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anxiousinfotech t1_iyapems wrote

It's important to check your bills to see whether your meter reading is actual, or an estimate. If they have trouble reading your meter, or if the person they send (if they even send one) is feeling lazy, they'll just estimate a figure. Every time National Grid estimated mine it was been might higher than actual usage. I haven't seen an estimated reading with RI Energy yet.

Another thing to check on is the number of days on the bill. In my experience at least RI Energy is less consistent at reading meters and some bills may be 27-28 days and some may be 32-33. It'll make the reading seem inflated if one bill was 27 days and the next 33. It's also important to check year to year and adjust accordingly to get an accurate comparison.

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andylion t1_iyar6xz wrote

This. 100% This.

I had solar installed this summer, but I didn't see any change in my first two bills. At the time I thought that I was just paying for my previous usage before the panels were installed (I have found that my bill is a month or so behind my actual consumption). But then I got a bill that completely overlapped with after the panels were installed and it was so far off that I called RI Energy.

They said the bill was based on an estimate and that they'd send someone to read the meter. Come to find out I had overpaid the bast two bills by several hundred dollars! Between the credit and the solar panels I haven't had to pay my electric bill in months, but it's super shitty that they would have happily kept taking my money unless I had said something.

tl;dr - Read the fine print on your bill. If it says "estimated" give RI Energy a call. They may be ripping you off.

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FieryVegetables t1_iyavinm wrote

We have actual readings.

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FieryVegetables t1_iycmbxb wrote

And have had 2 energy audits, the last one a few years ago. We did very, very well, and swapped out the few non-LED fixtures for LEDs.

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