National Grid billed me $653 for my 750 sqft apartment

Submitted by No_Huckleberry7316 t3_11dj8u2 in boston

Until this year, I was paying about $220 per month on average in the last 7 years I've lived in this apartment. Highest I've ever paid on an electricity bill was maybe like $340 during a really cold month and $160 is probably when it's lowest but usually averages out to about $220, which still feels a bit high for 750 sqft, but I can afford it so didn't think too much of it.

This January, they billed me $448. Then in February, I was billed $653. Freaking 3x what I'm normally used to paying and I called them up and asked them what's going on and they explained that they were estimates based on my usage from last year and that they'll be reading my meter on Feb 23 so if I hold off on my payment and if the estimate is actually wrong then they'll adjust my bill. Well, the payment was due on Feb 20 and the payment went out automatically without my consent (autopay isn't even setup so not sure how) but it's a little too late for that.

Anyway, I guess they did finally read my meter because today I got a bill for the upcoming month and it's $525 and it's based on an actual reading they've done and is not an estimate. That seems crazy, like my meter must be hooked up to my neighbors or something because I just can't see how anyone living in this small space can spend that much on an electricity bill. I called National Grid again to ask if they can send in a technician to check our meters to see if anything's wrong but no one showed up on the scheduled date.

I did some Google search and learned that in November, they increased the price to 33 cents per kilowatt from what was originally 17 cents, so maybe that explains why the price nearly tripled? Still, I can't go on paying this much and want to find a new provider and I know there are listings of other energy suppliers on https://energyswitchma.gov/ but I'm so lost... is it possible to just switch whenever? Do I have to call the building management and let them know?

P.S: my work friends think it could be due to exposure but like even without heat it stays at 69 degrees... but I get chilly and jack it up to 73 degrees and it gradually comes down a couple times (because of the thermostat getting turned off periodically) during the day. It gets a little chilly where the glass door to the balcony is but I'm just not convinced it's due to exposure... but how do I even find out if that's what this is? Who do I even need to call?

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Washableaxe t1_ja9030o wrote

73 degrees, are you nuts? My heat won’t touch a temperature starting with 7. You pretty much explained it yourself. If you want to cook yourself in your unit at 33 cents kW/h you’re gonna have a bad time.

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GM_Pax t1_ja95jq8 wrote

This.

My thermostat is downstairs (single family home). I dial it to 64 during the day, and it hits ~70 upstairs. At night, I turn it down to 50, and it's still 55-60 upstairs.

If I get cold, I put on a sweater or a light jacket. If I'm STILL cold, then I'll go turn the heat up 2 or 3 degrees.

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Washableaxe t1_ja97ycr wrote

Yea, my first line of defense is always adding more clothes. Sweatpants / sweatshirt / slippers.

Then I have a small space heater for my office room that I use moderately throughout the day (work from home) to keep my immediate proximity a bit warmer while keeping the apartment heat at 66 daytime temp.

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Anthraxkix t1_jab5i5q wrote

Man my system must have horrible circulation. It's noticeably colder upstairs in the winter, and the thermostat is like a third of the way up the stairs.

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GM_Pax t1_jab8ddq wrote

... heat rises. If your upstairs is colder than your downstairs, that's not circulation, that's insulation ... the insulation of your attic must be sorely lacking. Several years back, mom had an absolutely epic twenty-four inches of insulation put in the attic, here. :)

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Anthraxkix t1_jabjsdi wrote

Hmm, thanks, I'll look into that. The home inspector raved about the foam insulation in the attic, but it could be something else or not enough.

Our gas bill comparison to similar homes in the area does always have us at the very low end of usage, at least.

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GM_Pax t1_jacdhas wrote

Then it might be your walls, or your windows.

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thebakersfloof t1_jab7s2a wrote

My living room will sometimes hit 70 at the thermostat on cold nights. It's not intentional; I have a Nest thermostat with sensors, and my bedroom runs 4-6 degrees cooler than my living room and can take a little while to heat up (corner bedroom with windows on the 2 exterior walls).

That said, I keep my temp set at 64 degrees but will sometimes up it to 66-68 if I'm feeling chilly while working from home. Layers, cozy socks, and blankets are my friend. I live in ~1100 square feet, and my bill last month was around $160, which I thought was high. Posts like these are a handy reality check.

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LogisticBlues t1_ja90zia wrote

As others have pointed out, you’re running your heater really hot, hence the high bill. You have every right to do this, but going for 66-68 degrees with a sweater would save you a shit load of money.

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No_Huckleberry7316 OP t1_ja92snm wrote

Thank you. It gets really cold here to the point of my finger nails turning blue. I sit right by where the glass door is. Feels more like room temperature at 73.

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aPirateNamedBeef t1_ja940oo wrote

Get a temperature sensor and do quick temperature audit of the house when it is cold outside. You can get a cheap temperature laser online and it will tell you where the heat is leaking out the most. Then you can get some things to mitigate the leak. Like draft stoppers for doors or even the plastic wrap for windows if its really bad.

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No_Huckleberry7316 OP t1_ja94vak wrote

Ahh thank you! This is what I needed.

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devAcc123 t1_ja97xtu wrote

Also if you’re sitting in the coldest part of the house just get a portable tiny space heater and set that up next to your preferred sitting spot. They’re probably horribly inefficient so double check that first when buying one (power consumption and do some quick math) but it has to be better than cooking the rest of your house so you can sit in the chilliest spot

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taguscove t1_jaah2bt wrote

Electric heater efficiency is 100% because all of the electricity is converted into heat waste through resistance

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kasmith2000 t1_jab6vt5 wrote

p sure they mean just less efficient with money vs gas heat

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psychicsword t1_jabafmy wrote

They are but if you heat a smaller area than the whole home it can pay off.

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procrastinatorsuprem t1_jaauxnz wrote

I think it's Energy Saves and they'll come do it for you.

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RMR6789 t1_jabphqk wrote

Mass saves.. but the waitlist is usually long. OP may not get their assessment until next winter. Took us 8 months after moving into our home.

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hellno560 t1_jaamsyx wrote

Join community choice through the city if you are in Boston

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Accomplished_Ad_9288 t1_jaci9np wrote

Savers has really nice sweaters for $5 or $10. Guaranteed that two sweaters and a blanket will prevent your fingernails from turning blue.

National Grid and eversource work with energy suppliers who set the rates. They fluctuate constantly, hence why your bill also goes up and down.

You can reach out to National Grid, and I forget exactly what it’s called, but you can pay exactly what your payed last year for each month. Anything that you owe, or they owe you, you’ll settle up at the end of the year.

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Icy-Neck-2422 t1_ja91x90 wrote

That will happen when you set your thermostat to Turkish bazaar mode.

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theman808 t1_jaa7wzk wrote

Haha I chuckled at this, it is indeed true. I keep mine at 65 and "jack it" to 66 when my wife gets a chill. Sweatshirt and blankets work well and are much cheaper.

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aray25 t1_ja93u20 wrote

Try a humidifier. It may make it feel warmer without having to increase the temperature. Also, visit your city website to find out if you can get a municipal aggregation rate. (Boston and Cambridge both have such a program, but not all cities do.)

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jamesland7 t1_ja8znxl wrote

I mean you answered your own question with the price increase and ramping up the thermostat. Ours never goes above 67

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No_Huckleberry7316 OP t1_ja911o8 wrote

I mean we keep turning up the thermostat because it feels cold (we sit pretty close to where the glass door is).

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aPirateNamedBeef t1_ja93oqi wrote

Try insulating that door better or sitting somewhere else. You can't heat your house to 73 degrees and not pay a ton of money.

Do you have a smart thermostat? Is it on a schedule and do you change the temperature when you are not home?

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No_Huckleberry7316 OP t1_ja96tpr wrote

Yup, smart thermostat. I basically only know how to turn it up or down but never figured out how to get it to work on a schedule. It just goes back down to 60 degrees periodically until I turn it back up to 70+, which I'm learning that I shouldn't do.

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GM_Pax t1_ja95psr wrote

The door is the culprit. Either rearrange things so you can sit further away (hard in a small floorplan, I know), or insulate it somehow. Try hanging heavy curtains across it, for example.

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No_Huckleberry7316 OP t1_ja96zoh wrote

It won't be possible to rearrange stuff at this point but will look into the other insulation options - thank you!

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GM_Pax t1_ja9k1kl wrote

One thing to do, that can test this without any cost? Hang up a comforter or a heavy blanket across the door. If that improves things, you know you need those heavy curtains.

:)

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frankybling t1_ja9m3c8 wrote

Thermal curtains, they’re usually pretty ugly but they work really well when it’s cold out to stop drafts.

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CraigInDaVille t1_ja97v9m wrote

Here I was thinking we had seen the last of these posts for the year when bam, another one pops up.

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cheech14 t1_ja92wht wrote

Get a small efficient space heater for the area near the glass and some wool socks and stop turning the heat up so high.

The last bill on our 1200 Sq ft very drafty condo was $217. Rarely turn the heat above 65.

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Washableaxe t1_ja987pz wrote

+1 for space heater recommendation.

It’s the smartest way to keep wherever you are a bit warmer. Don’t need to hear the whole house when you can only be in one room at a time.

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modernhomeowner t1_ja9ay7o wrote

By the time your new supplier kicks in, we will be back to Summer rates May 1. This is something you should be doing every summer is shopping rates for winter. It is rare that I have seen a supply rate in Summer cheaper than National Grid's, but winter rates you can get a deal if you sign up in Summer for Winter. For this winter, I signed up for 12.69¢ in Summer, when National Grid's rate was 11¢; people thought I was crazy, but I knew that Winter rates are always higher than summer rates, and I'd end up saving. Two winters ago, I signed up at 9.5¢ at the end of summer, and that winter, National Grid's rate was 14¢. Always sign up in Summer to lock in a Winter Rate. Some people who locked in with a contract in December at 18¢ are sorry now seeing 13¢ options, and may be very sorry when National Grid's summer rates are announced.

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Middle-Example6618 t1_ja9eika wrote

nobody thought you were crazy.

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modernhomeowner t1_ja9f67z wrote

lol, thanks for the validation. I texted and talked to bunch of friends and family when I signed up for the 12.69 and suggested they do too... Only one did; the rest were like blank stares.

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Tall-Paul t1_jabbtfn wrote

How does one shop around for winter rates, and when in the summer do you shop around? New to national grid and can see how this would pay dividends.

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tandemtuna t1_ja9c9yq wrote

Consider insulated curtains for the glass door

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TheTr7nity t1_ja9loil wrote

There has to be cheaper alternatives to National Grid.

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marvinthemartian6464 t1_jaa77g2 wrote

73 degrees?! Turn the temp down. Throw a sweatshirt and socks on

My house is 2200 SQ ft with 2 central air units. I keep the temp at 66 degrees. Electric was 160 and gas was 180 last month

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sjam1052 t1_jaadute wrote

I’m glad your bill has been low but I do want to ask, do you get your electricity from a municipal light department as opposed to Eversource or National Grid? Or do you have a third party electrify supplier? Even with your communicated strategy of keeping the temp at 66 it seems like with todays standard energy pricing with ES or NG your bill would be higher. Thanks!

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kjmass1 t1_jaagusd wrote

Sounds like you have electric baseboard heat. Big ouch.

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Artvandelay2019 t1_jaai5sa wrote

Especially if OP is keeping it at 73 degrees! I'd keep it at 50-55 and dress warm.

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kjmass1 t1_jaaj4bp wrote

We keep it 72F 24/7, 2500sf and last month was $525. 1940s home with some insulation upgrades. These apartments are criminal with crappy insulation and electric heat.

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BrainFog02 t1_ja93gak wrote

You think that’s bad?

Rented a place in Somerville with roommates. I had my own room heater, that I only turned on at night to 65, but our bill was above $800 for the month of December.

I found my own place so quick.

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softriceking001 t1_jaact4u wrote

Change your supplier. I went from $160 to $80 per month.

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juiceybrown t1_jaaucp0 wrote

www.eneryswitchma.gov

You're allowed to switch suppliers. If you're still with national grid, you're getting charged for 33 cents per kWh. Easy switch to with a simple online application to one of the suppliers. I went with 17 cents per.

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No_Huckleberry7316 OP t1_ja93jen wrote

Apologies if my post comes off complainy, probably due to my lack of experience with these sorts of things, but I really just am looking for suggestions as to how to not freeze to death but also not pay beyond what I'm comfortable.

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zootgirl t1_ja95hol wrote

Mass Save sells discounted weatherization products. Just by adding some insulation to your windows would help keep your heat from escaping a bit. Also, second the humidifier suggestion. And, turn your thermostat down overnight. Ours is set to 58 overnight and that will save money as well.

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icaquito t1_ja9nm14 wrote

I was surprised to see the increase in my bills too, wasn’t expecting it to be so high. I’d suggest switching suppliers if your town has an agreement in place as it tends to be the cheapest and same pricing for the length of the contract, it’s really easy to do online. It’s still going to be billed through national grid so not sure that building management will need to know. It takes about a billing period to take effect, but will save you money for a bit.

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No_Huckleberry7316 OP t1_ja9oa3l wrote

Thank you. I'm looking into that as well. I'm just not sure what the exact process is, like once I get in a contract with a new supplier, do I have to call National Grid to let them know or cancel anything? I suppose I could call one of the suppliers and see if they know..

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sjam1052 t1_jaadefi wrote

You’ll still be a customer of National Grid’s. And your delivery, transmissions, etc charges will still be from national grid. It’s simply the supply rate portion of your billl that will state the third party supplier name and their price. They coordinate with national grid (or any utility) directly.

Read your contract carefully before signing. Third party electricity suppliers are great and offered in MA because we have a deregulated energy market.

You should see if your town or city (like Boston is, most of the cape is) is a part of a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). If your town is then they have an agreement in place with a third party electric supplier already and you can opt into it. Your local town’s department of utilities should have more information.

Energy prices are extremely high right now and the rates are in effect for 6 months. Nation grid until may. And who knows what the summer rate will be which will be in effect for may-Nov. If you can lock in a lower rate with a third party, you should. Just, again, read the contract carefully and look out for escalators which are atypical of CCAs since the town/city does so much vetting of the offer first for their residents

(I work in energy, close to this sector)

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icaquito t1_jaaqolq wrote

The other poster’s comment was on point, but to answer your question, you fill out a form online and they notify national grid for you. All you need is your national grid account number to make the change. Here’s the link for the municipal aggregation program, https://www.mass.gov/info-details/municipal-aggregation - select your town and then enroll in the program.

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tm16scud t1_jaae5o3 wrote

Giant glass door is probably your main culprit for heat loss (in addition to old windows, drafty doors, etc. A heavy curtain, blanket, or window shrink wrap would work wonders to make your heat more efficient.

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anurodhp t1_jaahe90 wrote

Have a nest installed. They are basically free from national grid

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reaper527 t1_ja9lk3t wrote

can you set the thermostats on a room by room basis so you aren't heating rooms you aren't actively using?

i have electric everything and my biggest bill in the last 12 months was 375 this january in a place double the size of your unit. (that being said, i'm eversource, not national grid).

i keep everything set to 55 during my working hours when i'm not home, then have it automatically crank the rooms i'm typically in up to 71 a little bit before i get home (and weekends).

when i think of it, i'll also turn it down when i go somewhere during times the schedule would normally have the heat on, but i'm not always great about remembering to do this. (at some point i'll probably set up homekit to manage that since my thermostat supports it, but for now just making the schedule in the mysa app was quick and easy)

a good smart thermostat will also be able to tell you how much power you used on heating, so while that's PROBABLY what's driving up your bill, you'd be able to see exactly how much power you used for heat.

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bostonguy2004 t1_jab6uoo wrote

73 degrees? That's insanity!

Surprised you bill wasn't $1,000 last month.

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dramaticmyocardium t1_jacwr2n wrote

What were the delivery charges? I saw the delivery charges are making up half of my bills since last few months

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alexblablabla1123 t1_jadxvgt wrote

Sounds like you have electric resistive (not heat pump) heating. That’s the most expensive way to heat.

1st you need to compare you usage vs historical. Then stop the draft. And finally you may want to try electric blankets. Or a good sweater/fleece mid layer.

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Vivecs954 t1_jaceo77 wrote

I have literally never put my heat up to 73, that is super high.

Try lowering the thermostat. I keep mine on 63 during the day and 55 at night. I paid $170 in February for a 3 bedroom single family home.

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spyda24 t1_ja9atnw wrote

Our apartment is always at 73-76, degrees, 1000 square feet and yet to reach $100 for a bill with national grid. Then again, building is less than 3 years old and it’s not electric heat.

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Washableaxe t1_ja9wxoa wrote

I’m calling BS on this, unless you have significant building heating that you’re able to piggyback off of.

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spyda24 t1_jaalemi wrote

No need to lie, building have very high efficient system.

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Washableaxe t1_jad55ll wrote

No degree of efficiency can beat natural gas prices atm. You are likely benefitting from the building common area heating and neighbor heating to a great degree.

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[deleted] t1_jaakp8m wrote

[deleted]

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Washableaxe t1_jad723i wrote

Ok so you proved my point?

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[deleted] t1_jad7vwc wrote

[deleted]

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Washableaxe t1_jad89x7 wrote

Did you read past the first 3 words?

> unless you have significant building heating that you’re able to piggyback off of.

You said you parents benefit from proximity heating in their apartment, which would prove that no, you can’t get 70+ degree temps and cheap gas bill without outside assistance.

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[deleted] t1_jad9yol wrote

[deleted]

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Washableaxe t1_jadacj6 wrote

I am genuinely curious which part of my comment you are projecting as angry, but I also don’t really care. Its a bit strange you are turning this dialogue into an argument when I sought clarification because of your initial ambiguously worded comment (phrased as disagreeing, but factually supported my claim).

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Shemsuni t1_ja9jpun wrote

Salt on a wound

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spyda24 t1_ja9k7fi wrote

Had electric heat once and made it a point to never again rent a place with electric heat.

Also lived in an apartment complex where heat was included…I left my bike in the basement, one day the frame changed colors..green to faint powered blue.

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