Excessively High Gas Bill: Anyone Else? And recourse suggestions.

Submitted by llaatteennccyy t3_10pc14s in baltimore

I live in the Gwynn Oak area, renting an 1100sq ft unit that is one quarter of a duplex. Just the bottom floor of one side. Recently BGE replaced gas lines in my area.

My heating bill this past month was $310. Before that it was $250. I'm expecting another $300 heating bill for this month. That's $860 for three months of gas heat; not including electric of about $100 per month.

This is, to me, f****** insane. I have a few ideas about what may be causing it (namely terrible insulation and I think I'm paying to heat the empty unit above me as well. My landlord, when asked before moving in, said that bills were generally $200 combined.

[Edit: I generally keep my thermostat at 70, and 72 when windy because the house loses heat quickly.]

I have a few questions; has anyone else in my area, nearby, or in Baltimore, seen incredibly high heating bills?

Do I have some kind of recourse for making my landlord cover some of these charges, due to the terrible insulation (which I wasn't warned about)?

Is there an issue with BGE replacing lines, and user bills in effected areas doubling?

I'm paying almost as much as I pay for rent, to heat my apartment for three months. It's unconscionable, and I need some solutions.

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Comments

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Ostrich159 t1_j6jnyw5 wrote

Here's BGE's schedule of natural gas prices. The price of gas last month is 43% higher than it was in the prior year. This--in addition to a cold snap in December--has lead to high utility bills for most everyone.

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Crlady t1_j6jm6ug wrote

My home is around the same size. Generally BGE is around $90-$150/mo. My past bill was $215 when we had the cold snap. Yours seems very high.

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llaatteennccyy OP t1_j6jry9t wrote

thank you! that's very useful.

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Ghant_ t1_j6mtxln wrote

Ours was over 300 this month as well. I've been turning the heat off while at work now

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yeaughourdt t1_j6jo1eg wrote

I used less gas this December billing period vs December 2021 and yet my bill was $100 higher. The natural gas rate went from 64 cents per therm to 95 cents during that time, so there's the problem.

The global NG market was tight for the fall and early winter as Europe disengaged from Russian gas and replaced with other sources, but the market price of NG is back down now. Not sure if the rate we pay will go down at all in January or if BGE will keep pocketing the difference as long as it can.

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llaatteennccyy OP t1_j6js4vb wrote

knowing them, they'll pocket the difference. it's reprehensible of them to pass so much of the losses on to their customers, especially given that they're the monopoly.

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guest0112 t1_j6johw8 wrote

My heating bill was very high this month (moreso than last years which was record setting), but yeah $300 for gas alone for 1100sq seems a bit high

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womanofchloe t1_j6k6w1h wrote

I have no advice but just want to affirm that your bills seem very high and definitely worth investigating further. My row home is about a third larger than yours and is older so there’s no insulation on the exterior walls, but we do have some in the attic. We keep our house at around 70, and are getting bills of about $250/month for both gas and electric.

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dcdave3605 t1_j6k1m6p wrote

Delivery fees have increased multiple times over the last year. Supply costs have increased marginally.

Bge sucks but they are regulated rates. Public service commission has done nothing but give hundreds of millions in funds to utility companies and not controlled rate increases sufficiently.

If you can't make home modifications you are limited in how you can use less. But more insulation, sealing windows, caulking gaps, wearing more clothes and trapping heat/keeping cold out is what you need to do. Also see if your air filters are clean so your HVAC runs optimally. Also keep thermostat low/around 65.

Besides that, if you qualify you can apply for OHEP benefits (energy assistance). That would help pay towards costs, but you have to earn under the income limit for the 30 day application period you apply. If you are over the income limit you can apply for for the Maryland fuel fund. They have less strict income guidelines.

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nzahn1 t1_j6jkhkh wrote

We had the huge cold snap in December (several days near 0°F). This caused a huge spike in my heating costs. I expect it was the same for many.

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llaatteennccyy OP t1_j6jlkxi wrote

That's one of the causes, but it doesn't (to me) explain a heating bill over $300. That's what I would expect to heat an entire house.

To me, this situation only makes sense if there's an insulation issue (which there is). In my opinion, these excessive bills need to be covered in part my my landlord, it's his responsibility to insulate this building and the units in it.

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yyyyy25ui t1_j6jud33 wrote

Our bill from the cold snap was high but our gas bill from this past month is two hundred dollars more. I see it’s not just us

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llaatteennccyy OP t1_j6kkxbk wrote

I'm sorry to hear it. If I had the time and energy I'd want to organize some kind of citizens group to complain to BGE. I'd join something like that but I can't currently create it.

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Kooky_Deal9566 t1_j6kmfyl wrote

The first thing you should do is lower your thermostat to below 72. That’ll save you a good bit.

I’d look into improving your home’s insulation and, if your furnace is old and due for replacement, replacing it with an electric heatpump.

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imperaman t1_j6jzmas wrote

Is your furnace in your unit, or do you have access to it? If so, you can try to follow the vents to see if they lead to other parts of the house.

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llaatteennccyy OP t1_j6kkpdq wrote

I believe my landlord will agree to show me the upstairs unit, so I can see whether I'm heating it. If not he's gonna be in trouble with me, lol.

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exrexnotex t1_j6l83k0 wrote

I mentioned this on another thread but you can request a meter read to make sure its readings are accurate. BGE also offers energy savings assessments performed by a third-party company free of charge. BGE also recommends keeping the thermostat to 68 but everyone has different needs. Bills are high everywhere. It sucks.

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HourLake4200 t1_j6jququ wrote

Sounds like you are paying for multiple apartments and not just yours. My rowhome is your apartment size with drafty windows and crappy attic insulation and my total BGE bill at the highest was $150 and I work from home with my gf. I suggest you get a full analysis of what area in the house your BGE covers cause it sounds like you are heating the landlords apartment as well....

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In_This_To_Win_This t1_j6jzhg5 wrote

Does anyone use the budget thing were they give you the same price every month? Yes my bill is higher than last year but it’s the same every month?

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kelzbeano t1_j6l5o3e wrote

I love budget billing. There is usually an adjustment in the summertime due to my winter usage but it’s not the crazy fluctuations others deal with throughout the year.

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sxswnxnw t1_j6k6xxz wrote

I once used it regularly but I stopped. Every time I ended a lease I'd have an extremely high balance to pay. Like it wasn't even worth it to me, but I am a pay now or pay a moderate amount over time than a pay later all at once/surprise! person.

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midazzleam t1_j6nzgs2 wrote

IMO 70 is way too high to set your heat unless you want to pay $$$. See if you can get a nest thermostat or other energy saving thermostat installed. It has saved me money, as I’ve been able to keep my energy costs the same despite the increase in the cost of natural gas. Ask your landlord to look into the rebates BGE has on smart thermostats as you can get great deals on the BGE website. Still, your bill seems way high. I wonder if your insulation sucks.

I have a two story row home, 1300 square feet, keep my heat between 61-65 depending on the time of day (my smart thermostat automatically adjusts). My last BGE bill was $56 gas, $100 electric (which is high for me, but we had that cold snap)

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ChurchMilitant91 t1_j6lqy44 wrote

First time homeowner in Gwynn Oak. I just saw my online bill, and almost had a heart attack. Billing period, Dec 17 -Jan 27 gas alone was $356. Electric was $121. A little over 2000 square feet. Is this the average for everyone else? I keep the stat around 70-73. (After reading the comments, I will do my best to keep it at 70.)

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Bebinn t1_j6n6ccl wrote

Make sure the bill doesn't say estimated bill. When they replaced my meter we got a couple super high bills. Still not sure if I was overcharged.

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danaker2 t1_j6npddx wrote

I live in a single family home 2000 so ft and the gas bill for December was $183. It may be correct if you have really crappy insulation and your furnace is not new and not high efficiency.

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