The Vent and Rant Thread

[covingtoncat73]

Ugh. I will now have to work with my least-favorite co-worker a lot more closely. She used to work at another location that recently closed. She will, predominantly, be at a separate location from me but, here's the thing, because Ihe boss wants us to rotate a little, I have to be with her at her current base location and she is here with me at my base location on Thursdays. I have such a hard time with this woman and she has brought me to tears before (not in front of her, in the bathroom). She sees intent upon misconstruing and taking umbrage at anything I say. It is like I can't say words without her being insulted. I promise I am not an insulting sort of person and try to be very respectful.

Here's an example, I make a shooting-the-breeze sort of comment about how it is busy, just to try and connect somehow, and she acts like I was saying she couldn't handle it or something, which was totally not the case. All I said was that it was busy but not too bad, I've seen it worse.

[badgoodDeb]

Arggh! Can you just not talk to her at all, unless she first initiates the conversation? And minimally, even then, if she's going to misconstrue everything. Sounds like a rather thin skinned individual.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by covingtoncat73

Ugh. I will now have to work with my least-favorite co-worker a lot more closely. She used to work at another location that recently closed. She will, predominantly, be at a separate location from me but, here's the thing, because Ihe boss wants us to rotate a little, I have to be with her at her current base location and she is here with me at my base location on Thursdays. I have such a hard time with this woman and she has brought me to tears before (not in front of her, in the bathroom). She sees intent upon misconstruing and taking umbrage at anything I say. It is like I can't say words without her being insulted. I promise I am not an insulting sort of person and try to be very respectful.

Here's an example, I make a shooting-the-breeze sort of comment about how it is busy, just to try and connect somehow, and she acts like I was saying she couldn't handle it or something, which was totally not the case. All I said was that it was busy but not too bad, I've seen it worse.

Simple solution: do not attempt breeze talk or small talk with her.
Then she can be twisted because you don't chat.

[Blossom]

Mom called told me she cried all night about the vacuum. I'm sorry about her tears but the electric is safe. I was able to get a payment plan for $115 down and $16 a month for 12 payments. I have to go on budget billing. I'm not sure exactly how it all works. I can pay the back bill at anytime though with no penalties.

I won't miss the vacuum. I thanked her for the gift. It was thoughtful.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Mom called told me she cried all night about the vacuum. I'm sorry about her tears but the electric is safe. I was able to get a payment plan for $115 down and $16 a month for 12 payments. I have to go on budget billing. I'm not sure exactly how it all works. I can pay the back bill at anytime though with no penalties.

I won't miss the vacuum. I thanked her for the gift. It was thoughtful.

Sent from my Nexus 7

I am glad you still have electricity. Budget billing is just they average the bills over a year. You pay one set price.
Rather than getting say $50 Jan-April then $200 May through September, then $100 October through December. You will get a bill for $125 every month.
Note: Your figures will vary from mine as I don't know what your bills actually run. And mine are too low to give you an average of mine.
My electric was 57 this month and the gas was 82. I think midsummer it was 75 and 18.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I am glad you still have electricity. Budget billing is just they average the bills over a year. You pay one set price.
Rather than getting say $50 Jan-April then $200 May through September, then $100 October through December. You will get a bill for $125 every month.
Note: Your figures will vary from mine as I don't know what your bills actually run. And mine are too low to give you an average of mine.
My electric was 57 this month and the gas was 82. I think midsummer it was 75 and 18.

You must have cheap rates. I live in a 400 sq foot apartment. Summer bill is 130-150 Winter is 90-110 We don't use much energy. No where near the amount when we lived in Tennessee in a two story townhome. Our bill there never went over 110 in the summer. Our rates are very high here.

Sent from my XT1528

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Last night was nuts. Mom and Sis wanted hubby to install a fireplace/heater but refuse to call him.

That''s ridiculous. If I were your husband, Mom and Sis could shove the installation.

No offence meant.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Blossom

You must have cheap rates. I live in a 400 sq foot apartment. Summer bill is 130-150 Winter is 90-110 We don't use much energy. No where near the amount when we lived in Tennessee in a two story townhome. Our bill there never went over 110 in the summer. Our rates are very high here.

Sent from my XT1528

As of two months ago, we pay a base charge of 9.95 +7.1 cents or $.071 kw hour + assorted other fees and taxes.
We used 327kw last month. Total bill 52.13.
Let me look at our July bill. We used 465kw. The bill was 81.02.
So I am wondering am I paying less per kw or are you using way more kw?
Are you total electric?
If so, here is my latest gas and summer gas.
Latest gas bill: 98Ccf. Cost 82.45. Including all fees and taxes. (Gas heat, stove and hot water heater).
July gas bill: 18ccf total bill $27.46.
June was the low one at 10ccf total bill 22.74
On those $16 is a customer charge.
So if we add mine together we get 133.15 in the winter and 105.19 in the summer.

We live in a 1,000 square foot house with a washer and dryer.
I want to look at something else. You are a doll. You just helped me figure out why there was a big drop in kw from last December to this December. I forgot about the dryer. We replaced the one he had before he got married the first time. It died. Don't know why it would, he had only been married 40 years total when the dryer died.

And hey thanks. You just let me know cooking at home doesn't add much to the bills.

Hubby is thinking of retiring soon. He was worried how we were going to make the truck payment.
I just got through going over the bills. I now have a headache.

[Blossom]

Sorry about your head. We are total electric. We have two baseboard heaters and one 8000btu window unit. The hot water heater and the refrigerator. I don't use the stove enough to count it.

Sent from my XT1528

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Sorry about your head. We are total electric. We have two baseboard heaters and one 8000btu window unit. The hot water heater and the refrigerator. I don't use the stove enough to count it.

Sent from my XT1528

I just found your major kw eaters. Hint:it won't be your stove or refrigerator.
Hey next electric bill do check your kw usage.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Sorry about your head. We are total electric. We have two baseboard heaters and one 8000btu window unit. The hot water heater and the refrigerator. I don't use the stove enough to count it.

Sent from my XT1528

Dumb question: what kind of light bulbs are you using?
And please post your kw rate.
Enquiring minds and all that.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Mom called told me she cried all night about the vacuum. I'm sorry about her tears but the electric is safe. I was able to get a payment plan for $115 down and $16 a month for 12 payments. I have to go on budget billing. I'm not sure exactly how it all works. I can pay the back bill at anytime though with no penalties.

I won't miss the vacuum. I thanked her for the gift. It was thoughtful.

Sent from my Nexus 7

That's directly to the power company? That's obscene. Those rates are positively obscene. You're paying (I did some very fast math, hope I didn't screw the pooch here), about $0.40/sf/month, for your (winter) rates. I'm paying about 00.10/sf/month.

Your house should be dramatically more efficient than ours; apartments ALWAYS are, gas, electric, or otherwise. You should, unless by "apartment" you mean stand-along bungalow, or a duplex, maybe, be insulated at least on the sides, possibly top/bottom as well, which should keep your rates down for everything, whether it's heating or cooling.

My last bill was $146.00. We reside in a standalone home which is significantly larger than your apartment. My bill would be more than triple the rate, if I were paying what you are, at LEAST. Quintuple the rate. More.

That's bloody insane. Have you ever had an energy assessment? To see if you're leaking power like crazy? Do other people in your complex/other side of the duplex, etc., pay that much? And yes, we are 100% electric. (n.b.: we do have a fully-propane fireplace, which we've used once this year. Long-Haired and very inquisitive Cats+Fireplace...well, you get the idea. I didn't count that as a power/heat/energy source, given the scenario.)

Absolutely crazy.

P.S.: I'm sure that your mother means well, but jeeezzzzzze, that is really pushing my buttons. It sounds SO manipulative and controlling to me. (BT, DT). Just out of curiosity--does she try to Dead Hand you? Tell you how she's going to leave you this or that item (or someone else), when she dies, BUT, you have to agree that you'll then do X with it? Or leave it to a grand-niece 3x removed, or somesuch? Dictate what you'll do, with things she bequeaths you?

Given her reaction with the Vacuum, that's what it sounds like. You should tell her that actual gifts do not come with strings attached. If she wants to give you something, with strings, she can call it anything she wants, but not a GIFT. When it comes to a gift, you should be able to do anything you want with it. Dictating what you do with it is uber-controlling.

Hitch

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Dumb question: what kind of light bulbs are you using?
And please post your kw rate.
Enquiring minds and all that.

I can't make heads or tales of it but here's a screenshot. I've lived in 4 different states had 6 different electric companies but Ameren is confusing.

We only use CFL bulbs.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Hitch

That's directly to the power company? That's obscene. Those rates are positively obscene. You're paying (I did some very fast math, hope I didn't screw the pooch here), about $0.40/sf/month, for your (winter) rates. I'm paying about 00.10/sf/month.

Your house should be dramatically more efficient than ours; apartments ALWAYS are, gas, electric, or otherwise. You should, unless by "apartment" you mean stand-along bungalow, or a duplex, maybe, be insulated at least on the sides, possibly top/bottom as well, which should keep your rates down for everything, whether it's heating or cooling.

My last bill was $146.00. We reside in a standalone home which is significantly larger than your apartment. My bill would be more than triple the rate, if I were paying what you are, at LEAST. Quintuple the rate. More.

That's bloody insane. Have you ever had an energy assessment? To see if you're leaking power like crazy? Do other people in your complex/other side of the duplex, etc., pay that much? And yes, we are 100% electric. (n.b.: we do have a fully-propane fireplace, which we've used once this year. Long-Haired and very inquisitive Cats+Fireplace...well, you get the idea. I didn't count that as a power/heat/energy source, given the scenario.)

Absolutely crazy.

P.S.: I'm sure that your mother means well, but jeeezzzzzze, that is really pushing my buttons. It sounds SO manipulative and controlling to me. (BT, DT). Just out of curiosity--does she try to Dead Hand you? Tell you how she's going to leave you this or that item (or someone else), when she dies, BUT, you have to agree that you'll then do X with it? Or leave it to a grand-niece 3x removed, or somesuch? Dictate what you'll do, with things she bequeaths you?

Given her reaction with the Vacuum, that's what it sounds like. You should tell her that actual gifts do not come with strings attached. If she wants to give you something, with strings, she can call it anything she wants, but not a GIFT. When it comes to a gift, you should be able to do anything you want with it. Dictating what you do with it is uber-controlling.

Hitch

Yes we pay directly to Ameren. We live on the second floor of an apartment complex. It's a tiny apartment. Two rooms with one small bathroom and a utility room/closet. The only closet in the place. The kitchen and living room are separated by a half wall. We made the living room into the bedroom because the back room has no air.

Mom is a puzzle. She is super bossy and very unreasonable. She lives in a world normal people do not and she loves to lay guilt trips on people. She loves materials things above all else. Something I'll never understand. She's very wasteful. Not good with money wouldn't know what a budget is.

She designates anything she gives. She gets very upset if you go against her wishes. She even tries to tell us what to do with our own things and money. Hubby is fed up and when he gets fed up with her he takes it out on me. She has meltdowns, He has meltdowns. They are so similar when it comes to handling stress. They make mountains out of a molehills. Sometimes I feel I'm the only sane one in this mess. I'm counting the days I can leave this state and go far away from it all.





Sent from my XT1528

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I can't make heads or tales of it but here's a screenshot. I've lived in 4 different states had 6 different electric companies but Ameren is confusing.

We only use CFL bulbs.

You appear to be paying 8.64 cents per kw if you use under 750kw.
If more, it appears you get a discount.
Can you look on your bill and find your usage?
Now let's do a quick energy test.
If you have a piece of paper, put it near your doors and windows. If it sticks to the window, you have a leak.