comparing bills..

**Scattymum** · 01-17-2007, 06:26 AM

we just got our electric bill - its a bi monthly bill for Dec and Jan - it was 253 Euro - out of interest I looked at last years bill for the same time frame and it was 346Euro!! thats nearly 100 euro difference - including a price increase- watching things like lights, changing bulbs to low energy, hanging washing etc has really paid off!! - I shall look forward to comparing my next bill to the one from last year.

On another note I got our yearly statement from the refuse company - we needed far less pickups during the year due to recycling alot more stuff - our bill with them has gone down 3euro a month ( it all adds up!!)..I shall really be trying to recycle just about everything now in an effort to get that reduced even more!

**FrugalMomof3** · 01-17-2007, 07:26 AM

Glad you were able to get your bills down and yes every little bit does count!

**justpeachy92** · 01-17-2007, 07:38 AM

Cool that your bills came down. Your post got me thinking about who ever it was that lived in this house before us. Here the electric company bases your deposit on 2 months electric service from who lived in a house before you. I think that is so wrong, because in my mind it punishes people that move into a place after someone lived there that was less then frugal with their energy consumption. After moving into this house I was really nervous because the electric company said for the previous year the bill ran $400 a month, thankfully I haven't had one in 7 months over $210....and I am terrible about drying all the laundry for 6 people in the dryer, but I can't imagine what the previous people must have been doing here to have an average bill so high.

**bumplett** · 01-17-2007, 07:44 AM

that's wonderful scatty ~ good job!

here, the garbage service is a flat amount, regardless of how much you dispose of - so I canceled it all together - now, I recycle everything that I can (I have to take it to the recyle center myself, but that's alright with me) and I have ONE bag of garbage per week, I give that to my MIL (or anyone that will take it)

**YankeeMom** · 01-17-2007, 08:03 AM

Great job!! Especially considering the costs probably went up.

I tend to not so much look at the total of the bill, but the part where it compares how much kWh and Therms I used this period vs this period last year. It stinks when I look at my kWh for last month. I used way less than I did last year, but the cost per kWh went up so even though I used less, it cost more than it did last year.

**banana** · 01-17-2007, 08:19 AM

That is great! It all adds up to money saved!

**Emerald_Mommy** · 01-17-2007, 08:27 AM

Great job!

**fidget** · 01-17-2007, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Scattymum

On another note I got our yearly statement from the refuse company - we needed far less pickups during the year due to recycling alot more stuff - our bill with them has gone down 3euro a month ( it all adds up!!)..I shall really be trying to recycle just about everything now in an effort to get that reduced even more!

You have to pay for refuse collection? I'm so glad that we don't here, mind you, since I moved in with my boyfriend he's noticed that the amount of general rubbish has gone down and the recycling pile has rocketed!

**Scattymum** · 01-17-2007, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by fidget

You have to pay for refuse collection? I'm so glad that we don't here, mind you, since I moved in with my boyfriend he's noticed that the amount of general rubbish has gone down and the recycling pile has rocketed!

yes, Ireland bought in private companies to do waste a few years back, before that the council picked up the bins. I suppose though as we dont pay water rates and council tax like you do we cant complain although it annoys me to have to pay it out each month! you dont have to pay to get the recycling picked up though so thats good!

**danni** · 01-17-2007, 12:23 PM

We pay for garbage p/u too but it's included as a flat rate and we can't cancel it here. In the town I lived in before we had to buy tags and attach one tage to every bag of garbage we put out. Each bag had to be a black garbage bag and under a certain weight. The recycling in that town got picked up at the curb and that service was free. They also had a recycling center were you could take your stuff there and sort it and drop off any stuff you want to get rid off. One year I got a bunch of tins and used them for xmas gifts, I also would pick up magazines and canning jars.

**wanderlusting** · 01-18-2007, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Scattymum

yes, Ireland bought in private companies to do waste a few years back, before that the council picked up the bins. I suppose though as we dont pay water rates and council tax like you do we cant complain although it annoys me to have to pay it out each month! you dont have to pay to get the recycling picked up though so thats good!

Yes, council tax is annoyingly high. Last year's bill was 1,200 sterling! Thank goodness the Ministry of Defense pays ours! Otherwise I'd move out of town into a nearby village!

**Edna_E** · 01-18-2007, 04:03 PM

Congrats! I had a fright of an electric bill in December, and paid it but then called to ask for advice. They had me go read the meter and found that 2 numbers had been transposed, so I am paid up more than a month's worth in advance - not my preferred method of saving, but certainly a relief over thinking I'd USED that much so quickly. I also use small wattage energy saving light bulbs and keep my thermostat low and wear thermals, socks, and sweats at home.

PS I'm of Irish descent also - not well traced, but the surname is and I enjoy playing with it, hence my son's name is Sean Patrick.

**PAVallygrl** · 01-18-2007, 04:36 PM

I'm hearing from family back home that it has gotten quite expensive to live in Irleand these days. Also just heard that college tuition is now free there? Is that true?? BTW I grew up in Cork Ireland. Still have family scattered all over there.

**Scattymum** · 01-19-2007, 03:40 AM

Originally Posted by PAVallygrl

I'm hearing from family back home that it has gotten quite expensive to live in Irleand these days. Also just heard that college tuition is now free there? Is that true?? BTW I grew up in Cork Ireland. Still have family scattered all over there.

yep Its got very expensive to live here, housing has rocket over the last few years along with electric, oil and stuff. Even the price of food and stuff is very high - one of the highest in Europe I think!.when I went to england at christmas I couldnt believe how cheap things were there! When I see some of the prices you pay for in the states it really is so much cheaper than over here - im jealous LOL.

Im not sure about college tuition, you do have to pay something but Its not that much I think - certainly nothing compared to the US! at least something is cheaper here LOL. we still have a few years to go before Ciara is old enough but by then they could be charging for education!

Cork is a really pretty county, about a 3 mile strtch from here so I dont go very often - do you get back much at all?

**PAVallygrl** · 01-19-2007, 12:28 PM

Unfortunately not. Not in about 10 or 12 years.....my family (aunts, uncles and cousins keep after me to come for a visit....pehaps one of these days. I miss it there.....did you say your 3 miles from Cork?