Utility Bills Hurt; And The Pain Keeps Intensifying
First came the notice from my utility that my natural gas price was getting hit by a 25% increase (65% on just the commodity component) due to the carbon tax. This is in addition to the variable or fixed price that we pay for our gas.
Second, I saw a notice from the provider that reads “we wanted to give you advance warning that the commodity portion of your next invoice, which covers consumption in January 2020, will be approximately two and one half times what your December invoice was (assuming similar consumption levels).”
Third, I read that the electricity prices are forecast to significantly increase in Alberta. I was told that the carbon tax will impact the electricity price in addition to the forecast market increase.
These made me look at the utility bills in a lot more detail than before. Part of the bill is a fixed monthly charge. Yet nearly 80% of the bill is variable…the less energy I consume, the lower the utilities bill. My challenge: reduce utility costs without changing my habits?!
After lots of research, here is what I learned that can be done to save without changing my habits:
- I can save nearly 30% on my heating gas costs,
- I can save nearly 30% on my air conditioner power costs,
- I can save nearly 30% on my water heating costs,
- I can save nearly 80% on my lighting power costs,
- I can save another 15% on utilities, through a bunch of small things.
I like to save money, we all do; especially with no impact on our habits, aka no extra work. Incidentally, did I mention that these reduce my carbon footprint and thus climate impact without changing my habits?
Want more info about what my research revealed? Email me directly at carla@albertaindoorcomfort.com
by Carla Berezowski,
Home Comfort Expert
