Petty Vents

[Cooking Goddess]

Dawg, my Mom used to call that "book smart, life stupid". The higher the IQ, the lower the common sense. I have a child who is living (so far) proof of that.

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I have to vent about our electric bill. Although we heat with fuel oil (thank goodness that has gone down in price this winter) we heat our hot water with electric, as well as cooking, drying clothes, etc. In past winters, our bill was probably around $110 for the high bill, what with Christmas cooking and lights and such. This last bill was Oh My God! We were gone for 13 of the 35 days in this billing cycle. While we were gone (OH for Christmas with the kids, family funeral in PA early this month) we turned the hot water tank off. Obviously we weren't watching TV or cooking/baking. This bill? $160!!! Damn, I despise National Grid right now...

 

[Cheryl J]

Good thing he doesn't read here!

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Dawg, Himself said a sharp crack with a rolled-up newspaper usually does the trick.

 

[Dawgluver]

I didn't catch him in the act until it was already squirted. I did have a newspaper handy had I known.

 

[Caslon]

We just got a new 50 inch TV and I'm a nervous wreck worrying that my 6 year old grandson will either throw something or bump into it and knock it over. All the years raising our kids we never had a TV incident. (Knock on wood!)

Oooo, so sorry. LG just this month came out with the first non glass OLED TV. It 's a flexible plastic material. Good for them.

 

[roadfix]

We just got a new 50 inch TV and I'm a nervous wreck worrying that my 6 year old grandson will either throw something or bump into it and knock it over. All the years raising our kids we never had a TV incident. (Knock on wood!)

Then don't use the tv stand/base. Instead, mount the screen on the wall, up a little high. He may still throw things at it (my grandkids did) but at least he won't be able to knock it down.

 

[CarolPa]

Dawg, my Mom used to call that "book smart, life stupid". The higher the IQ, the lower the common sense. I have a child who is living (so far) proof of that.

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My daughter-in-law is like that, AND she is a natural blonde. She has a master's degree. When my grandson was born she told me that "he weighed 7 lbs 8 oz, but I don't know how many oz make a lb." What? How can you go all through 12 years of school, 4 years of college and 2 years for the masters program and not know how many oz are in a lb?

 

[CarolPa]

Dawglover, I think some men do things wrong so they won't ever have to do them again. I know I am going to get beat up over that comment, but guys, please note I said "some." I am not including any of the male members of DC, whom I KNOW would NEVER think of doing that!!

 

[Dawgluver]

Dawglover, I think some men do things wrong so they won't ever have to do them again. I know I am going to get beat up over that comment, but guys, please note I said "some." I am not including any of the male members of DC, whom I KNOW would NEVER think of doing that!!

There was an "Everybody Loves Raymond" episode that addressed that same issue!

 

[Mad Cook]

Dawg, my Mom used to call that "book smart, life stupid". The higher the IQ, the lower the common sense. I have a child who is living (so far) proof of that.

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I have to vent about our electric bill. Although we heat with fuel oil (thank goodness that has gone down in price this winter) we heat our hot water with electric, as well as cooking, drying clothes, etc. In past winters, our bill was probably around $110 for the high bill, what with Christmas cooking and lights and such. This last bill was Oh My God! We were gone for 13 of the 35 days in this billing cycle. While we were gone (OH for Christmas with the kids, family funeral in PA early this month) we turned the hot water tank off. Obviously we weren't watching TV or cooking/baking. This bill? $160!!! Damn, I despise National Grid right now...

Perhaps they estimated the bill instead of reading the meter? Can you dispute it?

 

[Cooking Goddess]

MC, "no" and "probably no". This was a read bill, and I tried to dispute an electric bill ages ago and got nothing but aggravation. Now that I'm old and have high blood pressure, it's probably cheaper to pay it than need to see the doctor! We just had a rate increase on the cost of supply, but the transmission charges are pretty much the same. Our supply costs went up about 37%! Since we have to use National Grid for transmission BUT we can shop around for a supplier, I'll have to get Himself on track to start shopping around. Fortunately, he can do it from the comfort of his recliner.

 

[Aunt Bea]

MC, "no" and "probably no". This was a read bill, and I tried to dispute an electric bill ages ago and got nothing but aggravation. Now that I'm old and have high blood pressure, it's probably cheaper to pay it than need to see the doctor! We just had a rate increase on the cost of supply, but the transmission charges are pretty much the same. Our supply costs went up about 37%! Since we have to use National Grid for transmission BUT we can shop around for a supplier, I'll have to get Himself on track to start shopping around. Fortunately, he can do it from the comfort of his recliner.

I have National Grid pay more for the delivery charges than I do for the electricity and gas each month. It's frustrating in months when people do not use a sufficient amount of electricity and gas for home heating we get hit with an additional service charge to make up for the reduced sales. The whole thing defeats the idea of trying to conserve. I miss the good old days when you just paid for what you used!

 

[Mad Cook]

MC, "no" and "probably no". This was a read bill, and I tried to dispute an electric bill ages ago and got nothing but aggravation. Now that I'm old and have high blood pressure, it's probably cheaper to pay it than need to see the doctor! We just had a rate increase on the cost of supply, but the transmission charges are pretty much the same. Our supply costs went up about 37%! Since we have to use National Grid for transmission BUT we can shop around for a supplier, I'll have to get Himself on track to start shopping around. Fortunately, he can do it from the comfort of his recliner.

Having recently had an estimated bill for a house I look after but which is vacant, I submitted a correct but lower electricity meter reading on-line. Got an email back. It didn't have "YOU ARE A LIAR" on the subject line but it was very close! They would have to send an official (not a meter reader, mind, but an "OFFICIAL") to check my reading because it was lower than THEY thought it should be and woe be-tide me if I had tried, feloniously, to give them an incorrect reading. "THEFT OF ELECTRICITY IS A CRIME" they said in capital letters!

 

[Addie]

Having recently had an estimated bill for a house I look after but which is vacant, I submitted a correct but lower electricity meter reading on-line. Got an email back. It didn't have "YOU ARE A LIAR" on the subject line but it was very close! They would have to send an official (not a meter reader, mind, but an "OFFICIAL") to check my reading because it was lower than THEY thought it should be and woe be-tide me if I had tried, feloniously, to give them an incorrect reading. "THEFT OF ELECTRICITY IS A CRIME" they said in capital letters!

That what I love about DC. We have all sorts of folks. Even thieves! I can't wait to hear how this saga ends. Get ready to tell them "I told you so!"

I got my former landlord on a Felony Charge of stealing electricity. I had moved out and told the electric company to send me the final bill. The landlord called them and told them I decided to not move out, so they shouldn't shut the electricity off. He wanted the lights on so he could use it at night when he was working on the apartment. He got a hefty fine of $1000 dollars and six months probation. He was lucky I didn't push for jail time for him. I used to be his favorite tenant. But not anymore.

 

[Mad Cook]

That what I love about DC. We have all sorts of folks. Even thieves! I can't wait to hear how this saga ends. Get ready to tell them "I told you so!"

I got my former landlord on a Felony Charge of stealing electricity. I had moved out and told the electric company to send me the final bill. The landlord called them and told them I decided to not move out, so they shouldn't shut the electricity off. He wanted the lights on so he could use it at night when he was working on the apartment. He got a hefty fine of $1000 dollars and six months probation. He was lucky I didn't push for jail time for him. I used to be his favorite tenant. But not anymore.

Good for you Addie.

With mine I just told them to come and check it out. The chap read the meter, told me I was right and I was off the hook. Apparently, it's a standard letter which I thought was a bit naughty. It would throw some customers into a panic.

 

[CarolPa]

After DH got a divorce from wife #1, his water bill dropped so drastically that the water company sent out a guy to check the meter. They thought it was broken. Going from baths and laundry for 4 people to bath and laundry for 1 person makes a real big difference! Not to mention flushing the toilet!

 

[Cooking4to]

utility bills are getting out of hand, a tenant of mine has 2 kids {teenagers} and rents an apartment of mine that is just over 1600 sq ft, she was recently divorced and this is her first winter on her own. The rent is $1700 per month with no utilities included {I gave her a discount the previous tenant was $1800 and the unit above her is $1800 and the unit on the side of her is $2000 per month}, anyway she called me and asked if she could come by my office for a meeting, I explained she had to talk to my office manager since she dealt with everything and I am hardly ever at the office, but she was upset so wanted to talk to me personally...

I agreed and had her come to the house to talk to me, she brought all her bills and her pay stubs, she showed me that she can not afford the gas and electric bills. She could afford it in the summer but the winter added $200 or so a month and she can not afford it. So she is a good tenant and most will just make you evict them after they dont pay for 4 months. She asked if I could lower the rent for the cold months, so instead of doing that {it would be hard to keep track of} I lowered it $100 a month all year {as long as she promised not to tell the other tenants}..

This time of year is really hard on people, I hate wasting money on utilities, I have solar arrays and heat with coal {100% solar and coal} so our house {over 4K sq ft} costs about $1500 per year for electric and to heat and cool it year round. My neighbors home is smaller than ours and costs $7500 per year just in oil!!!

 

[Addie]

utility bills are getting out of hand, a tenant of mine has 2 kids {teenagers} and rents an apartment of mine that is just over 1600 sq ft, she was recently divorced and this is her first winter on her own. The rent is $1700 per month with no utilities included {I gave her a discount the previous tenant was $1800 and the unit above her is $1800 and the unit on the side of her is $2000 per month}, anyway she called me and asked if she could come by my office for a meeting, I explained she had to talk to my office manager since she dealt with everything and I am hardly ever at the office, but she was upset so wanted to talk to me personally...

I agreed and had her come to the house to talk to me, she brought all her bills and her pay stubs, she showed me that she can not afford the gas and electric bills. She could afford it in the summer but the winter added $200 or so a month and she can not afford it. So she is a good tenant and most will just make you evict them after they dont pay for 4 months. She asked if I could lower the rent for the cold months, so instead of doing that {it would be hard to keep track of} I lowered it $100 a month all year {as long as she promised not to tell the other tenants}..

This time of year is really hard on people, I hate wasting money on utilities, I have solar arrays and heat with coal {100% solar and coal} so our house {over 4K sq ft} costs about $1500 per year for electric and to heat and cool it year round. My neighbors home is smaller than ours and costs $7500 per year just in oil!!!

It is folks like you that make this a better world to live in. Thank you for that small ray of hope for mankind.

 

[CarolPa]

I know I feel the pinch of utilities now that I'm retired. My income went down, but the utilities have gone up so much remembering back to what they were when I was still working. My income is not low enough to qualify for any assistance, and I'm not really complaining. I know that many others are not so fortunate. My brother-in-law is very low income but won't apply for anything because of the red tape. He just turned 65 and is eligible for a rent rebate of $500 per year. He is afraid to ask his landlord to sign the form because he thinks if they know he is getting that money they will raise his rent. He does not have a lease. He is month-to-month.

 

[Mad Cook]

I know I feel the pinch of utilities now that I'm retired. My income went down, but the utilities have gone up so much remembering back to what they were when I was still working. My income is not low enough to qualify for any assistance, and I'm not really complaining. I know that many others are not so fortunate. My brother-in-law is very low income but won't apply for anything because of the red tape. He just turned 65 and is eligible for a rent rebate of $500 per year. He is afraid to ask his landlord to sign the form because he thinks if they know he is getting that money they will raise his rent. He does not have a lease. He is month-to-month.

I know things are different over there but surely he has some sort of tenants rights? Is there an organisation supporting older people where he lives? We have a charity called Age Concern over here which looks after the interests of the elderly. If there is something similar over there they may be able to advise him of his rights and help him with his form filling. They may even be able to stand up to his landlord for him