re: OT Thread for Alabamians - What's your gas bill this month?

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What appliances do you have on gas? Gas Furnace, Water Heater, Fireplace?

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Gas furnace, water heater, gas stove. I think that's it. No fireplace.

We actually had a Spire technician come check our appliances a month ago. No leaks.

Blows my mind that anyone can read through the countless posts of people saying "WTF" to their gas bills and not believe there's a problem. I contacted ole Twinkle through the Alabama Public Service Commission's website but I don't know if that will actually do anything.

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It blows your mind that people understand the situation going on?

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That what? That it was supposedly so cold this past month that everyone's gas bills needed to be doubled? When in fact January 2014 was colder than January 2018? And people's gas bills weren't this high then?

If a large swath of consumers are confused like this, it deserves an explanation from the company.

And your earlier post wasn't worth responding to as you completely misunderstood the post you were responding to. There was never a claim that they were "padding their profits" nor was there a claim about what CEOs of large corporations should make as a salary.

$220, last month was $140. Seems reasonable enough given cold temps, had my heat bumped higher because of newborn, etc.

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Also Where is the data to back that it was colder in 2014? 2014 didn't have two weeks of temps in the 10-25 range

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You can look up historical weather data at Weather Underground.

Birmingham, AL (where I am) in January 2018:

Mean temperature: 40
Lowest temperature: 9
Max temperature: 72
Heating Degree Days: 763

Birmingham, AL in January 2014 (last time we had a severely cold winter):

Mean temperature: 36
Lowest temperature: 7
Max temperature: 65
Heating Degree Days: 888

My gas bill was a few dollars away from being exactly double in 2018 than it was in 2014. I understand that economics have a part to play in the cost of services such as gas and electricity. However, considering the fact that no one foresaw this kind of price increase, I would say it's fair to think that something is afoot when people's bills are suddenly doubled.

No news articles on the price of natural gas being doubled. Nothing about electricity rates. There's no explanation or excuse out there besides "well it was colder, so deal with it." Ten dollars more? Twenty? Even fifty? I get it. Rates go up, inflation happens, availability changes. $150+ more than the last time we had an even colder month? That's a problem. Or even just a year ago when it wasn't so brutally cold - $210 increase from last January. That's a reason for concern.

And there's a difference between padding profits - which you said - and maintaining profits - which I said. If Spire made a mistake in predicting the cost and use of natural gas, then that should be a problem they handle on their end rather than doubling everyone's rates.

If you don't think people should find these unexpected increases troubling, at what point should they be allowed to get upset? $1000 increase? $2000?

And I admitted being naive to the laws of it. I don't know if Spire is doing anything illegal. I am curious to know why tax paying citizens are in the dark though. I'd like for the elected PSC representative to find out some info for us. I don't think it's too much to ask.

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I'm with you brother StringedInstruments

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