Why is my BGE bill so high??! (Towson: apartment complex, broker)

[rprotz114]

My boyfriend and I live in an 1100 sqft apartment in Towson. Our BGE bill for mid-May to mid-June was $184!! Needless to say we were taken aback by this bill that just about doubled from the previous month. With no other changes in our energy-use habits, we figured it must be the air conditioning, which we set between 76 and 78 degrees at night, and knocked back to about 80 while we were away at work.

In an attempt to reduce our bill last month, we tried just about EVERYTHING! We kept the air set to about 82 degrees on brutal days when temps exceeded 95 degrees, and shut it off entirely the rest of the month, supplementing only with one box fan in the evenings and at night. Our apartment complex pays for the hot water, and there is no washer/dryer in unit to suck up energy. Additionally, we rarely use our dishwasher (maybe 3 times a month) and always let them airdry rather than using the heat-dry function. The blinds are shut 24/7, lights used minimally (most with energy-efficient bulbs), fridge/freezer are well-stocked to minimize energy needed to cool them, and I neverrr heat up the oven. With all of this effort, however, our bill for mid-June through mid-July came in this week at $168... only a $16 decrease.

BGE claims there is nothing wrong with our bill. So, what can possibly be the issue? HELP, we're going broke!!!

[cbrc5ed]

Have you verified the meter and the bill? Is this including gas?

[rprotz114]

Our apartment is strictly electric, though they charge us $13 flat each month for a "Gas Delivery Service- Customer Charge"

[davecj]

Strange we have a 900 sq ft house in Canton and our bill rarely goes over $100 even in times like this. We only run the AC at night around 72 degrees.

[cbrc5ed]

That does seem quite high, my last 2 bills were less than $50 a month, including gas for a 1000 sq ft rancher with basement.

[Mom-of-two-tots]

We live in a similar size place and our bill was that high also... We run our A/C at 76 when we're home, and put it to 80 when we leave... We just moved here, so I'm not sure what to compare it to... but I'm wondering why some people's bills are so low (davecj), while ours is so high.

[davecj]

It very well could be the house itself. Particularly windows, doors, insulation and the efficiency of the HVAC unit.

I should have included we replaced everything when we did our house and it's about as air tight as it gets. If you have an older house, it's probably leaking like a siv.

[HelpingOthersHelpOthers]

My buddy just convinced me to switch over to a deregulated supplier and I am saving about $85 bucks a month on a $500 BGE bill. Their cheaper rate of .0989/kWh was much better then BGE's .121 rate I was paying. Best part is BGE encourages you to change!

[mj1971]

Hello,

That last post reflected my thoughts exactly. I am a licensed power broker and have been working around the clock helping people save on their electric bill. I will be in Towson all this week between 5 and 9pm. The facts are if you can swich to another energy provider you will save per kilowat hour. It costs you nothing and if you find you want to go back to BGE it will cost nothing to go back.

If you wish I could give you some information on North American Power. We're a new energy start up out of Connecticut with a rate of 9.4 to 9.6/kWh which could provide 10 to 20 percent in monthly savings.

[atariwhizkid]

Not trying to discourage anyone from changing their electric supplier, but you should wait until the new BGE rates are in place before signing a contract with one of these other guys. It's already late in the summer and your rates should be decreasing soon. Plus, by the time you get it switched over (takes about 6 weeks), the fall BGE rates will be in place. While some of the companies that offer alternative prices are cheaper, they usually require you lock in your price with a yearlong contract. Some have cancellation fees which are high. Regardless, if you're locked in for 9.6 cents/kWh and the BGE price goes below that, you're stuck with your new supplier's price. And even if you cancel your contract, it can take up to six weeks for the BGE supply to restart. Just a few considerations.