Sure, I’m proud of the fact that I have been retired for ten months and have not once had to dip into my savings account to meet the monthly bills.
Each month gets a little harder, though. Social Security can only be stretched so far. Thankfully, my husband continues to work, and he buys all of the groceries and household supplies, as well as paying for water to the house and for most of the household and automotive repairs. Were it not for his contribution, we would be in serious do-do.
Recently, I was very happy to learn that the property taxes are only going up $6 this year and the homeowner insurance premium did not increase, so there will be no rise in the monthly mortgage payment (which I handle) at least for the next 12 months. In addition, the auto insurance premium only increased a little as a result of my husband leasing a brand new vehicle. (Lucky him! But he really needed all wheel drive for the upcoming winter as he has a long commute to work and we live in the snow belt.)
So far, so good. Still within my personal budget, which is based soley on my monthly Social Security check. And that budget was calculated to allow some wiggle room each month, in case of an unexpected minor expense (like a medical co-pay, or me just having to treat myself to that bag of candy) or the cyclic increase in utility costs due to season and weather.
But then some shit hit the fan, as they say.
Our electric company decided to install “smart meters” for everyone. I immediately started seeing posts on local social media that people were receiving bills twice or thrice the amount owed prior to installation of the new meters. In my naivete, I assumed those folks lived in houses with old electrical wiring and that my house would not be impacted because our electric was upgraded and the main box replaced just a couple of years ago.
Of course, I was wrong. Before the new meters, electric service to my house was running $30-$40 a month. The first bill after meter installation was $99 and I just received this month’s bill – $143! This, for someone who sits in a small house all day, running only the computer, one small window AC (a newer, energy efficient model), one overhead (LED) light, and once-or-twice-a-day use of the toaster oven or microwave. Athough the stove is electric and would run the charges up, we cook very little on it. The clothes dryer and furnace (which we aren’t using right now) are gas.
The electric company keeps sending me congratulatory messages that my house uses less energy than other houses in the area, so I should be happy, right?
Not. If these increases are a trend and not just a seasonal spike, it’s going to throw that carefully calculated budget right out the window.
I understand from what others have told me that electric usage is somewhat based on the time of day, with rates being higher during daytime business hours and somewhat lower in the evening and on weekends.
In other words, it’s another way to screw over old retired people, those who are disabled, the unemployed, and everyone who works from home.
I can hardly wait to see what happens when we are all forced into totally electric houses and cars. Even if the grid can handle it, which I doubt, the costs are going to be more than many people can handle.
Not that corporations or politicans care.
For those who say, check into government assistance programs: I have. Once my husband is fully retired, too, and we are living only on our combined Social Security, our annual income will be about $200 above the maximum limits for any kind of federal or state assistance. Never mind that at that point, our income will be too low to buy food or pay for medical expenses. Apparently, old retired people simply don’t matter.
I will end today’s rant here (aren’t you glad?). It’s time to go back to trying to qualify for those paid surveys. I’m going to need those extra pennies to pay the electric bill.
Hugs, all.
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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com
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Image by Cordelia’s Mom/TeddyRosalieStudio
One of my favorites has been, “If you were to write a book about your life, what would the title be and what would it be about?” How could I even answer that one? Nine months into retirement, my life is so uneventful that no one would be interested in that book. Sure, you all read this blog (and I’m eternally grateful for that!), but these posts are usually fairly short – I don’t think anyone could get through 250-300 pages of such ordinariness.
Cordelia's Mom, Still 