Higher-than-normal electric bill? Seattle City Light may have overcharged you. Yes, it’s been cold, and true, the cost of energy keeps going up—but your bill increase could come from an incorrect meter reading.
Some people have received bills five or six times the normal amount, with the bill claiming thousands of more kilowatt-hours used than usual. A few people have even received bills as high as $1,500. Yikes!
Supposedly, Seattle City Light experienced a glitch with meter readings this winter, and in order to fix it, they estimated meter readings, sometimes with very, very bad estimates. So far, City Light hasn’t sent their customers a letter or email about the estimates. Even if your bill isn’t outrageously high, checking the details might still be worth your time.
I’d encourage everyone to compare their bill to their actual electric meter. It’s an easy process, and you can follow directions here: http://www.seattle.gov/light/paymybill/readmeter.asp
If you check your meter and don’t find a problem, a slightly higher bill still makes sense. We just experienced Seattle’s coldest winter in more than 30 years, and some households have had to use as much as 40 percent more energy to keep life warm. Homes with single-pane windows and poor insulation were the most affected by the cold.
If you DO find a problem with your energy bill, let us know as a comment on our Facebook page.
