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Where can I get more information?
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| | If you have questions about your electric service, please call our Customer Service Center at (800) 286-2000. |
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My usage has remained nearly the same over last year but my bill has dramatically risen. Why?
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| | Customers all across New England and the country are feeling the impacts of rising energy costs – regardless of how they heat their home. With electricity now purchased on the marketplace just like other commodities, factors such as the war in Iraq, threats of terrorism or demand, all impact the price. However, the devastating hurricanes in the Gulf region caused the price of fuel, like oil and natural gas, to rise to unprecedented levels. Here in the region, most of the electricity you need to power your life is generated by plants fueled by natural gas. As these fuel prices rise, it costs more to generate the electricity you use and thus, the cost of the commodity (electricity) costs more.While WMECO makes every effort to mitigate the impact to you, we do not control the cost of the commodity – only the cost to deliver it to you. Think of us as the UPS of the industry. We control the cost of delivering the package to you but not the cost of the package itself. |
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My son just moved back home. Will this impact my bill?
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| | Most likely, yes, but it depends on his living habits and lifestyle. An extra person taking a shower will increase the usage of your hot water heater and increase your water bill. However, you can minimize the impact by turning the temperature of your hot water heater down to at least 120°F. Additional laundry will increase the usage of your washing machine and dryer; however, washing clothes in cold water can minimize the increase. Visit our Tips to Reduce Costs section for no-cost/low-cost ways to save energy and money and take advantage of the energy-efficiency programs we offer. You can also enroll in our Budget Billing to level your payments throughout the year. |
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What are you doing to keep my costs down?
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| | We purchase electricity through a competitive bid solicitation in order to obtain the lowest price electricity, and we pass on to you only the price we pay. In addition, we purchase electricity through these competitive bid solicitations for different lengths of time in order to minimize the price changes you experience. WMECO also makes every effort to control our own internal costs and improve our productivity to keep our costs fair and reasonable. |
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Are prices going to continue to climb?
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| | We do not control what happens on the open market, nor can we predict what may impact the market over the coming months and how the market will react. However, we encourage customers to make every attempt to reduce their usage and minimize their costs. Visit our Tips to Reduce Costs section for no-cost/low-cost ways to save energy and money and take advantage of the energy-efficiency programs we offer. You can also enroll in our Budget Billing to level your payments throughout the year. WMECO also encourages you to review your supplier options. While a supplier may not be able to offer you a better price, they may be able to offer you a longer term contract to help you better manage your budget. |
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How much of my bill is for generation?
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| | Approximately two-thirds of your bill pays for the cost to generate the electricity you use. The cost is collected by WMECO and passed on to third-party providers. |
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Why is my bill higher than my neighbor's?
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| | While the size of your homes may be the same, the appliances you use, how often you use them, the number of members of your household, their work patterns and your lifestyle all influence the amount of energy you use and impact your monthly bill. As well, the structure of your home, including insulation, floor covering and windows, all impact the energy efficiency of your home, how hard your heating and cooling systems need to work to maintain your personal comfort, and ultimately how much you pay each month. Check out our "Appliance Operating Costs" brochure for information about the cost of using common household appliances. In addition, rate classes vary by customer. For example, your neighbor may be receiving fuel assistance and is eligible for our discount rate. |
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Why are some billing periods longer than others?
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| | An average billing period ranges from 25 to 38 days with the range being greater for your first or final bills. Sometimes, we must send you a special bill if we are unable to access the meter at the scheduled time or if a bill is canceled and re-billed and that may impact the billing period. |
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How much of my bill is for generation?
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| | Approximately two-thirds of your bill pays for the cost to generate the electricity you use. That cost is collected by WMECO and passed on to third-party providers. |
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Why do I receive Basic Service?
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| | You receive Basic Service generally because:You were a Standard Offer customer who was transitioned to Basic Service when Standard Offer expired on February 28, 2005; You opened your account with your current electric distribution company after March 1, 1998 or You have been served by a Competitive Power Supplier in the past, but now take supply service from your electric distribution company. |
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How can I determine whether I receive Basic Service?
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| | You can tell by looking in the Supplier Services section of your electric bill. |
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What are the charges on my bill?
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| | As a residential customer, you see energy, customer, transmission, energy conservation and renewable energy charges on your bill. Your energy charge is based on the amount of kilowatt-hours (KWH) of electricity you've used during the billing cycle. This charge goes toward recovering our generating costs. Your customer charge is a fixed amount that covers our average cost associated with providing service to a customer. This includes costs for installing and maintaining meters, utility poles and power lines, as well as meter reading and billing. View Read Your Bill for a full explanation of each charge to your account. |
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Why is my bill so high?
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| | There are a number of factors that could make your bill higher than normal. Did your electricity usage change for any reason? For example, was there a vacation during that billing period, when more people were home for longer periods? Was there a change in weather, prompting you to use your air conditioner or heating system? Is it possible that you have a problem with one of your appliances, such as a faulty thermostat on a heater, or a well pump that is running constantly? Did you use an electronic leaf blower, do more computer work and printing than normal, purchase a larger refrigerator, a water bed, or a large-screen TV? Any of these things could cause an increase in your electric bill. |
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Where can I find the due date on my statement?
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| | A due date is not printed on the bill. The payment should be received by the Company no later than the next meter reading date (found in the upper right hand corner of the statement). |