How many of you lock into a contract for a fixed price? If so, over what span? 3/6/12 month? Is it generally better to just use the variable month to month?
Can't resist the electricity threads. I think it's better to get a fixed contract. I like 12 months, because it flattens the summer peak with the winter lull. Working for an electricity provider, I'd say you are not well-served sticking with variable. That's where we get our fattest margins. And, related to that, the REP can hedge their fixed rate customers (if they are sophisticated enough to hedge) but can't do that as well with their variable. By hedging, they reduce their exposure to risk, so they don't need their margins to be as fat.
Lock it in . . .. the generally ONLY go up. I am Locked in at .1150 . . . before that I was at like .1650 Rocket River
This is explicitly why I stopped going with no-name small shops...I thought hey, they all buy the same power and hedge. Except the little shops don't. So what happens? Last year the price of natural gas/power sky rockets, and all of a sudden, they decide they need to break my fixed contract. Cost me $k at my biz. The minimal amount I saved cost me thousands of times over. I decided I'd rather go with a larger co that at least is gonna hedge instead of a few guys that decided to open up shop and resell power.
I just signed a 12 month contract with Reliant in June for 13.8 / kWh When the contract is up I am going to look for something that is cheaper.
I just changed my plan to a monthly variable. I think natural gas prices will tank over the summer/fall, and plan on riding the wave down for the next six months or so, then I'll lock in to a long-term contract.
Awesome, thanks for the relies guys. I'm currently locked in a .18 kWh contract, it's raping me....badly. My bill was $436 (not $460 like previously stated in another thread) this past month. That is for a 900 square foot apartment! It must be an energy nightmare. Ofcourse, I am paying an arm and a leg. I'm joining Texas Power Company next month and locking in at .099 per kWh. I had NO idea that the price of electricity was at an all time high for the decade when I was locked in with Reliant at .18. I couldn't understand the dude. His accent was WAY too thick....this coming from someone who has lived all over the world.
Oh ya, Curious on how much you guys use a month and your house size. I just want to see if I'm around the same ball park for my apartment size. I don't waste electricity, turn everything off when I'm out. Use energy saving bulbs etc.
Speaking of electricity... mine just went out for a few minutes because of this huge thunderstorm... boy it's glad to have rain... but I don't want it over done with taking my electricity away.
$436 for a 900 sq ft apartment? That's crazy. I have a 1600 sq ft home built in 1984 and the electric bill was $245. I don't use energy saving bulbs. Do you leave your AC on when you leave? I shut my AC off, when I am at work. Do you use electric instead of gas for cooking? If you are on the top floor, management may need to replace the insulation in the attic. Insulation needs to be replaced about every 10-15 years.
Not locked in and have been paying about 10-12 cents/kWH I think the past couple of months for the electric portion of my bill.
Ya, I'm on the top floor, and am thinking about complaining to my apartment complex about the insulation. I don't run the ac lower than 75. It's usually on around 78-80. And when I'm not here I try to remember to set it to 80-82. It would be an oven if I let it off. There are so many bad things about this place. The fireplace has no cover, so heat just comes out of there like crazy. Windows suck, they don't seal worth a ****. When my dog barks inside it sounds like he's outside when you're out there.
Funny you mention it... I haven't had electricity since 6:30 due to the light rain that came through my area. This is r****ded.
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i have a 750 or so sq ft apartment and mine last month was around 70. not sure how i do it. i work a lot though and stay at my girls place 2 or 3 nights a week. i turn my ac completely off when i leave. yeah it sucks when i get home sometimes its around 90 degrees or so but it cools down pretty fast. i also dont have a tv. have a powerful pc though. i never leave any fans or lights on when i leave usually leave lights off when im not in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom etc. i guess the biggest help is when i say work a 12 hour shift come home take a shower leave my apt and go to my girls place get up the next day work go back to her place work again the next day and then finally go home thats about 3 days where i didnt use anything. then again im paying for an apartment 800 bucks and i wasnt there
I am curious what kind of kWh usage people with 1 story house - approx 2100 sqft have? I am still disputing the crazy reading that Centerpoint took at our new house last month. They said that in 8 days we used 2286 kWh. I filed a complaint with PUC and BBB. Centerpoint replied saying that yes 2286 for 8 days is high so maybe the meter was misread (this is a new meter so the initial reading was 0 - talk about one hell of a misread) but they also say that my last month usage (Jun 12 - Jul 14) is ONLY 1610 kWh and according to them this reading is too low so they say this reading and the high reading compensate for each other. I am rejecting this BS response so I am curious what others with similar size house use per month (kWh). 1610 seems right to me for 1 month in 1 story 2100 sqft house...we have really been conserving energy too.
we have a 1840 sqft 2 story townhome. used 1209 kwh last month - AC always set at 74. Just locked in 12 month at .116 with Amigo energy.
