I moved into my house two years ago in January. I have to admit, I was a little shocked at my electricity bill during those first, cold months.
Since then, we’ve been very conscious about what we are plugging in and turning on in the winter. I’ve done a few improvements to help with the drafts and with the insulation. The one thing I haven’t done yet is Comfort Level Billing.
I visited Avista’s website this week to find out more. Comfort Level Billing takes the guesswork out of what your next bill is going to be. It takes the average of your usage over the last 12 months and applies the current energy rate to those average hours. This would be great for us during the winter months.
The website can calculate how much my payment will be every month. Avista will still read my meter monthly and calculate that usage on my bill, but the payment will be at the Comfort Level.
This doesn’t mean we can crank up the baseboard heaters and leave on all the lights, though. If my energy usage changes, the Comfort Level will change, too. Avista will notify me before that happens.
If I decide to cancel, I can at any time, but I’ll be responsible for paying the actual account balance.
The website helped me to learn whether I was eligible. It said I should obtain nine to 12 months of service at my current address and make sure I don’t have any outstanding bills with Avista, which I don’t.
It’s something I’ve been pondering for a long time now. I really enjoy the smaller bills in the warmer months, but it just might be worth it when it gets cold. I could calculate what my bill would be at on Avista's Comfort Level Billing page. Now that I know that number, I can decide whether or not to give it a try.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday.