Understanding utility billing

I mentioned in my last post that I have a goal.  My goal is to save as much as possible on my living expenses so the money can be saved to do major repairs on my house without getting a loan.   I was looking at my water bill and the gas/electric bill.  Can you read the writing on the bottom of this bill?

Ok, it's blurry so I'll tell you what it says.  "On January 1, Louisville Water Company rates increase 4.5%."  That does not mean just add 4.5% to your total bill.  What it means is that each 1,000 gallons of water we use will cost 4.5% more.  Or at least that's the way I understand it.  I do have some time to prepare before January.  It's still 3 bills away.

Our gas/electric bills will be increasing again too.  The public service commission just approved an increase in the cost of renting our meters.  I forget how much the increase is.  Right now I pay $5 per month to rent the electric meter and $9.50 to rent the gas meter.  Did you know you rented the meters?  Yup, you rent them.  That's what the "customer charge" is on the utility bills.  My neighbor's utility bill goes up $14.50 per month even though his utilities were turned off about a year ago.  That's the rent for two meters every month even without using anything.

Those are My current bills.  Gas/electric is on an equal billing plan.  It's $127 a month.  There was a yearly adjustment made last month.  The water bill includes sewage and drainage bills.  It's $76.24 for two months.  Those aren't bad compared to what they were when my daughter and Ladybug lived here.

Well anyway, I thought you might like to understand how utility bills are calculated.  I believe this would be the same method all over the USA?  Basically both our gas/electric and our water bills in this area are calculated the same way.  It's both a tier based system and a demand based system.  What does that mean?  Hmm.... I hope I can explain it so it's understandable. 

The tier based system is sort of like when you file taxes.  If you are in a lower income bracket the amount of your income owed for taxes is a lower percent.  Move to a higher bracket the percentage is higher.  Move to an even higher bracket and the percentage is higher.  You following me so far?  That's a tier system of billing you for taxes. 

With utilities if you use "lower than average household use" in KWHs, you are in the lower tier so you pay less per KWH.  Move into the "average household use" and you are in a higher tier.  Move to "above average household use" and you are in a still higher tier.  While a household that is below the average might pay .07 cents per KWH those in the average household might pay .10 cents per KWH, and the above average household may pay .15 cents per KWH.  These are just made up costs to show the example.  Check with your own utility company to find out the exact figures.  Still following me?

Next is the demand billing part.  Demand is when "the most people" are using it.  Like in the morning when more people are waking up to take a shower, brushing teeth, fixing breakfast and coffee, using a blow dryer, or generally just getting ready to go to work.  Or there is late afternoon when "the most people" are getting home from work, turning up the air conditioner, starting dinner and the dishwasher, turning on the tv and the computer, and so forth.  The more people using utilities, the more the demand.  This translates to higher KWH prices during those times.

Demand costs (peak hours) are billed at a higher rate per KWH than off peak hours of less demand.  What this means is that even though you may fall into a certain tier for most of your usage; if you are running appliances and tvs and computers when "everybody else" is doing the same thing.... you pay more per KWH.  So during off peak times you may be paying .07 cents per KWH and during peak time you may be paying .15 cents per KWH and those in higher tiers are also paying more.  Still with me?

According to the back of my electric/gas bill, the average household uses 1,000 KWH of electricity per month.  1,000 KWHs use would be the middle tier or "average".  I used 1,132 KWH this month so I'm about in the middle tier.  If I can get my usage to below 1,000 KWH per month, say 500 KWH, I will be billed at a lower rate per KWH.  I'm going to call LGE Tuesday to get a rate schedule for my area so I will know for sure what tier I fall into and how much it's costing me.  It will also tell me how far down I must cut my usage to be in the lower tier. 

There's one other factor to the billing.  The area you live in is figured in there somehow.  I'm not exactly sure how because I can't remember.  I think it was by income area or zip codes or something like that.  It too is based on a tier system.  Live in an area where more people are likely to have the utilities turned off and the rate is higher.  Live in a different area that seldom has cut offs and the rate is less.  

The same tier system is used for the water company billing although I can't remember them having a high demand time rate.  I'm not sure what the average household water use is in this area but the bills are based on 1,000 gallons per unit of cost.  I think I'm about average with a use of 2,000 gallons per month.  If I can cut the amount of gallons I use then I can move into the lower tier billing.

Did you know that businesses like laundromats and car washes pay a lessor rate per 1,000 gallons than the average household does?  It's true.   Their bills may be higher dollar wise because they use more water but the actual costs per 1,000 gallons is less than you or I pay.  The same is true of a business that uses lots of electricity and gas like a restaurant or an office building.  Their rate per KWH is less than the average household.  Hmm... I may have to check this out since I haven't seen a rate schedule for a long time.  The rules may have changed since then.  I highly doubt there was a change though.  Businesses have always payed a lower rate than households.

You may wonder why I decided to explain about utility billing.  Well, my opinion is that if you are educated about HOW you are billed, you can use the knowledge to change your habits and save money.  For example if you know that running the dishwasher during peak hours cost a certain amount, maybe you can set the dishwasher on a timer to run in the middle of the night which would costs less.  Also, I needed to refresh my own memory of how the billing works.  Type talking about it helps. 

Can anyone think of anything I forgot about how the billing works?

Analyzing the bills

I happen to be looking for a receipt yesterday which ended up with me doing a "file it" session.  That's one thing I can cross of my to do list.

Then it occurred to me that I haven't analyzed my bills in quite awhile.  I like to go through them every once in awhile to see if I can cut back or in some cases see if I have lost control of what I use.  For example my gas and electric bill. 

 I'm on the equal payment plan but it's about 75 dollars more a month this year than it was last year.  How can that be?  I did have the house well insulated last year and a new furnace and water heater installed.  The bill should be smaller, not higher!  My guess is that a big part of the difference is the hike in costs our utility company has gotten over the past few months.  I'll have to do more researching to know for sure.

I have a meeting later this month to meet with a financial planner.  I am pretty good at figuring out how to save money but it's always nice to have another person to talk with.  An in person conversation between two or more frugal minded people is good.  They may see something in my plans that I don't see and can point it out to me. 

Anyone who has been reading my blogs for awhile know that I desperately need some work done around here.  I have over grown trees in the fence line.  I have major wood damage (pre-termite treatments) to the outside of the house.  I would like to get a stairway built to the basement in order to use it at last.  I will probably need to replace the roof in about 3 or 4 years.  It has a 30 year warranty that will run out about then.  You know what happens when a warranty runs out don't you?  It never fails to need replacing.  There are other things I need too. 

What I'm hoping to do is figure out a way to pay cash for the repairs I need instead of getting a loan.  I hate going into debt if I can avoid it.  I do have a plan in mind which is why I'm meeting with the financial planner.  I want to do this without going back to work full time too.  I like my retirement and really don't want to give it up.  I really hope my plan works! 

First July quilt done

It's quilted and on it's way home to South Carolina.  I hope the owner likes the designs on it as much as I do. 

Starting with the corner blocks.  It's hard to see the stitching on the floral fabric in the front photos.

A better view from the back.

Now the borders.

The view from the back. 

The pieced squares got line dancing.

The view from the back.

The solid blocks from the front.

The solid blocks from the back.

Our mailman/lady delivers mail around five thirty or six o'clock each day.  This quilt should arrive on Tuesday.  I have a couple of days before I must start the next quilt.  I'm taking the extra time to get a few ME projects worked on.  Starting with some paperwork.

This started as a hunt for a receipt and ended up as a filing session.  Why waste the opportunity?  That's done and can be marked off my to do list.  (smile)  On to the next ME project......  start early, get lots done. 

A new day

Yes, a new day, new things to think about.

As you know from reading my post, yesterday was a particularly bad day.  What I didn't say in my post was that it would have been my son's 42 birthday.  He passed away from cancer when he was 14.  I wanted to spend the day just remembering him and my mother took that away from me.  

I decided to lay in the bed and take my mind to the quiet place I learned about as a child.  There are no sounds and no responsibilities there.  Only peace.

I awoke this morning still a little depressed but at the same time ready to be normal.  I don't want to be that abused child with the responsibilites of an adult anymore. 
The only way to do that is to stop the contact with the abuser.  This is sad because despite everything, she's still my mother.  See, even now I'm reluctant to cut the strings that hold me to my abuser.  But it must be done.  I'm way too old to let her control the rest of my life.

Today I plan to set up an appointment to petition the courts to get my mother a state appointed guardian.  Neither my brother nor my sister will do it.  They have cut off all contact (years ago) with our mother except when I badger my brother into going with me to see her.   He goes only because of me.   He has a car. Sometimes he will go inside the nursing home for a short visit.  Sometimes he sits in the car and waits for me.

I have often told my mother that I just want to be a daughter.... I don't want to be her parent or her servant anymore.  The last time I was at the nursing home I asked my mother why she never, ever said the words "I love you" to me or the others?  Her response was "I shouldn't have to say that because I'm your mother."  Well sometimes a child just wants to hear it even if they don't believe it.  I asked her why she never called just to say how are you or what are you doing or how are the grandkids instead of just calling me to give orders of things to do.  Her response was "You are supposed to do things for me because I'm your mother."  I guess she never realized that being a mother is more than just giving birth. 

Being a mother should be about doing what is best for the child.  If a mother's love for the child is real then that mother should be strong enough to give up the child for a better life.  I remember several times when all of us had the opportunity to be adopted.  Really nice families that wanted us to be a part of their lives.  Sometimes all of us together and sometimes a family only wanted one of us.  Even today if I ask my brother or my sister about the families that wanted to adopt us..... they can remember every one of them.  I can only vaguely remember one.  I guess because I spent more time in my quiet place than they did.  I can remember all the opportunities but not the families. 

Hmm... I guess I best post this and head to the studio.  I can work until time for the courts to open.

I want my readers to know I'm fine.  Years of dealing with my mother has taught me how to get through the stress.  I either go to the quiet place OR I start cleaning everything in sight.  Today, instead of cleaning I'm going to channel the energy into finishing the quilt on the machine.

My mother again

I'm venting today. 

She's at it again.  This time it's been going on for two days almost non-stop.  Day and night phone calls.  The stress she creates is almost unbearable sometimes.  I can't think, I can't work, and I can't hold a normal conversation with anyone.   My mind seems to just shut down.  I want to run away and hide from everything.  For each one phone call I get from her, it takes me a week to recover my own balance and peace of mind. 

It's just terribly wrong for me to keep letting her do this to me over and over again.  Actually, I can't figure out WHY I let it happen to me so much.  I'm just as guilty of letting her stress me out as she is guilty for doing it.  Each time I answer the phone I'm really hoping it will be a normal mother daughter conversation instead of a shouting match.  When a nurse at the nursing home calls, and without asking me if it's ok, puts my mother on the phone, they are putting me on the spot.  Not giving me an option to NOT answer the phone if it's my mother.  Each time the phone rings there is a one in ten chance that I will get the normal instead of the abusive conversation.  I have better luck playing the lottery. 

I can't get my mother to understand she's not able to take care of herself anymore.  Her response is always.... "Why can't I take care of myself?"  In her mind she is still 30 years old and can do whatever she wants.  All the years of drug abuse has seriously taken it's toll.  One fourth of the time she's ok and the other three quarters of the time it's as if she's tweeking and searching for the next fix.  I get the blame when she can't get her fix the same as if I were the abused child again. 

When she tells me that I'm the one who put her "in that prison" I want to tell the nursing home to open the doors and let her go.  Whatever happens to her happens.  I don't want to know about it!

Did I ever say that my mother has been a drug addict and a mental patient for over 60 years?  Yup, all those years.  I have been her guardian since I was 6 years old.  Not officially, of course.  I didn't become an official guardian until I was 18.  At 6 years old I learned to change diapers and mix formula for my 2 week old sister.  I learned to cook oatmeal for my bother and myself and how to wash diapers.  The only time I got relief from the abuse was when I was lucky enough to get placed into an orphanage or go stay with a relative for a few weeks.  Each time my mother was placed in a mental facility "to even out" as they called it, we got placed somewhere.  When she got better we were given back to her. 

In those days it was much easier for parents to get children out of foster care than it is today.  My happiest memories were when I stayed with my grandparents where I learned to work hard and have fun while doing it.  There were no worries about abuse at their house.

I fall victim to my mother's abuse even after all these years and all the determination to NOT be a victim anymore.  She knows exactly how to sneak up on me as sweet and nice as I always hoped she would be.... then WHAM!  she gets me every time. 

I've bought a new answering machine again and instructed the nursing home staff that I won't take any more calls.  If there is an emergency, I'll have to call them back.  They are NOT to call me to try to calm her down.  They are the professionals, not me.  If they can't handle her then they should send her someplace that can!

I don't want to take the abuse anymore.... period!  I think I can get back to work now.

Hmm.... I wonder how many restful days I'll actually get before she sneaks up on me again?  It will happen you know?  I'll get relaxed and moving in my grove when she'll sneak in again.