I. Was. Right.
Published by Becky S March 8th, 2005 in newsy
I dislike weblog entries about inane shit like the gas bill, so I hid this one in the extended entry.
To everyone who wrote to say that it’s not crazy to question a $277 gas bill: you rule. For the past several years (years, people!) the maintenance guy and the landlord have told me that “gas is expensive” before secretly rolling their eyes at the whining tenant.
This condescending attitude was frustrating because I didn’t have a way to verify their assertion that the first floor, hallway, and hot water are connected to the house meter, while my third floor apartment is billed separately. However, the first floor apartment is vacant this winter, which provided an opportunity for a series of experiments. The results show an interesting correlation between the temperature in my apartment and the temperature in the downstairs hallway:
Despite this scientific effort, my complaints continued to fall on deaf ears. However, after several more weeks of being a squeaky wheel (a role I detest), I’ve been vindicated. I was right all along and am now entitled to three winters’ worth of compensation for heating most of the damn house. Apologies to PGW and a big fuck you* to clueless landlord and lazy, incompetent maintenance guy.
*Sorry, Mom, I know you hate that.
Newsy
That you are rich, perhaps you can put that money in one of your investment schemes…erm I mean opportunities.
The sentence should start with “Now that you are rich”…sorry
Well, I knew you were right all along. It sucks that you had to complain for so long to get someone competent to look into it, but at least now it should be fixed.
And think of all the money you can now spend on NOT taking the chinese bus.
Good for you; I still can’t believe they kept you on like that for so long!
Are you saying that you are getting some money from your landlord? You must have been really squeaky.
Is interest included? If you are already in the squeaky mode, you may as well go all the way.
Is interest included? If you are already in the squeaky mode, you may as well go all the way.
Of course I’m getting money from the landlord! It’s not a matter of being squeaky, either. For the past three winters I’ve been picking up the tab for heating the hallway/common area in the house.
Sucks for her, though, because she was adjusting the 1st floor rent based on the assumption that the hall heat was on that meter. So she’s out some rent, plus she’s gotta pay me. She should fire the maintenence guy, who hooked the shit up wrong and then refused to double-check his work, even though he was asked repeatedly.
J the Obscure–long time no talk! Your interest scheme is a good plan, but first I have to work with the gas company to figure out the baseline of what I’m owed.
Is it just me or are there ants now on your main logo?
For your next step you should find out if your gas company has a flat rate plan. We pay the same amount every month, winter and summer, and then at the end of the year an adjustment is made if we paid too much (always, because I’m anal about the furnace) or too little, but the flat rate helps keep things from being a nasty surprise.
Maybe team up with the landlord to get the interest from the maintenance guy; that’ll keep you in decent standing with the landlord.
D
I’m sure that PGW has a flat rate plan, but once these people get their stuff straightened out, there will be no need for a flat rate plan!
BTW, Scott, the Chinatown bus has a certain charm.
Yeah, the ants. They’re taking over this place.
I am glad you got that all worked out Becky. Hope you get a HUGE check back. Hmn.. just in time for filing taxes!