Non-insulated
I got my electric bill yesterday. It was $260...$100 more than this time last year.
"WHAT?" I shrieked. I count on this time of the year to be my cheap time...after all, I live in Texas where the electric bill is usually all about air-conditioning and simply trying to survive in summer. The winter (all three days) usually lets us turn off the A/C and get a break on the bill.
I decided to call my electric coop. Not "coop" as in where chickens live, but co-op as in cooperative. Yes, in 2005 there are still places in the country (not country as in USA, but country as in where chickens live) that have electric cooperatives. The nice part about it is that we are all members. I feel "special" when I call.
I talked to Earl.
It didn't inspire confidence when he made the sort of noises that Mr. Haney in Hooterville used to make when Eva Gabor's husband needed repairs done on "Green Acres". I listened as he rustled papers, whistled through his teeth and hrumphed.
"You live in a !,600 square foot house?" he asked incredulously. "That is a bit more than we generally see on a bill in November". Yep, I said, and last year was way less.
"Well now, lessee....do you have weather-stripping around your doors?"
"No". More whistling through the teeth.
"Do you have insulated windows with weather-stripping?"
"No". A few worried hrummphs.
"Do you generally run your heater at 68?"
"No".
Oh, and by the way, I say, my washer broke six months ago and now can ONLY wash in hot water. Could that make a difference?.
Remember, it's a co-op? He was getting really worried about me as a member. And possibly worried that my family alone would use up all the available electric resources for the Bandera Electric Cooperative.
I could feel him sitting up a little taller as he explained to me that the washer uses 50 gallons at a time. And that I was emptying the hot water heater each load. And that YES it probably caused a big surge in my bill.
We both took a deep breath. I started to tell him, now in rushing sentences, how we got a new water tank to fix my rusty water (see Water post) and how I had gunk that stopped up my washer and I couldn't afford to replumb and by the way did the new pump out at the tank use more electricity and also my units were well over 10 years old, and, and, and.....not only were my windows not insulated, they were downright breezy, and the roof insulation was 30 years old, and, and, and...
It felt cathartic. Like talking to a shrink. YES, I ADMIT IT! MY HOUSE IS FALLING APART!!!
"Maybe you should move" he said.
I agree.
"WHAT?" I shrieked. I count on this time of the year to be my cheap time...after all, I live in Texas where the electric bill is usually all about air-conditioning and simply trying to survive in summer. The winter (all three days) usually lets us turn off the A/C and get a break on the bill.
I decided to call my electric coop. Not "coop" as in where chickens live, but co-op as in cooperative. Yes, in 2005 there are still places in the country (not country as in USA, but country as in where chickens live) that have electric cooperatives. The nice part about it is that we are all members. I feel "special" when I call.
I talked to Earl.
It didn't inspire confidence when he made the sort of noises that Mr. Haney in Hooterville used to make when Eva Gabor's husband needed repairs done on "Green Acres". I listened as he rustled papers, whistled through his teeth and hrumphed.
"You live in a !,600 square foot house?" he asked incredulously. "That is a bit more than we generally see on a bill in November". Yep, I said, and last year was way less.
"Well now, lessee....do you have weather-stripping around your doors?"
"No". More whistling through the teeth.
"Do you have insulated windows with weather-stripping?"
"No". A few worried hrummphs.
"Do you generally run your heater at 68?"
"No".
Oh, and by the way, I say, my washer broke six months ago and now can ONLY wash in hot water. Could that make a difference?.
Remember, it's a co-op? He was getting really worried about me as a member. And possibly worried that my family alone would use up all the available electric resources for the Bandera Electric Cooperative.
I could feel him sitting up a little taller as he explained to me that the washer uses 50 gallons at a time. And that I was emptying the hot water heater each load. And that YES it probably caused a big surge in my bill.
We both took a deep breath. I started to tell him, now in rushing sentences, how we got a new water tank to fix my rusty water (see Water post) and how I had gunk that stopped up my washer and I couldn't afford to replumb and by the way did the new pump out at the tank use more electricity and also my units were well over 10 years old, and, and, and.....not only were my windows not insulated, they were downright breezy, and the roof insulation was 30 years old, and, and, and...
It felt cathartic. Like talking to a shrink. YES, I ADMIT IT! MY HOUSE IS FALLING APART!!!
"Maybe you should move" he said.
I agree.
posted by herewegoagain at
9:42 AM
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