Reducing Gas bill to near 0?

[Injury]

So I got the E-Bill for my utility company yesterday and the charges were as such:

~ $42 for gas,
~ $25 for electric.
~ $67 total


Now, the heat has been off in my apartment since well before the previous billing cycle, so to think that I spent $42 on gas is somewhat odd to me. My stove is electric, so I know it's not that. As stated previously, my thermostat has been set to "off" since probably late February.

What would be using gas and is there a way to eliminate it? Water heater, perhaps?

I know it almost sounds petty to want to eliminate this charge, but I'm on a personal quest to reduce my monthly expenditures as low as they can go.


Any ideas would be fantastic. I really want to bring my utility bill closer to $50, as I can't see why a 1BR apartment should cost more than that.

 

[E equals MC2]

Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

Yes

 

[loup garou]

Sometimes...you just have to wonder...

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

yes, showers, dishwasher, sink, .... anything that uses hot water

 

[WannaFly]

your clothes dryer could also be gas

 

[kranky]

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

If it's a gas water heater, yes.

Also, there is a monthly "service charge" that's applied to your account regardless of how much gas you use. You can only influence the amount of your bill that's related to usage, not the fixed amount for getting service.

 

[E equals MC2]

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

wtf? I thought I made it pretty clear? Should I summon Captain Obvious to help you out?

 

[E equals MC2]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

yes, showers, dishwasher, sink, .... anything that uses hot water

Don't forget laundry washer... $$$$

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

Is your water heater gas? Is your clothes dryer gas?

It'd be impossible for us to tell you this without seeing them but it's safe to assume that if you haven't used your gas heat at all and you're still getting a bill then either you A: used it and forgot B: have a gas leak somewhere C: have other appliances that use gas.

So if you confirm that you do not have a gas water heater and do not have a gas clothes dryer then you either have a leak or used it at some point in the last billing cycle.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

wtf? I thought I made it pretty clear? Should I summon Captain Obvious to help you out?

Summoned him for you

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

yes, showers, dishwasher, sink, .... anything that uses hot water

Don't forget laundry washer... $$$$

never washed anything but Cold/Cold

buy yea could have a gas dryer

 

[E equals MC2]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

wtf? I thought I made it pretty clear? Should I summon Captain Obvious to help you out?

Summoned him for you

YOU SUMMONED THE WRONG GUY!

Captain Obvious for generally obvious pedestrian-level obvious.

Master of Obvious should ONLY be reserved for absolutely dire situations (IE: pickle comes from cucumbers?)

 

[sswingle]

Originally posted by: loup garou
Sometimes...you just have to wonder...

Indeed...

 

[E equals MC2]

Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers

Originally posted by: loup garou
Sometimes...you just have to wonder...

Indeed...

What.. would you dooo? if I sang... out of tune...?

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

wtf? I thought I made it pretty clear? Should I summon Captain Obvious to help you out?

Summoned him for you

YOU SUMMONED THE WRONG GUY!

Captain Obvious for generally obvious pedestrian-level obvious.

Master of Obvious should ONLY be reserved for absolutely dire situations (IE: pickle comes from cucumbers?)

Thanks buddy that distinction isn?t that obvious

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers

Originally posted by: loup garou
Sometimes...you just have to wonder...

Indeed...

What.. would you dooo? if I sang... out of tune...?

change the channel that show sucked

 

[E equals MC2]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers

Originally posted by: loup garou
Sometimes...you just have to wonder...

Indeed...

What.. would you dooo? if I sang... out of tune...?

change the channel that show sucked

 

[PHiuR]

don't forget the delivery charge... look at your bill!

 

[jiggahertz]

find the main gas line going to your house and close the valve

 

[IGBT]

..water heater dryer..leaks?? is there a minimum service charge for the gas hook up?

 

[bonkers325]

service charge is probably half of your gas bill

 

[spacejamz]

we just have gas heating (have gas fireplace but we never use it)...

in the summer months, we still pay $10 monthly connection charge even though our usage is 0.0

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Unless you take showers everyday at freezing natural tap water temperature, you can't bring it down to zero.

This is heating up thousands of gallons of water every month we're talking about. That steamin' 20 min shower you took this morning or at night? Electricity can't possibly heat up all that without cost going through the roof.

So the water heater is the source of gas usage?

wtf? I thought I made it pretty clear? Should I summon Captain Obvious to help you out?

Summoned him for you

Is that Raistlin from Dragonlance?