, water heater, and a 3rd appliance such as a stove... so don't expect many houses in or around Buford to offer you a non-gas option considering the money savings to the builder to take the free service.

So be aware if moving to Buford Georgia, you will be at the mercy of thier Utility department, and given they are not regulated in the same way as non-city providers, they can pretty much do what they want.

[BufordBlues]

City of Buford is the LAST PLACE any one would want to live. They utility department is a monopoly and they harass the residents. You cannot win for losing with them. They cut off your electricity and gas if you are a day or 2 late WITH NO NOTICE by way of a call or letter or e-mail. Unheard of any where else in the US. The City has high taxes with all the fancy buildings they are building. Do not bother complaining to any one there as they are all related. You have no recourse for any problem, just pay grin and bear it! If I had a choice I would NOT live there. If a resident wants to move in it takes them 3 days to turn the power on. If any other city one has a choice for competition with the utility departments and so one has a better chance of getting good service or changing providers in the event of a problem.

[Hugh Osmus]

I used 22 units of gas for the month of jun. meter agrees, and the bill shows amount due $39. plus tax
total 41.and change, but under amount due it says $450. ,
no explanation for the extra 400 dollars.
last month was the same. 200 dollars added to bill beyond useage.

[flyonpa]

You need to call them...

Are you paying for a "Protection" package, for your stove, hotwater heater, furnace? New Service cost to run the line? Work done on your Gas equipment? Had them install new X and paying for it monthly? Billing of unpaid bill?

[eramos21]

The city of Buford Have a monopoly they charge whatever they want for they service. The Love to disconnect to charge 75 dollars for re-connect. and for years are just flying under the radar by oppressing people to pay what they want when they what, Someone shut sue them for bean thieves.

[jhtrico1850]

Since this got bumped, wanted to share my gas usage this winter for a new (2017) 3 story 1805 square foot townhouse with a basement.

I started to program my programmable thermostat early January (initially had the basement set at 72, which made it run constantly and then fail). Crazy how base charges are most of the costs.

Basement: 68 from 7a-8a and 6p-8p, else 62
Kitchen/living room: 74 from 7a-8a and 6p-8p, else 68
Bedrooms: 76 from 6p-8a, else 70

10/13/17 - 11/13/17: 10 therms @ $0.42/therm + ~$35 base/sales tax/customer service charge = $38.85
12/13/17 - 1/12/18: 63 therms @ $0.42/therm + $44 base/sales tax/customer service charge = $70.09
1/12/18 - 2/13/18: 48 therms @ $0.42/therm + ~$44 base/sales tax/customer service charge = $64.12
2/13/18 - 3/14/18: 17 therms @ $0.42/therm + $32.24 base charges = $47.52

[plan84]

Same here... pay about $50 to $60 per month. Townhome 1800 sf. 3 and 2.5. temp about 65 to 72 all year. Some of the posts on here seem outlandish.