backbacon Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 So someone from the gas company left a message last week asking if I was still using gas (heat and water) or if I moved out and if so, why was I still paying the monthly service fee. I guess their meter stopped registering my usage a month after I moved in. I have been paying only the monthly fee for over a year now, even though I have not stopped using gas. I just pay my bill online every few months, thinking all is in order.I rec'd a letter a couple days ago saying they were going to go ahead and average out what I owe them from the past 13 months based on typical average usage according to the temperature outside, etc. If I don't contact them by 21 Apr they are going to come and fix the meter and shut my gas off.I don't agree with this avareage usage approach as I believe that I keep my place waaay cooler than the average person. Kind of like winter camping.Anyone else not been charged for gas for a year? Can I just tell them to come and fix their broken meter and we'll start fresh, no harm done? I kind of don't want to pay them anything more than I already have. Can they make me pay whatever they say, based on other people's average usage?I'm going to call them on Friday and get this sorted out but wanted to get some advice first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 "Winter Camping" - hahahaha! that's funny and by no means an exaggeration. Your place is bloody freezing and I can give those gas bastards a reference if you'd like KK.I think this is bullshit though and i'll do some research on your behalf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allison Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 The exact same thing happened to me in the fall.Well..not exactly in the sequence you describe.They kept calling me but never saying what is was about..and as my bill was up to date I chose not to return their calls and be on hold for fucking ever.Eventually we connected, they said they thought the meter wasn't working and needed to send someone to replace it.Which they did(another fucking story in there but anyways).They then decide I owed about three hundred dollars for the year it wasn't registering..not such a big deal.They compared the temp to the average usuage the year before...which was when i had bought it but didn't live here..so I lucked out.So if you have lived there for awhile it should reflect you are a low gas user and they will make the back fees reflective of that.They have to come and change the meter anyway...not sure why that is a threat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 as I believe that I keep my place waaay cooler than the average person.dude, you deserve a tax break...I'll vouch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Ike says, "hey" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooly Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 whats your temp set at backbacon?we keep our house super cold too, about 62-63 when we are home, down to 60 when we are out, but we run our furnace on oil, and fuel-oil is expensive!!! about 120/L right now, and its a 900L tank to fill we just got dinged for the "end of season" fillup, another 500 that we dont have.the worst is they dont tell us when they are coming, so you just get a fat bill slid thru the mailslot out of the blue.i hope everything works out for you there BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backbacon Posted April 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 haha.. c-towns and Birdy.. thanks for backing me up on this!So if you have lived there for awhile it should reflect you are a low gas user and they will make the back fees reflective of that.I have lived here for a year and two months almost. My average would suggest I use about 1 unit of gas per month. I even shut my pilot light off about the first week in March last year for the season. (Triggered by one nice day... it turned out that I shut it off about a month too soon.)Tooly, ouch! That is expensive! I'd say I keep my place at a fresh 55-65 degrees when I'm home. Not sure really.. my thermostat is an oldie and hard to read and not accurate. I turn it way down when I'm not home. Off if I go away for the weekend.Oh, hey there Ike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 a fresh 55-65 degrees haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blurry Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 (edited) "Winter Camping" - hahahaha! that's funny and by no means an exaggeration. Your place is bloody freezing and I can give those gas bastards a reference if you'd like KK.I can be another reference to how cold it is in your place KK!This does sound like bullshit but unfortunately they have you by the balls - if you don't pay they shut it off. You could take 'em to court to say the avg thing is complete BS - it's a nice guess on their part (but just that a guess). With nothing concrete in terms of numbers it would be very hard for them to have a case I would think. But I don't know if the cost of going to court would justify it!?!? Thought I suppose they would still have a strong case that you used some amount that wasn't paid for.Just a hunch - nothing concrete to back that up. Edited April 11, 2008 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokonon Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Just call and bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch as long as there is another gas company you can go to, they'll kiss your ass to keep your money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traveler Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Try offering them your own averaged amount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokonon Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Yeah, what about comparing your household to what the average in your area is, ie. number of occupants, square footage, appliances in use and of course your Inuit-like affinity for living in frigid temperatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokonon Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 I'd tell them to go fuck their hats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backbacon Posted April 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Just got off the phone with the Union Gas lady. Told her about getting a call that my meter wasn't registering usage and then told them about the letter I got saying I needed to call and arrange for them to replace the meter. I told her Tue-Thur was fine. I said my mom or sis could most likely be around to let them in. SHe said she didn't see any openings or something like that. Asked me to confirm with mom and sis and make sure they would be there and then get back to me. I said yeah sure, I'll get back to you. After that I asked her to clarify how I would be billed for the past year. She asked if it was a new unit. I said yeah. Not even sure what she meant by that.. the building I live in is about 100 years old. But I said yep, it's new, so she said my average would be based on usage going forward. What in the world is going on I thought as hung up. Oh well... the letter says if I don't contact them by apr 21 they will change the meter and leave it off, weather permitting. I held up my end of the bargain by contacting them. Fuck it anyway, I can handle a summer of cold showers. Now, time to go drink away this utter confusion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headymamamyrna Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 First of all didn't you notice something was not right when you were just paying the service fee?I am sure you will have to pay for the gas you used but how is another question.If they average out what the other owner used it won't be too fair to you if they kept their heat way up and you don't.Hopefully you will be lucky and they will give you a good estimate.Believe me when things get screwed up and you try and straighten it out its a huge problem as no one understands anymore!Good luck and I hope you just pay what you used and not what someone else did.You do need a new meter also so have them change it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 I even shut my pilot light off about the first week in March last year for the season. (Triggered by one nice day... it turned out that I shut it off about a month too soon.) More like three months too soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted April 13, 2008 Report Share Posted April 13, 2008 Hey Keri.Just a thought, but if they have no actual proof that you used any gas at all couldn't you tell them you've been out of the country for the past year so you had it turned way down, or even off completely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted April 13, 2008 Report Share Posted April 13, 2008 To add to what headymamamyrna said, you should NOT have to pay for a year based on the previous residents' usage pattern. I had an argument with a gas company about this when I moved into my current house. Previous owners kept the pool at a hot tub teperature!!! The equal billing payments were at well over $200 a month. Screw that. Mine have consistently been at $150 for the last 4 years and I usually have a balnce of a couple of hundred bucks every year. If anything, they should monitor your usage for the year you are in now and adjust to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backbacon Posted April 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 First of all didn't you notice something was not right when you were just paying the service fee? Good luck and I hope you just pay what you used and not what someone else did. You do need a new meter also so have them change it. I didn't notice I was only paying the monthly fee. I'd pay the $80 or so balance every few months... that sounded about right.. I never really paid a gas bill before. And yeah, I'll get the meter replaced soon. Birdy, pfft, whatever! Ike, I reckon the gas company could just call the electrical company to confirm that I was living there. They are probably buddies. Agreed, KK, I'd be happy to pay based on my usage going forward. If I understood the girl on the phone Friday correctly, it sounds like that is what they plan to do. I don't think I shouldn't have to pay.. that would be nice, though. I should have been really pumping out the gas all year and saving it. I could have gone door to door selling people discount natural gas!! "Excuse me, Ma'am.. may I ask how much you are you paying for natural gas each month? .... Oh yeah, well what would you say if I told you I could cut that bill in half!.... yeah?! Cool, I'll be right back." Vrooooooom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phishtaper Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 well, at least you didnt have one of those guys from Natural Energy pounding down your door intimidating you to sign up for wholesale gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 Now that you will be paying the full price I'd better start tripling up my socks and sweaters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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