How are power bills calculated?

[NayNay]

So in October my wife and I bought a small farm. We asked to see 3 months bills in the winter to get a feel for what the utilities were going to be. The power bills were right around $300, I thought this was a little high but they did have chickens with heaters.
So we buy this farm and the December bill is around $150, January is $320, and February is $200? Nothing has changed in these three months and my power meter is on a pole in the middle of my yard, not a single set of foot prints all winter indicating someone has checked it. I'm pretty sure it isn't a smart meter also.
How can my bill change this much when I haven't changed anything? Does the power company read the meter once a year then estimate the rest?

And the power company is Enmax

[wwbirds]

We actually switched to Enmax for a fixed rate plan a couple years ago and saved considerable over our previous utility carrier. did you just go along with old plan from previous owners, buying monthly at going rate or on a plan (fixed or variable). You should know what you signed up for as many companies have floating rates that vary with demand and the market.

[NayNay]

We actually switched to Enmax for a fixed rate plan a couple years ago and saved considerable over our previous utility carrier. did you just go along with old plan from previous owners, buying monthly at going rate or on a plan (fixed or variable). You should know what you signed up for as many companies have floating rates that vary with demand and the market.

I honestly don't know what we have. My wife took care of getting the utilities setup. I would much rather have a fixed rate over this rollercoaster. Definitely going to look into it now though....

[kevinhits]

So in October my wife and I bought a small farm. We asked to see 3 months bills in the winter to get a feel for what the utilities were going to be. The power bills were right around $300, I thought this was a little high but they did have chickens with heaters.
So we buy this farm and the December bill is around $150, January is $320, and February is $200? Nothing has changed in these three months and my power meter is on a pole in the middle of my yard, not a single set of foot prints all winter indicating someone has checked it. I'm pretty sure it isn't a smart meter also.
How can my bill change this much when I haven't changed anything? Does the power company read the meter once a year then estimate the rest?

And the power company is Enmax

I would assume being out in Rural areas, Enmax would maybe come out once every 3 or 6 months and estimate your usage based on average consumption in the area...As said before, call them, or wait for your next bill...Your bill should say estimate by month...and then when there is an actual done, it will fix it either way...

[Jason Bourne]

NayNay, chances are, you do have a smart meter although not 100% guaranteed. As mentioned previously look at your different options regarding retailers (there are a few) and also the options they offer. Locking in to a fixed one with Enmax has worked well for me. This may or may not work for you but there are lots of different options. I'm also curious as to whether your small farm is purely residential. Depending on what kind of electrical service you have powering your site changes your rates dramatically. Also certain rates built into your power bill went up for 2015. Compare your transmission charge and your distribution charges from 2014 to Jan/Feb of this year. Hope this helps.

[Jason Bourne]

http://www.ucahelps.alberta.ca/electricity.aspx
http://www.albertaenergyproviders.com/alberta-electric-providers/Alberta/

[Mountain Guy]

Who is your service provider? Atco Electric or Fortis? Enmax is your retailer. They only send you the bill.
Reason I ask is that Atco has automatic meter reading which provides an actual monthly usage. I'm not sure about Fortis.

[Jason Bourne]

Fortis does.

[amosfella]

I'm pretty sure they use base 8 math... :budo:

[RandyBoBandy]

"How are power bills calculated?" pure freeking VOODOO :sHa_sarcasticlol:

[NayNay]

So upon further investigation I found out I am on a fixed plan.

EasyMax SmCom Fixed 5 YR 8.49 ¢/kWh

So this means they have to be estimating the bill and checking the meter every 3-6 months as mentioned before.

[Au revoir, Gopher]

"How are power bills calculated?" pure freeking VOODOO :sHa_sarcasticlol:

I thought it was a combination of a magic 8 ball and a Ouija board...

ARG

[Mountain Guy]

So upon further investigation I found out I am on a fixed plan.

EasyMax SmCom Fixed 5 YR 8.49 ¢/kWh

So this means they have to be estimating the bill and checking the meter every 3-6 months as mentioned before.

I think your meter has to be read at least once every 2 months. Either automatic meter reading ( Atco ) or whatever system Fortis uses.

[dantonsen]

So upon further investigation I found out I am on a fixed plan.

EasyMax SmCom Fixed 5 YR 8.49 ¢/kWh

So this means they have to be estimating the bill and checking the meter every 3-6 months as mentioned before.

Fixed is kinda expensive, floating rate has been in the 6 cent range for awhile it seems.

[Sundancefisher]

Very simply the floating rate for power is very low right now. Very low. Your bill is split between service / delivery charges and actual power consumption.

Budget higher going forward.

Question I have is the power bill on a farm tax deductible? House and barn treated the same?

[Jalan]

I find our gas/electricity bill seem to be about the same each year. We've had the temp at 68 on our thermostat almost all winter, yet our bills are almost the same as they were last year when we kept them at 70. If our electricity bill is down, our gas bill seems higher. Also, got to love the fee's being higher then anything else.

When we moved in we were told direct energy was the only provider we could use, might be a good idea to have a look if that's true, the wife usually deals with the utilities though.

[Mountain Guy]

I find our gas/electricity bill seem to be about the same each year. We've had the temp at 68 on our thermostat almost all winter, yet our bills are almost the same as they were last year when we kept them at 70. If our electricity bill is down, our gas bill seems higher. Also, got to love the fee's being higher then anything else.

When we moved in we were told direct energy was the only provider we could use, might be a good idea to have a look if that's true, the wife usually deals with the utilities though.

Depending what service area you live in, Direct energy may be your only choice for the regulated rate option. Probably what your referring to. Competitive rate retailers are available regardless of where you live.

[Mountain Guy]

Very simply the floating rate for power is very low right now. Very low. Your bill is split between service / delivery charges and actual power consumption.

Budget higher going forward.

Question I have is the power bill on a farm tax deductible? House and barn treated the same?

Are the house and barn on the same service/meter? If so then they're the same. Generally, house and barn are both considered farm ( Atco Electric service area )

[tchammer]

How are power bills calculated? However the providers want!