Beech Tree News Network

I’ve been thinking that many of us likely saw a significant difference between our February and our March utility bills. The cold weather we had in February made it harder to heat our homes, and some of us had to let water faucets drip to prevent water pipes from freezing. I live in an old house, causing my March utility bills (electric, gas, water) to be about 30% more expensive than my February bills. I had anticipated the cost would be significantly higher, and it was.

So, I asked friends and family, “Thinking about the impact of our February snow-ice storm, how did your February and March utility bills (electric, gas, water) compare?” Their responses are listed below.

-My electric bill was quite a lot more than normal due to the cold temperatures and running extra heaters, etc. Also, I noticed that my water bill was more due to running a little stream in my bathroom to keep the lines from freezing.

-Ours was reasonable. Both months were less than $350.

-They nearly doubled.

-We didn’t have a drastic change. Very thankful!

-I was ok: it increased between $100-$150.

-I’m in an all-electric mobile home. My bill went up significantly but not really as much as I expected. I did not see much difference in my water bill. I’m just thankful the low temperatures didn’t last longer than they did!

-We didn’t see a drastic change. I’m very thankful!

-Ours was reasonable. Both months were less than $350. We have spray foam insulation and a propane-fueled generator that automatically kicks on in 10 seconds if the power goes out.

-Our utility bills nearly doubled. 

-Our utilities bill went up about $45. I know many people’s bills went up a lot more than that, so I’m definitely not complaining.

-It had a huge impact on my utilities. My gas bill was triple with it usually is, since I ran my fireplace so much, and my electric bill was double. I’m thankful to have had both gas and electric though. The large bills are better than the power being out like it was for weeks in 2009.

-I don’t know how to answer the question very well. All the utility bills have increased exponentially since I moved in last fall, but I don’t have any other winters in this house to compare it to yet.

George Carin said, “Electricity is really just organized lightning.” I am very thankful for the conveniences of electricity, gas, water and sewer systems that make our lives easier. Nonetheless, the lower spring and fall utility bills are always welcome and so much easier on the wallet.