Average Billing for Electric/Gas, what are your thoughts?

[Servicetech571]

Average Billing for Electric/Gas, what are your thoughts?
A: Effective budgeting tool
B: Way to keep your head in the sand about reducing use

[Easy180]

My wife is a budget freak so we always opt for averaging. We don't like surprises, good or bad lol

[ylouder]

I dont average, i figure if we are too close going negative over an 50 dollar increase in a utility bill then we got other problems.

-Either we need to spend less in other areas if we cant absorb a spike increase
-Its a slap in the face (wakeup call) that we need to reduce use around the house

The rest of my family averages but they like the predictability because they are on fixed incomes.

[gjl]

Residential Flat Rate Billing for electric. I like using whatever I need and want. It's the same amount every month. I didn't even get an increase for the next 12 months when I renewed this May. Same monthly bill as the last 12 months. Right now I am paying more for cable tv and internet than I pay for electric each month.
Average monthly billing for gas. Right now it is the 3rd lowest monthly bill I pay. Cheapest is garbage and sewer to Warr Acres, next is water to OKC, then gas to ONG. I consider those 3 monthly bills insignificant.

[Dennis Heaton]

I am going to switch to Flat Rate Billing after I get OG&E bill for June. Here are my bills for the past 11 months...

2014:

May 38.62, Apr 37.59, Mar 63.61, Feb 83.42, Jan 85.61

2013:

Dec 90.06, Nov 49.32, Oct 31.82, Sep 67.55, Aug 62.19, Jul 60.40, Jun 28.47

As you can see, I do not like the bitter cold.

[gjl]

You do know that flat rate billing is not the same as averaging. And it is not something I applied for. OG&E asked me by letter if I wanted to be put on it quite a few years ago. I've been on it for 6 or 7 years. Every May I have to opportunity to continue with it or revert to regular or averaged billing. And every May they tell me what my monthly bill will be for the next 12 months. It does not vary month to month for the entire 12 months. I've never run across anyone else that is on it.

[Dennis Heaton]

You do know that flat rate billing is not the same as averaging. And it is not something I applied for. OG&E asked me by letter if I wanted to be put on it quite a few years ago. I've been on it for 6 or 7 years. Every May I have to opportunity to continue with it or revert to regular or averaged billing. And every May they tell me what my monthly bill will be for the next 12 months. It does not vary month to month for the entire 12 months. I've never run across anyone else that is on it.

gjl...Thanks for the info! I did just check that out at OG&E...

http://www.oge.com/residential-custo...ntOptions.aspx

[TheTravellers]

Y'know, all this talk about reducing use of electricity is interesting. We have no kids, I work a regular shift, wife works a shift between regular and swing, I do laundry in the evenings (full loads), run the dishwasher in the evenings (full loads), keep unnecessary lights off, and keep the house temp at a reasonable temp (higher 70s-ish in the summer, usually). I really can't think of many ways to reduce my usage or shift it to "better" times, I do what I need to do when I'm home (no, I'm not going to put my washer on a timer and run it at 3 AM, it will wake us up), so I just keep on keeping along...

And the gas bill (central heat and water heater only, sadly the rest is electric) usually is opposed to the electric bill (one goes up, the other down), but they both average about to the same total amount each month, with a little variation.

[Servicetech571]

Residential Flat Rate Billing for electric. I like using whatever I need and want. It's the same amount every month. I didn't even get an increase for the next 12 months when I renewed this May. Same monthly bill as the last 12 months. Right now I am paying more for cable tv and internet than I pay for electric each month.
Average monthly billing for gas. Right now it is the 3rd lowest monthly bill I pay. Cheapest is garbage and sewer to Warr Acres, next is water to OKC, then gas to ONG. I consider those 3 monthly bills insignificant.

Have you ran the numbers both ways to determine which billing method has the lowest overall annual cost?
If so, how much cheaper is the flat rate billing vs. just being averaged?

[gjl]

OG&E doesn't tell me what my bill would have been if I was not on GFB so I don't know nor do I care.

[ylouder]

I think I would like averaging better than smart hours. We both work regular jobs and are home by 4, have two little kids and when I watch people talk about saving 200 dollars ovet the course of the summet by doing laundry at night and not cooking I always think what the heck. 50 dollars saved per month ( to spend 20 days) with no AC until 7pm ill pass.

Ill pay an extra 2 dollars a day to keep my toddlers from being fussy an d hot after they get home from daycare. I can already imagine the fights.

[Dennis Heaton]

I think I would like averaging better than smart hours. We both work regular jobs and are home by 4, have two little kids and when I watch people talk about saving 200 dollars ovet the course of the summet by doing laundry at night and not cooking I always think what the heck. 50 dollars saved per month ( to spend 20 days) with no AC until 7pm ill pass.

Ill pay an extra 2 dollars a day to keep my toddlers from being fussy an d hot after they get home from daycare. I can already imagine the fights.

My savings on Smart Hours have been in the range of $35-40 during the Summer. But, my bills have been far below average compared to my 390+ neighbors, according to my weekly usage report from OG&E.

[windowphobe]

I figure, if I'm paying a high gas bill and a low electric bill in the winter, and vice versa in the summer, I'm already doing as much "averaging" as I need to be.

[Servicetech571]

I think I would like averaging better than smart hours. We both work regular jobs and are home by 4, have two little kids and when I watch people talk about saving 200 dollars ovet the course of the summet by doing laundry at night and not cooking I always think what the heck. 50 dollars saved per month ( to spend 20 days) with no AC until 7pm ill pass.

Ill pay an extra 2 dollars a day to keep my toddlers from being fussy an d hot after they get home from daycare. I can already imagine the fights.

It doesn't have to be either/or. You can be on averaging and Smarthours at the same time. Smarthours affects total cost, averaging lets you pay some of your summer bill through the winter. Not running the washer/dryer/dishwasher 2-7pm will save most people $20/mo by itself. Reduction of AC use will save more, but isn't required. Even a 2-3 degree increase helps, you don't have to shut it off entirely.

[Servicetech571]

I think I would like averaging better than smart hours. We both work regular jobs and are home by 4, have two little kids and when I watch people talk about saving 200 dollars ovet the course of the summet by doing laundry at night and not cooking I always think what the heck. 50 dollars saved per month ( to spend 20 days) with no AC until 7pm ill pass.

Ill pay an extra 2 dollars a day to keep my toddlers from being fussy an d hot after they get home from daycare. I can already imagine the fights.

That's how we do it. Spring goes for home improvement projects, Fall goes for Christmas.

[oklip955]

I like the flat rate billing over the averaging (OG&E). I'm on a fixed income (firefighter pension) this way I know my bill cost each month and can budget the rest as needed. I'm total electric and have 1700 sq ft house. I keep my house cool (72) winter and summer. I run to frigs and freezers. I run tv and do wash as needed. I'm ok with my bill.

[Dennis Heaton]

I like the flat rate billing over the averaging (OG&E). I'm on a fixed income (firefighter pension) this way I know my bill cost each month and can budget the rest as needed. I'm total electric and have 1700 sq ft house. I keep my house cool (72) winter and summer. I run to frigs and freezers. I run tv and do wash as needed. I'm ok with my bill.

Bill, as a fellow "Pensioner," do you mind sharing what your Flat Rate Bill is? Thanks!

[Dennis Heaton]

Ooooops...I did just noticed that I addressed my question to "Bill." I meant, "oklip955." My bad!