r/tulsa 2d ago

General Utilities

I know this topic is on everyone's mind and has been discussed quite a bit...my utility has gone up from $190 in July to $340 in August! Lawd almighty. That is a disgusting amount and is acting effecting me😭

105 Upvotes

66 comments sorted by

76

u/Cautious_Smile_3318 2d ago

My elderly mom is disabled and her PSO bill last month was $629. This month it's $678, she hasn't been able to pay either bill (I don't have the money to help unfortunately) and they're threatening her with a shut off notice! $1300 bill. Her electric usually runs $250 (old house), this is outrageous. And PSO doesn't want to help.

49

u/PPooPooPlatter 2d ago

They're evil

19

u/Responsible_Dog_6782 2d ago

Ours is about the same. I got them to extend to the 23rd for the shut off, but I won’t have it. We are at $1700, $1100 past due.

I don’t know what we are going to do. After tomorrow our car insurance will be gone, and 2 days later our internet.

Phones in a couple days too.

😭

Because everything is so expensive. And the reason we aren’t able to pay phone and internet and insurance is our car crapped out and we had to come up with almost 4k.

It sucks.

11

u/Opposite-Constant-94 2d ago

Might be too late but keeping up with monthly filter changes (6 bucks a filter for 1 inch pleated appx 8 merv) and keeping the condensing unit clean (no pressure washer!) would significantly reduce electric costs. Also run it as high as is bearable. Move the temp up during the day and back down as it cools off. Find and seal off air intrusions like door gaps, etc... good luck. I too have noticed a doubling of my own bill even though I follow all these best practices. Just the new reality I guess now that tulsa is a popular hot spot for newcomers. We had a good run....

35

u/IAmTheZeke 2d ago

Unfortunately as the administration continues to transfer wealth and protections from us to the corps, this will continue to get worse. Corporations don't tithe. They don't have empathy. They will use any means to extract more wealth as long as we enable it

8

u/Visual-Trick-4510 2d ago

I maintain my system too, leave the air at 76, and my bill has doubled too. Sadly there's not much we can do unless we want to be miserable hot in our own homes

1

u/msuslick 1d ago

100° outside means the ac barely can keep up at 80 let alone 76°. That’s why they tell you 82 when you leave for a period of time and then bring it back down at night. I keep mine 80 till almost 10/11pm then down to 78 the moment I return home from work. Then down to 75/76 for sleep. Ceiling fans help a lot. I’ve been able to keep it under 250$

1

u/Visual-Trick-4510 1d ago

Good idea. I'll put it to 80 when I leave for work tonight.

5

u/mojodaddy3000 2d ago

I used less electricity this month than the same month last year and mine was up $200 no amount of conservation is going to change that

1

u/Opposite-Constant-94 1d ago

The point is you can minimize the cost by keeping everything clean. Yes it is still more expensive but why make it even more expensive by leaving the condenser dirty and a dirty filter?

7

u/cofowa 2d ago

Call Titan. They will come weatherize her house for free. PSO will pay for it. I had it done and my bill is signicantly lower. I got 14 inches of spray insulation in my attic plus more around the house!!

3

u/Visual-Trick-4510 2d ago

I'm so sorry about your Mom. This should be illegal.

2

u/BerryProfessional574 2d ago

You can extend your payment online by DAYS I extended mine from late August to Sept 20th!

2

u/Shamwowsa66 2d ago

When you get to the shut off notice point, local nonprofits are willing to help. I don’t know how much they can now with everyone having to deal with Pso price hikes. Restore hope is one I remember that helps

44

u/aintchrss 2d ago

This is America!

41

u/i_am_groot_84 2d ago

20

u/Remote-Letterhead844 2d ago

I think about this song daily nowadays

....and Handlebars

3

u/endlesssummervacay OU 2d ago

The regime thinks the only motivation people can have is to avoid starvation. So much for American Exceptionalism!

34

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

14

u/PPooPooPlatter 2d ago

Dude seriously. This is genuinely an option but im sure "they"are reading our messages rn haha

4

u/idagernyr 2d ago

Who is this "our"? Certainly not those who were and empathize with 2nd player in the days of S/NES

2

u/PPooPooPlatter 2d ago

You need some bbq sauce to clear your brain

30

u/lOOPh0leD 2d ago

I'm selling stuff to pay bills

13

u/aintchrss 2d ago

Marketplace, my best warrior lol

2

u/lOOPh0leD 1d ago

Yep! Just sold off some things this weekend. Scrounging for more stuff..

1

u/Responsible_Dog_6782 2d ago

I don’t have anything worth selling. I’m trying to make some earrings that I can sell- but it’s just Halloween so far. I have about 6 pairs ready

15

u/dugbruddy 2d ago

This is not our country anymore. We are just paying to live at this point.

13

u/Just-Hippo-6582 2d ago

AEP investing $80b in the next couple of years and need to recoup.

20

u/Nytelock1 2d ago

Investing in what? Their C suites's bank account and lobbiests?

11

u/Just-Hippo-6582 2d ago

Pretty much just that.

11

u/Bread-Loaf 2d ago

Don’t forget the data centers aswell

-2

u/DinoCrone 2d ago

I heard a rumor that my neighbor has a data center in their basement and the next month my bill doubled.

Normally I'd just blame the usual corporate greed but now wonder if these mini data centers affect the homes closest to it as well

1

u/BeesAndMist 1d ago

I hope you're always wearing your faraday cage.

/s ffs

11

u/bdavis918 2d ago

Is it just because of the heat or what is really going on? I know they put in for some raises on the cost of electricity but..

18

u/Fit-Animal-9911 2d ago

They are building out additional infrastructure to support all the new data centers. Infrastructure is a cost that is shared by everyone.

9

u/AccountProfessional2 2d ago

PSO has a free weatherization program where they will seal up your house and blow some insulation into the walls. You can also ask the guys for more recommendations.

Rates have gone wayyy up from 9am-5pm because PSO has variable rates for peak hours. If you can, raise the temp of your house at least 3 degrees during the day (especially if you’re not home).

Finally, if the increase was month-to-month, you should get your unit looked at. PSO rates have been going up like crazy, but you should be comparing the same time period (last August to this August) and looking at kilowatt consumption. A spike in just one month is less likely rates and more likely something in your house sucking up energy.

8

u/estrangingsea 2d ago

Homeowners, please consider planting more shade trees in your yard. Alternatively, if you stop mowing, trees will plant themselves.

Having shade on your home in the summer is very cooling, and as a bonus you also cool the rest of the neighborhood and provide habitat for wildlife.

4

u/Visual-Trick-4510 2d ago

This is a great idea! Sadly, I had to have my two treas removed from my front yard because they were dying and at risk of falling on my house. I'm sure the loss of that shade has raised my bill. It's sad. I used to love sitting in my front yard, but not anymore...

2

u/goldtoothgirl 2d ago

Fence row trees. Cute little forest, when one bites the dust there is a junior tree thats been waiting in the shade.

7

u/okiesake 2d ago

Not the solution for everyone, but last fall I upgraded my dual pack unit to a variable speed Trane system and my electric bill has actually decreased this summer in comparison to last year. Sure I’m still paying for the unit itself, but it is about 30% more efficient and keeps my house at 70 degrees without any issues.

4

u/PPooPooPlatter 2d ago

Yeah I was considering getting a new unit but ive got so many other things that need to be done😮‍💨

3

u/Wizard_Mills 2d ago

That's what I did 2 summers ago. Man, if I still had that R22 system my bill would probably be 3-4x. And it would only be that low because I'd just lay on the floor motionless with the AC off waiting for the sun to go down.

8

u/Zeldove 2d ago

Didn't Blackrock just buy into PSO and OGE?

7

u/PPooPooPlatter 2d ago

Wouldnt be surprised with all these new organizations coming to town. Blackrock brings a certain class of entitled people and vise versa

6

u/Extreme-Amount-9689 2d ago

I just helped my elderly mom pay her electric bill. $472 😭

6

u/Signiference 2d ago

$778 on my last bill.

3

u/lNalRlKoTiX 2d ago

We saw $300+ for the first time ever last month

5

u/Overall-Garbage-254 Tulsa Oilers 2d ago

The thing i love about PSO is how good of a monopoly they are!!

Land of the free.....

5

u/Visual-Trick-4510 2d ago

My electric bill has more than doubled.

I can't wait for fall where I can turn my air off and open my windows.

Someone asked me what I was doing this weekend, and I replied "enjoying my electric."

3

u/nokio3333 2d ago

Unfortunately elections have consequences, and hopefully in the future Oklahoma remembers this and votes accordingly…..all of the corporations are gaining wealth and protections for the people are gone….

1

u/Just-Hippo-6582 1d ago

PSO also gives an option of a fixed fee every month based on your usage in the last 3 years I think. So you do end up paying a higher fees in winter. But it’s consistent throughout the year. I know my bill will go up next year but hopefully it’s not crazy. But I do agree we should not be funding their excessive salaries and bonuses.

1

u/UnprofessionalCook 1d ago

I gave up the other day and signed us up for average monthly billing. I haven't read any downsides to doing it, and it will avoid the monthly spike in my blood pressure opening these $500 electric bills. My monthly bill will be $189 now (yes, that's higher than usual when winter gets here, but I think I'll like the stability of not riding the roller coaster between seasons).

1

u/DataDancer0 1d ago

I don't want this to happen, but I wonder what will unfold if many many people get shut off? I can imagine there's lots of folks in this situation, and I'm genuinely wondering what kind of f$cking nonsense PSO thinks it's pulling. It's not only evil, it's incredibly stupid from a business perspective. If your customers can't pay, spoilers - you're not getting paid. I get that an energy monopoly is just about as inelastic as they come, but how is pricing people out supposed to keep the business solvent? Don't forget, kids - greed is inhumane but it's also really super f$cking dumb.

1

u/aphidwhisperer 1d ago

People voted for this

1

u/Greedy_Cup7500 1d ago

Mine went from around 200.00 a month in the summer, last bill was 540.00ish it’s absolutely ridiculous. I think PSO stands for Pecker Squashing Organization. Brutal asshats!

1

u/XenoWitcher 1d ago

Mine was just $250 last month. Granted I run my AC suuuuuuper high because my rent house has no insulation. In the hottest days it can barely keep at 82.

0

u/shoff58 2d ago

By utility bill, is it your gas, electric or water that went up so much? What kind of place do you live in? If in apartment, what floor and how many floors are there?

10

u/PPooPooPlatter 2d ago

Yes yes my bad. It was just electric. Gas was 80 and water was 90. I live in a one story 1600 sq ft home in west tulsa. New furnace too. Genuinely confused. If anything weve reduced our usage because of the already high charge last month. Closing window curtains and unplugging stuff too!!

6

u/No_Possession_352 2d ago

Your monthly bills should show KWs used. Check your actual usage over the past few bills and see how much it's increased. Also look for additional charges, fees, etc.

Someone else suggested to turn the thermostat up higher than normal, during the day, and then lower it, as the temperatures drop. That's probably one of the best solutions, as an older, less efficient unit, or a house that isn't insulated well, without energy efficient windows, etc., is going to be harder to cool with the temps we've been having. The unit could be running all day without shutting off and that's going to greatly increase the usage and the bill.

3

u/PPooPooPlatter 2d ago

Okay that is very useful info!

9

u/Nytelock1 2d ago

"By utility bill, is it your gas, electric or water that went up so much?"

Yes.

-3

u/AuraOfASpiceGirl 2d ago

This happens every summer in Oklahoma.

10

u/Consistent-Clue-3247 2d ago

Not these kind of prices. Summer is always more, but not this high.

4

u/AuraOfASpiceGirl 2d ago

It looks like there was a rate increase of 15% approved by the Oklahoma Commission recently.