I'm pretty sure they never read it. I check mine a couple times a month and keep a log. Undoubtedly, it's wrong at least 6 out of 12 months. One time, they said my meter was more than a thousand (whatever those things are called) over what it was the day I got my bill! So I called Centerpoint to ask them to re-read my meter. 10 transfers and 30 minutes later, I got a very rude person who didn't want to put in the request. She kept telling me that what I was being charged for wasn't inconsistent with what I used last year. I told her last year I owned a two-story, 2700 sq foot house with a crappy A/C and this year I owned a one-story, 1600 sq foot house with a really, really good A/C. (Turns out they estimate the bill based on your name, not address.) I screamed a few obscenities at her and she finally put it in. It costs you $8 if they "read" it right, it's free if they "read" it wrong. So, she tells me the guy will be coming out the next day. I took that day off from work just to stalk the meter reader. Seriously, I sat on my back porch all day until he got there (I really, really, really needed to pee about 3 hours into this, but if I had, that's when he would have come.) Anyhoo, so the guy opens up the gate to my backyard and I pounce on him. I watched him read it...watched him write it down and made him give me a signed copy of what he read. Even the meter reader was shocked at what I had been charged for. So I call Centerpoint up again the next day. They got the new reading. However, I still had to pay the original bill in full because there was not enough time to issue a new bill before my due date. They told me if I didn't pay the huge overcharge, I'd be at risk for having my power cut off and it would affect my credit report. So, because they @#$ed up, they want to screw me over completely. Luckily, because of my job I know the number to the VP of Consumer Affairs at Centerpoint. She took care of it and I didn't pay another bill for three months! I'm just waiting for Centerpoint/Reliant to be the next Enron. It will happen...sooner or later.
Wow, you are awesome. I wish I had done that because I know I had several bills last year that I thought were ridiculous.
Lots of time they estimate your bill from month to month then adjust the charges when a meter reader does finally get there. That's why sometimes you'll get a randomly low bill if you've been charged a little too much some months.
I'm a Cougar! I really, really, really wanted to be an Aggie (just because I like saying "Aggie"), but I couldn't go because I had to stay in Houston for my job and internships
Gas bills will and have gone up...the prices have been crazy high and climbing the past year...This is why your electricity bill went up (Some plants use natural gas to produce power)...The thing with gas, its a pass through, meaning, you what ever it cost the gas company, they pass it on to you and they make no profit on this piece. There is a customer charge that increase over time due to various investments, but that has to be approved by the Public Utility Commission...Sucks to be us now...
It is gouging, but what are you going to do about it? Utility companies have all of us by the balls. They have politicians and rich investors on their side. We don't.
I've worked with several gas companies across America. First of all, they're not gouging you. Your increased bill is due to drastically higher prices of natural gas, which is passed through to the rate payers such as yourselves. Secondly, the reason why many of you don't see metermen reading your meters is because most of the large gas companies around the US have something called AMR, which stands for automated meter reading. They can read your meter remotely without having to send a person to look at it.
Wow, I've been gone since 1/1 and it seems many have missed me! Here's my response copied from the thread celebrating Rice's famous victory over UH this evening...
http://www.click2houston.com/money/6008645/detail.html Houstonian's Gas Bill Jumps 558 Percent CenterPoint To Re-Read Meter HOUSTON -- Colder weather typically means higher gas bills, but a Houston-area man could not believe the increase when he read his bill -- it went up more than 500 percent in one month, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday. Kenneth Durham was shocked and wanted answers. He quickly found out he was not alone "I talked to one guy and his gas bill was $535," Durham said. Last month, Durham's gas bill was $33.28. This month's bill was $219.20, which was a 558 percent increase. "That's a lot more than what you're used to paying. For some people, that's a car note," Durham said. Since December is a colder month, residents tend to use more gas. But because Durham's increase was so steep, KPRC asked CenterPoint Energy for an explanation. "It does look like, based on his particular history, that he has never used this much natural gas, so I have already asked our customer service representatives to send out a person to re-read his meter," said Alicia Dixon, with CenterPoint Energy. But, officials said, it does not matter which company a resident uses for natural gas, gas bills will be an average of 50 percent higher when compared to one year ago. "We had two back-to-back hurricanes and then Wilma happened as well, knocking out much of the Gulf of Mexico's natural gas production," Dixon said. CenterPoint said another price adjustment will be made in February, but it's unclear if the natural gas rates will go up or down. Anyone who has a problem with a CenterPoint Energy bill should call customer service at (713) 659-2111. The best time to call for quick service is between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. or 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays.
That's very interesting, and I will take it as advice and start keeping a log. I hate utility companies with a passion.
ok, hasn't it been a flawless December? the weather has been absolutely georgous. why the need to turn on the furnace? with that said, 558% is insanity!!!!
bigtexxx is right though, it is not gouging the price of gas is just insane and it gets passed down to us. They may get it wrong sometimes so I might try the log keeping thing to be sure.
