But I set my thermostat on 68!

I've had several people I know open their utility bill this month and go into shock. "But I set my thermostat at 68!" they say. I've also heard other variations like, "I set my thermostat on 63!" and "But I wasn't even warm!" (Okay maybe that last one came from me.)

Others, who may or may not have followed our advice to set the thermostat at 68, have asked, "Did rates go up?" I've also heard, "They must have estimated my bill."

I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that we've had a lot of requests to re-read people's meters this month.

This "sticker shock" happens every year, although usually a little later, like in February. Everyone take a deep breath and keep reading.

Remember our car analogy? If you drive 55 miles an hour (the recommended speed) you still have to pay more in gas if you drive to Nashville, rather than downtown Memphis. Sixty-eight is our recommended setting for the thermostat, but if it's 10 degrees outside it takes a whole lot more energy to achieve 68 than it does when its 45 degrees outside.

There is lots of good information to help you figure out why your bill is high right there on the bill. In addition to looking at the kilowatts used (or the ccf for gas), you can also see the average temperature and the days of service you are being billed for. The average temperature last month on my bill was 38 degrees. And chances are your bill was for more than 30 days service, due to the holidays and extreme weather. (Mine was 35 days, which is the maximum billing cycle.) Additionally, if your bill was estimated, it will say so on the bill. Just an FYI--97% of meters were read in December.

If you have enrolled in our My Account feature, you can go online and see your bills from this time last year and compare. The reality of the situation is that rates are actually lower, but the way colder weather has made our "savings" nearly impossible to enjoy.

The figures below show the average residential natural gas and electric usage during the cold spell compared to the same time in 2009.

Gas
2009 Avg ccf 119
2010 Avg ccf 196, 65% increase

2009 Avg Bill $139.81
2010 Avg Bill $159.14, 14% increase

Even though consumption has increased by 65% for this period, gas costs are much lower than last year, resulting in a 14% increase in the average bill.

Electric
2008 Avg kWh 1,173
2009 Avg kWh 1,372, 17% increase

2008 Avg Bill $114.13
2009 Avg Bill $110.10, 4% decrease

Hopefully we've seen our highest bills of the year. If you have any questions about your bill, I'm happy to investigate for you. Please email me your address: sgreenberg@mlgw.org.