Is budget billing worth it?

anyone do this where they average your monthly electric and you pay the same amount every month instead of higher in summer/winter for A/C & heat???

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

Our electric is on the budget and it works out great because we have CAC and the bills would be CRAZY during the summer!!

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

we do this with electric too.

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

I do that with Keyspan. LIPA also has budget billing as well?

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

We do it with LIPA..work out well because they show you what the actual price would be on the bill. Unfortunately we are going to go up in August anyway based on the past year. Our landlady thinks we are crazy for doing the budget...I don't see how we're crazy when we are saving over $100 some months. She may like to waste her money, but we don't!!

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

I don't. They wanted to put me on a Budget Plan. I tracked my bills for the last 12 months and found it to be more than my average monthly payment.

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

We do it for LIPA and Keyspan. Thank goodness. I didn't want to get hit with those big bills. I rather have them spread out. If you over pay you get the money back at the end anyway.

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

Our average with Gulf Power is $100.00 the BB would be $124.00 IMO it wasen't really worth it.

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Re: Is budget billing worth it?

how does it average out? if you overpay (not as hot summer) do they lower it?

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

I don't plan on doing budget billing. Its not like you really "save" any money.

I pay for the oil bill. I keep enough money in my checking account to be able to put up the cash for those expensive winter months for oil bills. I like to know how much oil i am actually paying for.

If I switch to budget billing, then i have to worry about overages and underages. Just not worth the hassle.


My wife may end up doing budget billing for LIPA since she pays the electric. I know she does not like "surprises".

I just wont be doing it for heating oil.

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

We do it for LIPA. Love it!!! Usually they end up over-estimating our usage, so our final bill of the year is usually close to nothing!

However, even with the estimated billing, you MUST check your bill to make sure your usage is correct. We got slammed for a $2,000 bill that we didn't realize until LIPA sent us a new estimation and we knew something was wrong. Sure enough, 2 months earlier the guy had read the meter wrong and overcharged us big time!!

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

I budget billed because I like the consistent payments. This way i wasn't hit with a $200 bill or more some months. At the end of the year you either end up with a credit or a balance. Depending on that then they'll bump your payment up a little bit or lower it for the next year.

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

I love it too. I use it for Lipa AND my oil. Never had any problems. Lipa bill might go up for the last month but it always goes back down to the original bill or sometimes lower.

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

Message edited 3/22/2006 9:32:36 PM.

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

We use a budget for LIPA and oil. WE get a refund from oil at the end if we don't use what we paid.

Re: Is budget billing worth it?

I did for my oil because I was going to be home on maternity Jan-Mar and I wanted those bills to be predictible and lower. Its worked out GREAT.