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Crazy Hydro Bill?

T

tracynhaley

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I don't know if this is the place to post this, but I am hoping to get some feedback from Toronto residents on what your average hydro usage is. I have a 1200 sq ft 2 level apartment with a gas furnace and gas hot water heater, washer and dryer, and only two people living here, and my hydro bill came in at $470 for 63 days! Over 4000 kw of usage. I am sure there has been some error, but I have never paid hydro in a place like this before so I just don't have anything to compare it to.
What is normal for a 2 month period?
Thanks!
 
My last Hydro bill - a 1,000 sq.ft. house with forced air gas heating for the house only, not for the water heater, stove etc. which is by Hydro - came to about $95 for two months, metered, for the one of me.

Perhaps they sent you the wrong bill?
 
There might be a deposit which could be included in the first bill. Is it an estimated bill? When I got a new place the first bill was vastly overestimated, along with the deposit. The second bill was after they actually read the meter, and it was very small.

Check your wiring to make sure that are no illegal connections (ie. grow op next door). Maybe there are connections you weren't aware of. If there is an electric water heater attached, make sure only you use the hot water and it is not leaking. Of course, change your incandescent to compact fluorescent bulbs. Then go around to see what is on all the time or not.
 
You can try phoning in your meter reading. If their estimate is substantially different than the actual reading, they can adjust the bill accordingly.

You definitely shouldn't take it lying down. Call your retailer.
 
tracynhaley said:
Yes apparantly all the meters are in the neaighbour's basement, it is a block of 4 retailers and 4- 2 story apartments.
Click to expand...


you using most of your power off peak? also make sure nobody's stealing your hydro.
 
Sounds like you got the bill for everyone.



Time to make calls and ask questions.
 
My 750 square foot apartment typically has a hydro bill of about $20 per month, but then again I am extremely energy efficient.
 
Hydrogen said:
Sounds like you got the bill for everyone.



Time to make calls and ask questions.
Click to expand...

That's what I was wondering. But I talked to the retailer below me and his bills are abnormally high as well. It is all pretty fishy. I did a virtual estimate thing on the toronto hydro site and at the very most the bill could come to about $130. That's having the tv on 8.5 hrs per day, the oven for 2 hours everyday, 20 loads of laundry per month...I hardly ever use my oven or my tv and have energy lightbulbs in all my lamps.
 
$235/month is a bit on the steep side.

I pay the hydro for my 1100 sq ft triplex apartment, and it never goes above $40/monthly.

I also pay the common hydro bill for the whole triplex since I'm the owner. The common bill has a 1986 High Eff Gas furnace, dryer and washer and some hallway + exterior lights. Only the blower and some electronic components of the furnace will utilize electricity.

The bill never goes above $50/month. It does tend to go up in the summer when the AC is on, but never to the dollar amounts you provided.

If you're sleuthy, turn off all the breakers on your panel one by one, until all the plugs and lights in your home stop functioning - that means everything.

Then keep an eye out on your hydro meter. If it's still running, then you're just paying for someone else's electricity use.
 
Wow, seriously thats 3 apts worth of laundry? There is definitely something amiss. Luckily I have a friend with a good tie to toronto hydro and he called in a favour to have them take me seriously and send a field worker to investigate it. Especially since It's not just my bill thats outrageous, but the retailer below me as well.
 
Chuck said:
My 750 square foot apartment typically has a hydro bill of about $20 per month, but then again I am extremely energy efficient.
Click to expand...

$20? How do you accomplish such low usage?

The apartment I just moved from was 660 sq ft and the hydro bill went from $45 to $80 due to heating over the winter months, and that's in Portland, OR here in the states. Although my place also had a washer/dryer setup so that takes more energy.
 
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