Equal Billing - Enbridge

[speedyforme]

Being lazy as I am and instead of searching. Can someone tell me:

1) I bought my first home in Sept and signed up for equal billing
2) my highest month ever resulted in a bill of $161 and then the next one was $151 and stayed there even though I have been using less and less gas each subsequent month. (Say Nov was my highest, Dec was lower and I am VERY certain Jan is lower)
3) I called to check my account and it says my new bill is only $91.

Q) When equal billing occurs, when do they adjust any overages or credit you may have accumulated in that time period? I assume that even though I used less, they would still charge me $151 until my account adjusts. Does it say how often it adjusts?

[CSK'sMom]

You need to understand how equal billing works. You pay the same amount 11 months of the year. The way it works is that the months you use less gas you are building a reserve fund. The months you use more gas you are still paying the same but the difference is coming from the reserve fund. Now with that said it's usually adjusted in about March and again in about June. The equal billing amount can be adjusted if you owe too much or the reseve is too high. By July the equal billing reserve fund should be at $0 and in August the bill is only for actual gas used...

[speedyforme]

You need to understand how equal billing works. You pay the same amount 11 months of the year. The way it works is that the months you use less gas you are building a reserve fund. The months you use more gas you are still paying the same but the difference is coming from the reserve fund. Now with that said it's usually adjusted in about March and again in about June. The equal billing amount can be adjusted if you owe too much or the reseve is too high. By July the equal billing reserve fund should be at $0 and in August the bill is only for actual gas used...

I figured. Just not sure why my account is only about 4 months old and the difference is $60 less from one month to another during the coldest months since I had my account.

I guess I will find out when I get my bill in the mail. I just called total and it said $91 for this month which is shocking since I am used to paying $151.

[phonzy]

What would you do!!! Quick Info...

Completed some renovation over the last two months... Replaced furnace - 96% Efficient. New Windows- Brick to Brick, added additional insulaton in the attic & minor air sealing....

Here is how much I have saved over 1 month should i stay on equal...

2006
Jan - 456m3
Feb - 537m3

2007
Jan - 548m3
Feb - 656m3

2008
Jan - 547m3
Feb - 680m3

AFTER UPGRADES -

2009
Jan - 287m3
Feb - ???

Would I be better off going of Equal billing...... Paying for what I use!!

[sockboy]

You pay for what you use regardless. It is just a matter of when you pay for it. With equal billing they charge you the same amount every month and then balance the difference in the summer. Without, you pay what you use each month. Over the course of a year there is no "savings" one way or the other.

[speedyforme]

OK so I finally got my bill for Jan. They gave me most of my "credit" back because I had accumulated about $180 so I guess they just deducted that amount from my current bill.

What I was most surprised was that it was estimated that I used up 440m3 in Jan and I only used 210 in December (actual). Almost double!

December, my average temp setting was 17 and in January my average setting was 16! Was January THAT cold of a month for my gas usage to almost double?

Thoughts?

[CSK'sMom]

Yes it's been that cold over last year. Also if it's your first year in the house the estimated gas usuage will be from last year and the previous owners...

[speedyforme]

Yes it's been that cold over last year. Also if it's your first year in the house the estimated gas usuage will be from last year and the previous owners...

OH...makes sense now

You know it's weird, my "chart/graph" says every other month, they do an estimated and every other month they do an actual...lazy SOBs, lol

So technically, the estimated is not my usage but based on the previous owner's Jan? Makes sense now, I was so scared how I used almost double from Dec!

Thanks!

[CSK'sMom]

Be thankful you get your meter read every other month. We're lucky if we get our meter read 3 times a year here. I end up calling in readings semi-regularly..

[speedyforme]

Luckily the cost of gas has gone down quite a bit; or says so the flyer they included in my bill.

[enigma54]

Luckily the cost of gas has gone down quite a bit; or says so the flyer they included in my bill.

Mine says, "As of Jan 1/09, your gas supply rate is 30.3652 cents/m^3" - does that sound about right?

[speedyforme]

Mine says, "As of Jan 1/09, your gas supply rate is 30.3652 cents/m^3" - does that sound about right?

yep :D

[guessguy]

December, my average temp setting was 17 and in January my average setting was 16! Was January THAT cold of a month for my gas usage to almost double?

Thoughts?

you keep your house at 16? are you wearing a touque and gloves at times? We keep ours at 23

[gman]

you keep your house at 16? are you wearing a touque and gloves at times? We keep ours at 23

23 is way too high. For my house, 20 before midnight, 17 after. 20 around 6am, 17 after 9am, ...
I am wearing T shirt and shorts.

[leonk]

2009
Jan - 287m3
Feb - ???


:eek::eek::eek:

what a difference!!! What do you think gave you the best bank for your buck? Insulation? windows, or new furnace?

that's like 2/3 off!!

[phonzy]

I think its the windows that did the trick......

After installing the furnace in October I still saw the consumption @

October 280m3 - Furnace installed October 25th
November -295m3 - Attic Insulation Completed November 16th
December - 619m3 Windows - Windows installed Dec 22nd
:D:D:D

Feb bill will be interest to see!!! :confused::confused:

[jimgiggles]

Wow.. thats great news.. but I don't know what happened to me this month..

Nov.28 - Dec.31 222 (m3)
Dec.31 - Jan. 30 661 (m3)

Seems a little odd, I haven't changed anything, and my furnace is 92.5% efficient.. Looks like they 'estimated' me for this month.. What a jip.. I cancelled out on the equal billing because we only moved in June, and i got my first equal billing of $180/month.. I told them to take me off, after spending thousands on a new furnace to save $$.

Can i call to complain about this? I mean.. my bill is almost $350.

I'm thinking they estimated the old owners from last year, who had a mid efficiency, 25 year old water heater and furnace.

Just goes to show, even if you don't take 'equal billing' they still end up boning you.

[jimgiggles]

After reading this thread. i got interested.. do you actually check your meter outside the house?

I found this thread.. very informative.. http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=625426

Seems that enbridge doesn't come by every month.. they overbilled me 200 (m3) after i went outside to check..

Very nice of them..especially for my end of January bill, i will be definitely calling them Monday morning!

[speedyforme]

you keep your house at 16? are you wearing a touque and gloves at times? We keep ours at 23

No, I just wear a nice robe and slippers and I'm actually fine. I mean I LOVE heavy blankets so I have like 3 of them on my bed at night.

[bolmsted]

you don't get it do you jimgiggles? you are not paying more because of equal billing... they are just spreading the cost of natural gas consumption over the entire year rather than having to pay for 3-5x the cost of your bill from July in February when it is colder.

When they see that you are NOT consuming gas at the rate they are predicting and you have a huge surplus in your reserve they will adjust it so that you don't get charged anything and will take out of the reserve and then this resets in Aug, etc.

This equal billing is just to help people budget the cost of heating your home through the winter by spreading the cost over the year with higher payments than would be expected during the summer and lower for the winter. That is instead of getting a $450 bill for January you pay $200 using arbitrary numbers so it doesn't hit you in the pocket book when you overspend on Xmas gifts the month before, etc :lol:

[speedyforme]

I agree, I mean say Enbridge comes every other month to read my meter.

- So for example I use up approx 200m3 per month.
- My meter was at 1,000 last month (actual) and I used 200m3.
- This past month they estimates 400m3 based on the previous owner's usage in Jan which was 400m3 so they put down 1,400 as a meter read.
- The next month when they do an actual meter read, my meter may say 1,400 on it in which in theory I used up 0m3. So it all balances back out in the end.

I guess the real factor is whether it is your first year on equal billing, are you consistent year over year with you usage and how often they come over to read your meter.

[jimgiggles]

you don't get it do you jimgiggles? you are not paying more because of equal billing... they are just spreading the cost of natural gas consumption over the entire year rather than having to pay for 3-5x the cost of your bill from July in February when it is colder.

When they see that you are NOT consuming gas at the rate they are predicting and you have a huge surplus in your reserve they will adjust it so that you don't get charged anything and will take out of the reserve and then this resets in Aug, etc.

This equal billing is just to help people budget the cost of heating your home through the winter by spreading the cost over the year with higher payments than would be expected during the summer and lower for the winter. That is instead of getting a $450 bill for January you pay $200 using arbitrary numbers so it doesn't hit you in the pocket book when you overspend on Xmas gifts the month before, etc :lol:

Ohh.. I get it.. I just don't see any sense in having them 'bank' my money, or come every 2nd month to read my meter, and approximate DOUBLE what i actually use, and charge me for it. I decided against the equal billing, and in the end, they overcharge a ton, to try and sway me into getting equal billing. But. no.. for its a matter of principal, what i use.. i pay for.. its simple. Why should i have to fork over lets say $400 for one month, and then $0 the next? Or get 'free' service in the summer?

[speedyforme]

Ohh.. I get it.. I just don't see any sense in having them 'bank' my money, or come every 2nd month to read my meter, and approximate DOUBLE what i actually use, and charge me for it. I decided against the equal billing, and in the end, they overcharge a ton, to try and sway me into getting equal billing. But. no.. for its a matter of principal, what i use.. i pay for.. its simple. Why should i have to fork over lets say $400 for one month, and then $0 the next? Or get 'free' service in the summer?

so if it's NON equal billing, do they come by every month to do a meter reading?

[jimgiggles]

so if it's NON equal billing, do they come by every month to do a meter reading?

Depends what area you are in, i posted a link for a previous thread on this in an earlier post. For me.. its every 2 months. and i'm not on equal billing, so every other month is 'estimated' and normally way higher than what you actually use..
You can also signup on the enbridge website, and they will tell you when your meter reading is, and few other handy features..

[speedyforme]

Depends what area you are in, i posted a link for a previous thread on this in an earlier post. For me.. its every 2 months. and i'm not on equal billing, so every other month is 'estimated' and normally way higher than what you actually use..
You can also signup on the enbridge website, and they will tell you when your meter reading is, and few other handy features..

Then what is the difference than equal billing?

I mean mine right now is read every other month, and based on what it is read, I pay the amount...

I guess the only difference is that I have a little extra credit that gets built up, but this past month, it was over $200 credit and they automatically gave it back to me instead of waiting 4 more months down the line or something.

[stuntman]

:eek::eek::eek:

what a difference!!! What do you think gave you the best bank for your buck? Insulation? windows, or new furnace?

that's like 2/3 off!!


It does not matter what leonk did for his house. For all we know he had plastic covering the windows before. Spend the bucks and get the home audit done for your house. The pro will tell you what you need/want to know. For the rebates you need it anyways.

-If your furnace runs at 55% and a newer one runs at 92% that would cut your bill by about 40% and cost (after rebates) $2500-$3500. That should be #1

-windows.....big bucks...lets say $500 a piece and no they wont cut your bill in half

-insulation.....depends on what you start out with.

-sealing up holes in your house, if you have any.....not mentioned but this costs next to nothing and would probably give you the bang for buck answer you were looking for. Check your doors, go to homedepot and buy low expansion foam $8.


SM

[stuntman]

Then what is the difference than equal billing?

I mean mine right now is read every other month, and based on what it is read, I pay the amount...

I guess the only difference is that I have a little extra credit that gets built up, but this past month, it was over $200 credit and they automatically gave it back to me instead of waiting 4 more months down the line or something.

Purpose of equal billing:

1) customer does not get smacked with a winters large bills every month and have to scramble for money

2) gas company gets you money before you bought their product so they now have interest free loan.

For most individual cases it sounds like a win situation for both sides to me.

SM

[phonzy]

update!!!



Completed some renovation over the last 4 months... Replaced furnace - 96% Efficient. New Windows- Brick to Brick, added additional insulaton in the attic & minor air sealing....

Here is how much I have saved over 2 months

2006
Jan - 456m3
Feb - 537m3

2007
Jan - 548m3
Feb - 656m3

2008
Jan - 547m3
Feb - 680m3

AFTER UPGRADES -

2009
Jan - 287m3
Feb - 381m3

:razz::razz:

[speedyforme]

^ that's quite impressive considering how cold it was in January, I forgot, how big is your home and what temp do you set it at?

[phonzy]

My home is 2037sqft. with a 3/4 finished basement

here is what i set my home

7:30 - 9:00 its set at 21
9:00 - 5:00 its at 20
5:00 - 11:00 back to 21
11:00 to 7:30 its at 19

thanks

[speedyforme]

that's pretty decent considering mine is 1600 sq ft, set at 16C all day and I use about 200m3

[phonzy]

I have to keep it slightly higher as I have 4 month old !!!