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Yeah, there's simply no way that figure is correct. It sounds like you're paying for several people's electricity. A space heater simply can't use that much, unless by "space heater" you mean "freaking industrial warehouse heater running all damn day." That's wonderful that ConEd can simply stonewall you and basically stick their fingers in their ears and shout, "LA LA LA, CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
Unless you have a large apartment, your figures all around seem pretty high. I have a one bedroom, and in the winter I average around $75-$80 (with a space heater) and in the summer around the $100 mark with the A/C going.
It is a junior 2 br but I ended up sleeping in the smaller bedroom because it was easier/more economical to heat that with the small space heater. I knew the space heater would spike the bill so I only got a small one and I slept in the smaller bedroom. Sad I know. And no, it wasn't all day - just at night.
I am just having my morning coffee so maybe a little foggy:
BUT I see "116,000 kwhr." At $.29 per Kwhr one would expect to pay $33,640.
Okay, now lets look at a space heater, usually 1500 watts or 1.5 Kw. Running continously for 2 months, an assumption, will use 1116 Kwhr costing $324. This is awful but nowhere near itsasmallworld's billing.
So someone IS using your electricity. It happened to me for months and months till I figured it out (a large apartment was broken into 2 and all the electricity came through MY meter.)
Do you have access to your meter. READ IT, RECORD IT to get a baseline.
Then throw the circuit breaker (or pull the fuse if an ancient building.)
When I did it, it didn't take long for my neighbor to come into the hall complaining about "no lights."
I quizzed nim and he said "The landlord told me my electricity was included in the rent."
So I offered to split the bill but he said NO.
So then whenever I went out I unscrewed my fuse.
The landlord had him wired separately.
In any case, snoop around and see what power goes off or what tenants come out grumbling...perhaps the entire basement. BUT since the brouhaha occurred midwinter, my guess is that you are paying for someone to run SEVERAL space heaters full tilt.
Walk around with witnesses and take pictures of everything in case you try to recover the $2500 in court.
A home just cannot use $2500 worth of electricity in 2 months. We had 2 - 5,000 Watt electric heaters to provide ALL my heat and NOB0DY in the building ever paid more than a $400 electric bill...ever. So there is theft of service going on for sure.
(Natural Gas to run an oven is quite cheap.)
Interesting info. I have never heard of anything like this. But then, I have never been in this situation before. I have a feeling if I disconnect something, the hallway lights will go out.
I got a call back from con ed and again they tried to ask me about a space heater - I admitted nothing. Because I don't want anyone to try to tell me one space heater for a tiny junior bedroom (the kind with no closets that people use for kids' rooms or offices or junk rooms) would do that kind of damage. So I spoke firmly and said that unless I had several heaters around the clock, there is no way one person could use that much energy. Then she noticed that the entire building is high during the winter months. I have spoken to neighbors and they are also cold in the winter. If enough of us complain, we might get them to crank up the heat. But in the meantime, Con Ed is coming out later this month to investigate. After several phone calls and varied answers, I got them to halt the billing so the interest doesn't go up.
This is really a shame. But at least I am more knowledgeable now when I state my case. I knew nothing about kwh before this and I still didn't know how much a space heater would use. Thank you for sharing!
It is a junior 2 br but I ended up sleeping in the smaller bedroom because it was easier/more economical to heat that with the small space heater. I knew the space heater would spike the bill so I only got a small one and I slept in the smaller bedroom. Sad I know. And no, it wasn't all day - just at night.
You are probably paying the Con Edison bill for the whole building. ( Atleast 4-5 apartments)
Like Kefir King mentioned:
At $.29 per Kwh
For 1500 watts space heater Running only at night( Let say 10 hours)
For 30 days = 432 kwh= $125.
2 months = 864 khw= $225
If you run the space heater 24/7
For 30 days = 1037 kwh = $ 301
2 months = 2074 kwh = $ 601
If average Con Ed bill for a small 1 br apartment is average $60-70 without
using air conditioner. Then adding all the household items, your Con Ed bill
should be around $200 per months even if you use a 1500 watts space
heater 10 hours per day.
forget the con ed bill, a space heater left on all night long is a FIRE HAZZARD.
I dont know how you can put your head to the pillow with it on and asleep.
We have all heard so many space heater fire stories, it scares me half to death, and I live in an apartment building.
forget the con ed bill, a space heater left on all night long is a FIRE HAZZARD.
I dont know how you can put your head to the pillow with it on and asleep.
We have all heard so many space heater fire stories, it scares me half to death, and I live in an apartment building.
Thank you, I am aware of the risks, which is why I chose a heater with enerfy saver mode, so it would shut itself off. Not perfect but there are things you can do to minimize risks. I appreciate your concern and I am sure there is a thread here that covers that topic. But this one is about people's experiences with con ed and theft of services.
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What is the charge per KWH? Here 11,000 KWH would run about $600 which seems quite normal for 2 months in winter in a decent sized house, though high for an apartment. Running a 1500 watt space heater 24 hours a day is about $2.20 a day, or $68/month. Even at $0.29/KWH that's only $321/month, and if electricity cost that much I'd move.
Unless you have a really high KWH rate, not only are others using your electricity but they are likely growing weed with lots of grow lights.
Now there IS another possibility:
If the meter reader read ONE of the first two digits of the 5 digit meter wrong, the error could result in a MASSIVE overcharge. It HAS happened before.
Hemlock,
Quote:
What is the charge per KWH? Here 11,000 KWH would run about $600 which seems quite normal for 2 months in winter in a decent sized house, though high for an apartment. Running a 1500 watt space heater 24 hours a day is about $2.20 a day, or $68/month.
Where are you? You are talking 6 cent electricity, something that the Northeast has not seen in many many years. Probably something NYC hasn't seen in the lifetime of any posters.
Now there IS another possibility:
If the meter reader read ONE of the first two digits of the 5 digit meter wrong, the error could result in a MASSIVE overcharge. It HAS happened before.
Hemlock,
Where are you? You are talking 6 cent electricity, something that the Northeast has not seen in many many years. Probably something NYC hasn't seen in the lifetime of any posters.
here is a breakdown of my bill since I moved
[
6/22/2011-7/22/2011: 640 kwh=$187.16 (ac in the evenings and on weekends)
5/23/2011-6/22/2011: 280 kwh= $87.45 (no space heater or ac)
4/22/2011-5/23/2011: 340 kwh=$99.75 (no space heater or ac, still a little high)
3/24/2011-4/22/2011: 450 kwh=$113.25 (no space heater)
2/23/2011-3/24/2011: 630 kwh= $153.98 (still using space heater for part of this time)
12/21/2010-2/23/2011: 11,670 kwh=$2,464.64 (used the space heater at night)
11/19/2010-12/21/2010: 830 kwh= $204.19 (I got the space heater in December)
10/20/2010-11/19/2010: 350 kwh=$97.33 (no ac or space heater – but still a little expensive)
9/21/2010-10/20/2010: 340 kwh=$90.06 (no ac or space heater – my lowest bill, still expensive)
8/20/2010-9/21/2010: 710 kwh=$170.28 (ac maybe for part of this time, no ac in September)
7/22/2010-8/20/2010: 710 kwh=$174.27 (ac in the evenings and weekends)
4/16/2010-7/22/2010: 2,090 kwh=$579.15 (no space heater, ac started in June but only in the evenings and on weekends)
Last edited by itsasmallworld; 08-03-2011 at 07:30 AM..
Reason: was illegible
Thank you, I am aware of the risks, which is why I chose a heater with enerfy saver mode, so it would shut itself off. Not perfect but there are things you can do to minimize risks. I appreciate your concern and I am sure there is a thread here that covers that topic. But this one is about people's experiences with con ed and theft of services.
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