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Is it normal to have this high of a bill? *Update* I'm a moron

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That's the strange thing. 98CCF actually sounds low for a water heater, but I can't believe that would cost him almost 160 bucks! :Q

That means he's using about 100,000BTU/mo to heat water.

That's about 30kWh worth of electricity, which would cost less than $4.00 at the US National average of .119/kWh.

If he had a gas furnace, his bill would be eleventy billion dollars a month.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: episodic
I read the back and taught myself how to read a meter:
on 12/2/08 it was 2093
on 1/5/09 it was 2191

So I used 98 CCF (cubic feet of gas)


So I went out and read the meter just now

on 1/5 - it should have been 2191

it is 1/12/09 and it is on 2214 so in 7 days I've used 23 CCF
Click to expand...

hmmmm.

98 cubic feet of gas isn't that much.. And that cost you $158?

That's 1 therm.....

Something is wonky here.
Click to expand...

98CCF is 980 cubic feet natural gas. Numbers are in hundreds of cubic feet on ng meters.
 
Originally posted by: Rubycon
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: episodic
I read the back and taught myself how to read a meter:
on 12/2/08 it was 2093
on 1/5/09 it was 2191

So I used 98 CCF (cubic feet of gas)


So I went out and read the meter just now

on 1/5 - it should have been 2191

it is 1/12/09 and it is on 2214 so in 7 days I've used 23 CCF
Click to expand...

hmmmm.

98 cubic feet of gas isn't that much.. And that cost you $158?

That's 1 therm.....

Something is wonky here.
Click to expand...

98CCF is 980 cubic feet natural gas. Numbers are in hundreds of cubic feet on ng meters.
Click to expand...

Ahhh.. that makes more sense. My bad.

So yeah, something is wrong somewhere. That seems like excessive usage for a water heater.

 
Originally posted by: Eli

Ahhh.. that makes more sense. My bad.

So yeah, something is wrong somewhere. That seems like excessive usage for a water heater.
Click to expand...

A badly leaking TPV will do it and if the escape line is unobtrusively run it may not be noticeable right away to the average Joel dualpack. 😉

 
Looks like there may be a usage charge when you go over 40CCF

Notice the price jump for the extra 58 units.

Get it checked out immediately.
If there is a leak, you need to know.

If the meter is being misread, then an adjustment should be made.

As others have stated, the numbers seem high for single use.
 
for comparison, in Kansas, my bill ending 12-19 is:

$144.58
14mcf used
cost of gas per mcf $6.29

this is for a 1400sf house with gas heat and water heater, semi-poor insulated home. Ou temps here have been in the 20s through 40s primarily.
 
As everybody else said, that's effed up.

My gas bill in the middle of a Wisconsin winter is about $150 for my furnace and water heater.
 
Originally posted by: Rubycon
Originally posted by: episodic
One more question what is a TPV that Rubycon was talking about.. .
Click to expand...

Text
Click to expand...

Ruby, ok, so you are talking about 'water' leaking?

If so, that'd be a no go as my computer desk is 5 feet from the hotwater heater and it doesn't leak water or have a gas smell....
 
Ok, I reread that link Rubycon - so when the valve releases, the long pipe attached to it is supposed to carry away water - correct?

So the drain pipe 'should' or 'should not' be warm?

I havea TPV valve on the side of the heater and the pipe emanating from the TPV valve is slightly warm to the touch.
 
The valve will be warm since it's cast of bronze which is a good conductor of heat. It's threaded into the tank which will be at the thermostat's setpoint. The escape pipe a few inches downstream of the valve should NOT be warm. If it is then the valve could be creep leaking. Even a small leak is costly as the supply water making up is going to be considerably colder - sometimes much colder.

EDIT: you will never have a gas smell from a leaking TPV. A creep leak developing over a period of months may not be aurally apparent as the egress impingement can resonate in the ultrasonic range.
 
My cousin had a surcharge thrown on his bill this month. I think it was around $82...is the bill itemized? Just something to check....
 
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
My cousin had a surcharge thrown on his bill this month. I think it was around $82...is the bill itemized? Just something to check....
Click to expand...


Customer Charge 9.75
Dist Rate 50CCF @ 0.34655/CCF 17.3
Dist Rate 48CCF @ 0.16664/CCF 8.00
Gas Supply Rate 98CCF @ 1.05694/CCF 103.58
Weather Normalization 98CCF @ 0.01113/CCF 1.09
Base ADJ Rate 0.29
EE Cost Rate 0.36
Municipal Franchise Adustment 5.97
City Tax 1.83
County Tax 2.93
State Tax 8.78

Total 159.61
 
Hey, I don't want to scare you silly or anything, but if there's any chance of a gas leak between the meter and your house (even one in a million), PLEASE get it checked out! The gas company can come out and drive a rod into the ground at regular intervals (which allows them to get their gas probe underground and sniff for gas), and they can check under your house as well, to make certain none of those old lines have started leaking. Even if there's a small fee incurred, the peace of mind you'll have after they find nothing will be worth the cost.

Speaking of someone who survived a house explosion a couple years ago, when a natural gas leak caused a giant kaboom!, I can tell you that it's worth checking out!! Honestly, I was exceedingly lucky (blessed) to get through my explosion without a scratch, and most of the responders said they were shocked I wasn't seriously injured or killed from the explosion. Two years later, and I can tell you that my life is definitely changed from what it was back then!!

Do yourself and your wife a favor, and get this checked out.
 
I'm waiting to get my bill this month too. I have gas heat and hot water. Last month the average temp was probably 45 and I keep my heat at an average of 64 and my water at the lowest setting. My bill was $170 for around 100 CCF.
 
The leak is somewhere between the meter and your appliance. Shut the valve off at the appliance and check the meter to see if the smaller dials spins (normally 1/4 foot, 1/2 foot, 1 foot, or 2 feet).

There is a leak/s if you have test/clocking dials (it is harder to read if you only have consumption dial, such as cubic meter here in Canada) and they spins when all appliances are shut off. If dial still spin when turn off main gas valve indicates the leak is between meter and main valve (leak not inside house), and if dial doesn't spins the leak is inside the house.

The leak/vent could also be from a stuck/failed pressure regulator if you house line is 2 PSI, 7" water colum piping system doesn't require regulator before appliances.

Shut off all gas valves then ventilate the house, then use soap test to find leak after you turn the gas back on (good thing is that NG is lighter than air, unlike LP).

PS. Call gas company if you can't find leak yourself.
 
Originally posted by: Squisher
You are either leaking gas or hot water.

You can figure out what it'll cost per year for most heaters using this guide.

I imagine most gas water heaters cost about $150-200 yearly.

I pay $132/mo. for gas for water heater, furnace, and stove.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure of the metering system in the US hence we use cubic meter dials here in Canada.

However if Rubycon is correct at claiming 980 cf then you are wasting 980,000 BTU a month or wasting at least 7697 gallon of hot water a month or empty 4~6.4 hot water tank per day. You should be able to detech hot water leak if it is at this rate.
 
Something is definitely wrong. My last bill was $175 and that's for heat, water and stove. You could have a pretty decent leak and not smell it. I know I can't smell it until it's pretty severe. I had one a while back, but it wasn't until my mom came by and found it. Apparently, her sense of smell is a lot better. The utility company will come by with a sensor that can find the leak though.
 
Originally posted by: Strk
Something is definitely wrong. My last bill was $175 and that's for heat, water and stove. You could have a pretty decent leak and not smell it. I know I can't smell it until it's pretty severe. I had one a while back, but it wasn't until my mom came by and found it. Apparently, her sense of smell is a lot better. The utility company will come by with a sensor that can find the leak though.
Click to expand...
Most people can't smell mercaptans unless NG/LP is at least 2% in air, and NG required 4% gas air mixture to ignite, while LP required only 2% gas air mixture to ignite.
 
Well, the house is 'off' the ground - I went out back and shined my high candlepower flashlight under it and I can clearly see all the pipes under the hotwater heater (water pipes) - nothing looks wet.

We'll call the gas people tommorow and see what happens.
 
Originally posted by: episodic
Well, the house is 'off' the ground - I went out back and shined my high candlepower flashlight under it and I can clearly see all the pipes under the hotwater heater (water pipes) - nothing looks wet.

We'll call the gas people tommorow and see what happens.
Click to expand...
Shut off the gas main, just incase there is a leak in the house.
 
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