the Cost of Gas and Electricity

Monthly charge for gas service. We are on a budget plan for $200 a month for gas service to our home. This includes a heating system and gas cooking.

The price of gas is a bit higher than we thought it may be when we moved into our home. The summer months, our bills were running at only about $30 a month. When December hit, we were surprised to receive a $400 bill taking in Oct/Nov. By January, our monthly charges were up to $350. We were not able to pay these kinds of bills on top of other utilities, so we called the company. They were more than happy to work out a plan with us to pay $200 a month until we are evened out over the summer and reevaluate the budget when our first year in the home is complete.

We have new windows and new efficient heating system which we thought would help, but we have learned that 85 year old plaster walls make for difficult heat maintenance.

It is nice to know that a utility company is willing to work with you in these situations rather than just shut you off.

If possible, try to negotiate a payment plan when you first move into your home. It is much better to go on past records and have your bills be at least close to the real usage than to blindly use the gas and not be aware of your over-spending. If you can't get on a plan right away, try to send a little extra every month so that you have a backup of money with the company for when colder days hit.