It's a joke every month, I swear.

I only have a gas stove, everything else is electric, for God knows which reason.  But anyhow, every month I get a bill, and it's the same story:

Gas consumption: $2.50

Fees and surcharges: $22.50 (12 or 13 dollars of which is Atlanta Gas Light's fee, which I guess is firm and never changes).

It's not much, but pisses the hell out of me.  Any suggestions how to deal with this?

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your water heater is electric ??

anyhow - mine "fees" are lower, me with city of Buford for gas... 

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- Независимость - это когда в 20-й раз наступаешь на одни и те же грабли, а русские уже ни при чем....

Water heater is electric :-/ 

I'd like to install a tankless gas heater, but they are kinda expensive.

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why not put in an electric range, and the gas company can go screw themselves.  Not paying these fees over time will make up for the stove and the electrician (if you don't already have the appropriate outlet).  Plus you can save some money on CO detectors and batteries over time

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"The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money" -Margaret Thatcher

Don't forget ot factor in a cost of a stove.  I'd rather spend that money on a water heater.

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412, it seems there isn't a solution for you that doesn't involve investment in new equipment...I know it sucks, but to give you a similar example, I have a house in Alabama that I am trying to sell (for over 6 months already) and it's just standing there, empty.  The real estate agent recommended that I keep the water on, because if people come to look at the house and take a piss and can't flush, later on, this may be a turn off to potential buyers (you know, stinky piss water toilet).  So I kept the water on.  Every month my bill is like $56.  So I called the water company and asked them wassup wit dat???  No one is there.  Does the occasional toilet flush or once-a-week hand-wash cost me $56 per month?  I was then told that they charge a flat rate of $56 no matter how little water I use.

 

So these things happen :)

I don't think you can pick a different gas provider because (correct me if I'm wrong), no matter what company you sign up with, they all go through Atlanta Gas & Light, and I guess you'll always see that surcharge.

 

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II:

the market is not gonna rebound any time soon... especially in godforsaken alabama..

why not give the house away.. say, to the poor.. to your fellow conservatives maybe ... some redneck family?

that's what Jesus would do. you don't need that house anyway..

  

Not sure how much electric ranges are, but should probably break even in abt a year.

Another idea - propane tank for you gas range... Is that legal? :)

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"The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money" -Margaret Thatcher

pomidorchik:

II:

the market is not gonna rebound any time soon... especially in godforsaken alabama..

why not give the house away.. say, to the poor.. to your fellow conservatives maybe ... some redneck family?

that's what Jesus would do. you don't need that house anyway..

  

Pom, you are thinking like an atheist communist.  Giving the house away would only benefit one lazy parasite family.  Selling it, however, will generate enough taxes to cause probably hundreds of people not to have to work for a living.  Redistribution of wealth is much more efficient this way. 

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"The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money" -Margaret Thatcher

Egor:

Another idea - propane tank for you gas range... Is that legal? :)

I'd love to see the expression on my neighbors faces when the big ass taker with "PROPANE" on its side rolls up to my place. 

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Neighbors might like this:

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"The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money" -Margaret Thatcher

а у нас в квартире газ

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Sic semper tyrannis
~War is Peace~Freedom is Slavery~Ignorance is Strength~ George Orwell "1984"

Did anybody install a tankless water heater?  How much did it run you?

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Before switching from gas to electric...

Do you cook? And have you cooked on electric? 

A gas range is one of my must haves when I'm looking for a new place. I can't even scramble an egg on an electric. While that's definitely user error, my friends with serious food skills prefer gas too.

In any case, if you switch, can you leave the gas line intact in case you sell and the buyer prefers gas? That may be a given, but I've never know anyone who switched from gas to electric. It's usually the other way around.

well 412 said his usage portion was $2.50 which didn't sound like a lot of cooking to me. 

I cook a lot, and I've used both, and think benefits of gas over electric are exaggerated as long as you know how to use each type.  Unless you have restaurant-grade ranges with double or triple gas burners, you get much more uneven heating.  And I find the burners are too small on household grade gas ranges for good searing.  If I am stir-frying or using a wok, I actually have to take off the burner cap and have a 2 ft tall fire in order to duplicate the high setting i would expect on electric.  And don't get me started on waiting for water to boil.  Some of my longest posts on this forum were written waiting for water to boil on a gas stove.

Only disadvantages of electric are no instant shutoff or cooling, so when you *** something up, you have to move the whole thing off the burner.    I can see how that would frustrate people who are not comfortable with electric. And of course, if you like to pour booze into a frying pan and put on a fire show for the ladies, you may need an alternate fire source.

I use gas now but I would def. consider electric in 412's situation.  Though I would leave the gas connections intact for resale value, as Leah suggested.  Buyers who barely even cook "heard somewhere" that they need to go w gas.

 

 

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"The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money" -Margaret Thatcher