Xcel Energy Bill - is this normal

StewieG

Ok - this is a shot in the dark that any of you might have some insight on this, but here goes.

We are on a budget plan for Xcel energy (so bill is averaged out and the same each month). Normal bill is $73. I just got our new bill and it was $182!!! WTF?! I looked closely and I don't understand all of the charges, but it sounds like this was a month where they readjust to a different average amount. But, a $109 difference????

I am going to call them today, but does anyone have an insanely high Xcel energy bill? We are a family of 5, but it's summer - lights are off, not a ton of electronics plugged in and although our air conditioner is a part of Xcel, it wasn't on THAT much more this summer than last summer.

 

MichellePete

They will up the amount of the buget plan if you're way over the usual amount of electricity that you use, at least in my experience.

They also choose one time of the year (randomly) to adjust your bill for he next year.  They take an average of the last 12 months and use that as your new amount.  If you had a big month in the last 12 with lots of electricity, then it will jack the new year's monthly bill up.

wittyschaffy

Mine will start adjusting about this time of the year to cover any unusual overages.  $72 is not that much for gas/electric (if you have gas with yours - I do) so it is possible that you have been underbilled and they need to fix your estimated monthly average. My average monthly payment is set at $125 but it has been as high as $150 while they figured it all out.  If you call them, they should be able to tell you what is going on.  If I was a betting woman, I'd go with them having to catch you up to your actual usage.

StewieG

wittyschaffy:

 $72 is not that much for gas/electric (if you have gas with yours - I do) 

 

That's part of my shock. We do NOT have gas with Xcel - that is with Centerpoint.

 

Kambria11

This happened has happened to us. They take an average of your last year to figure out what your budget is. Even though they do that, and even though you are paying that budget amount, your actual can be way higher or lower. So at the end of your cycle, they have to get you caught up, whether that is paying more or getting a credit.
You obviously used more electricity over your cycle period. Even though you think that you haven't used more it is hard to say you haven't or have.
Our budget is about $140.00 a month and there are only two of us, in a 1800 sq foot home. So, I think that yours was way low for 5 people.
If this is your first year being on budget it will take a couple years to get it to be more accurate also.

ilovebijou

Our electric bill (Connexus) was $195 this month. It's just me, dh, and our baby. We usually keep our house around 70 degrees. Our bill this time last year was $186 so it seems about right.

luckycooky

Kambria11:

This happened has happened to us. They take an average of your last year to figure out what your budget is. Even though they do that, and even though you are paying that budget amount, your actual can be way higher or lower. So at the end of your cycle, they have to get you caught up, whether that is paying more or getting a credit.
You obviously used more electricity over your cycle period. Even though you think that you haven't used more it is hard to say you haven't or have.
Our budget is about $140.00 a month and there are only two of us, in a 1800 sq foot home. So, I think that yours was way low for 5 people.
If this is your first year being on budget it will take a couple years to get it to be more accurate also.

This happened to some friends of ours last year and they ended up having a difference of over $300 because it was their first year in a house.

romarie

yes, it's perfectly normal.  We have always done that except for at the new apartment because our cost is so low I didn't feel it was necessary. 

My bill was higher this month also.  I have a dinky apartment (that I HATE) but normally my bill is $35-40 and this month is was $88.  But we ran the AC a LOT in the last billing period.   lol

StewieG

Kambria11:

This happened has happened to us. They take an average of your last year to figure out what your budget is. Even though they do that, and even though you are paying that budget amount, your actual can be way higher or lower. So at the end of your cycle, they have to get you caught up, whether that is paying more or getting a credit.
You obviously used more electricity over your cycle period. Even though you think that you haven't used more it is hard to say you haven't or have.
Our budget is about $140.00 a month and there are only two of us, in a 1800 sq foot home. So, I think that yours was way low for 5 people.
If this is your first year being on budget it will take a couple years to get it to be more accurate also.

 

Ok - I now see that we actually had it good for the past year with how low our bill was for 5 people in our house. This isn't our first year in our house, but it is the first year on the Xcel budget plan, so it was quite a shock. We do the budget plan for Centerpoint (gas), but it always seems to get adjusted DOWN when they do the adjustments at the end of the cycle.

Glad I asked you guys this. You have definitely talked me down from the ledge.  

Kambria11

This is our second year on both Xcel and Centerpoint and ours changes each year. Right now we have a $100 credit with Centerpoint, but as soon as we turn on the heat, that will go up and be used easily in the first couple months.
I think that we have less of that shock at the end of our cycle now, than we did the first year. It will get better and more accurate as time goes on. Budget is still nicer IMO, than having the big ups and downs from season to season.