Following up ...

... on last night's post about my email to my apartment manager.

In effect, he washed his hands of responsibility. He said there was nothing he could do.

And this was in spite of ample evidence of my utility usage for the last two years.

March 31, 2014

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The forecast called for a high around 80° yesterday — and it just may have made it. I know it was 78° at one point, and it was still in the 70s by 9 p.m.

Last night's low was supposed to be in the upper 50s, followed by three straight nights with lows in the 60s. I guess that forecast came true because it was 58° when I got up this morning.

It is overcast this morning, and there is talk of a chance of rain this week but not today. Right now, the best chance for that (currently 40%) is Wednesday and Thursday.

This morning's meter reading is 15703. Yesterday's reading was 15697 so my consumption in the last 24 hours has been 6 kWh. That is a little more than 9% higher than the previous 24 hours, but it is nearly 39% lower than my consumption on this date in 2013.

By the way ...

I emailed the apartment manager the other day about my latest utility bill, which is currently mailed to tenants and absorbed into one monthly charge covering rent, too. The rent doesn't change until the lease renews.

For the last four or five months, the complex has been allocating electricity charges based on the size of one's apartment instead of based on actual consumption.

As you can see on this blog, I have been monitoring my electric meter for two years.

Based on my calculations, my utility consumption for January (for which I was billed at the end of February) was 13% lower than my usage in December — but my charge went up.

I got my bill that will come due on Tuesday. It covered my electricity consumption for February. My consumption in February was 12% lower than my January consumption — but, once again, my bill went up.

I asked the apartment manager if anything could be done to make the utility billing fair. I said I am perfectly willing to pay for what I use, but I do not want to pay for what someone else uses, which is what I am doing.

To date, he has not responded to my email.

March 30, 2014

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The last time I checked on conditions yesterday, which was around 4 p.m., the temperature was 74° so it was warm but not hot yesterday — after a bit of a cool start.

Last night's low was expected to be 48°. It got cool last night, but I couldn't say if it got that low. The temperature was 51° when I got up.

This morning's meter reading is 15697. Yesterday's reading was between 15691 and 15692 so my consumption was 5½ kWh. That is nearly 27% lower than my usage in the previous 24 hours — but it is 10% higher than my consumption a year ago on this date.

March 29, 2014

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Yesterday was a warm day — or so I have heard.

I spent a lot of time in the Richland newsroom yesterday. When I went up to the campus around 11:30, it was probably 69°. Then, when I left around 7 p.m., it was probably about 70°.

The forecast called for a high in the upper 70s, possibly 80°, but I didn't spend any time outdoors in the afternoon so I can't say whether it got that warm or not.

It was supposed to be cooler last night, probably in the upper 40s. It was 47° when I got up this morning.

This morning's meter reading is between 15691 and 15692. Yesterday's reading was 15684 so my consumption in the last 24 hours was 7½ kWh. That is an increase of 36% compared to the previous 24 hours and to my usage on this date in 2013.

March 28, 2014

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There wasn't supposed to be much of a chance of rain yesterday, but it was drizzling all morning and continued to drizzle when I went up to the campus around 11:30.

I was in the newsroom for the next five hours, and it was considerably warmer when I left. Whether it got into the 80s, I cannot say.

Last night's low was expected to be in the upper 50s, but I don't think it got that cold. The temperature was 68° when I got up.

This morning's meter reading is 15684. Yesterday's reading was between 15678 and 15679 so my consumption in the last 24 hours has been 5½ kWh. That's a drop of 42%, and it is more than 15% lower than this date in 2013.

March 27, 2014

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The next couple of days are supposed to bring highs in the 80s. That's a far cry from yesterday, when the high barely nudged past 60° for a little while in the afternoon.

Forecasts called for a mild night last night — the low was expected to be 56°. I don't know if it got that cold last night. It was 60° when I got up this morning.

There appears to be almost no chance for rain in the seven days. Highs will be mostly in the 70s, they say, with lows mostly in the 50s.

I know today's picture is hard to see. It is cloudy this morning, and that is the best picture I could get.

Anyway, today's meter reading is between 15678 and 15679. Yesterday's reading was 15669. My consumption in the last 24 hours remained in single digits at 9½ kWh. That is an incredible 72% increase over the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly double my consumption on this day in 2013.

March 26, 2014

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The weather forecast has been reasonably accurate lately, but I would really prefer it if today turns out to be warmer than expected.

Yesterday was a little warmer than expected. The forecast called for a high of 63°, but I know it was a few degrees warmer than that — at least for awhile.

Last night't low was supposed to be 42°. I don't think it got that cold last night. It was 47° when I got up this morning.

Today is supposed to be cooler and wetter. The last few days have been sunny, but showers are likely today with a temperature that won't get out of the 50s.

Well, that's what they say.

This morning's meter reading is 15669. Yesterday's reading was between 15663 and 15664. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 5½ kWh. That's more than 35% lower than the previous 24 hours, and it is more than 21% lower than my consumption on this day a year ago.

March 25, 2014

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I suppose the forecast was on target yesterday. The temperature by mid–afternoon was 65°.

The forecast also called for a low of 42°. When I got up, it was 44°.

Today, the temperature is supposed to be in the 60s, then a cool front is supposed to come through, bringing temperatuers in the 50s and a 70% chance of rain.

This morning's meter reading is between 15663 and 15664. Yesterday's reading was 15655. That means I consumed 8½ kWh yesterday. It's the same as my consumption in the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly 23% lower than my consumption on this date last year.

March 24, 2014

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It was a gray, cool day yesterday, but it wasn't quite as cool as predicted. By 4 p.m., the temperature was 58°, which was a few degrees warmer than forecast.

Last night's low was expected to be 40°. It may well have been that cold during the night. The temperature was 42° when I got up this morning, and my electricity consumption did go up so the heat may well have come on briefly.

Highs in the next several days are supposed to be in the 60s and 70s. Lows are supposed to be in the 40s for the next three nights, then in the 50s — possibly 60 by Thursday night.

This morning's meter reading is 15655. Yesterday's reading was between 15646 and 15647. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 8½ kWh. That is nearly 31% higher than the previous 24 hours, and a little more than 6% higher than this date in 2013.

March 23, 2014

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The forecast yesterday called for a high in the mid–60s. I know it got to 64° in the morning, but, by 5 p.m., the temperature had dropped to 58°.

It was overcast all day, too, but not extremely windy.

Last night's low was expected to be 46°. It was 50° when I got up this morning.

This morning's meter reading is between 15646 and 15647. Yesterday's reading was 15640. Thus my consumption was 6½ kWh in the last 24 hours. That is more than 13% lower than my consumption in the previous 24 hours, and it is about 7% lower than my consumption on this date in 2013.

March 22, 2014

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I was in the campus newsroom all afternoon so I don't know if it got a lot warmer, but I know that at 7 p.m. it was 75°.

The low was expected to be 58°. It might not have been quite that low, though. The temperature was 62° when I got up this morning.

Today's high is supposed to be in the mid–60s followed by a low in the mid–40s, which is roughly the pattern we can expect through Wednesday.

This morning's meter reading is 15640. Yesterday's reading was between 15632 and 15633. That's 7½ kWh in the last 24 hours. That is actually 50% higher than the previous 24 hours, and it is more than 15% higher than this date in 2013.

March 21, 2014

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Yesterday's high temperature was 72°, which is roughly what the forecasters expected. Last night's low was expected to be 52°.

I don't know if it got that cool or not. I do know it was 54° when I got up.

Anyway, consumption was in single digits for the third straight day (and seventh of the last 11 days), and I expect it to remain that way today. The high is supposed to be near 80°, and tonight's low is expected to be in the upper 50s.

This morning's meter reading is between 15632 and 15633. Yesterday's reading was between 15627 and 15628. My consumption was 5 kWh. That's a drop of nearly 17% compared to the previous 24 hours, and it is more than 23% lower than this date a year ago.

March 20, 2014

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Yesterday wasn't as warm as the day before, but the temperature still got into the mid–60s, which is probably what we should expect at this time of the year.

Last night's low was supposed to be around 42°. I know it got at least that cold — it was 42° when I got up this morning.

The forecast for today and tomorrow looks pretty good with daytime highs in the 70s and nighttime lows in the 50s.

This morning's meter reading is between 15627 and 15628. Yesterday's reading was between 15621 and 15622 so consumption in the last 24 hours was 6 kWh. That's a drop of more than 14% compared to the previous 24 hours, and it is exactly the same as my consumption on this date in 2013.

March 19, 2014

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Yesterday must have been the warmest day we've had so far in 2014. It was welcome after the winter we've had — but an unpleasant reminder that the heat of summer is fast approaching.

It was 82° around 5 p.m. and may have gotten a degree or two warmer before the sun went down. The low last night was expected to be 45°. I'm not sure if it got quite that cold. It was 48° when I got up.

This morning's meter reading is between 15621 and 15622. Yesterday's reading was between 15614 and 15615. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 7 kWh. That is a decline of 60% compared to the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly 18% lower than this date a year ago.

March 18, 2014

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Yesterday was considerably warmer than the day before. The high temperature was in the low 60s, and last night's low was expected to be roughly 45°.

The temperature was 49° when I got up this morning so maybe it didn't get quite as cold as predicted. And, as of this morning, the forecast high for today is 80°.

I was hopeful my electricity consumption would drop — and it did, a lot more than I expected.

This morning's meter reading is between 15614 and 15615. Yesterday's reading was 15597 so my consumption was 17½ kWh. That is a drop of more than 52% compared to the previous 24 hours, but it is more than twice my consumption on this date a year ago.

March 17, 2014

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Yesterday was much colder than the day before. As I wrote yesterday, it was in the 50s when I got up, but the temperature dropped steadily during the day so, by 4 p.m., the temperature was 42°.

Last night's low was supposed to be in the mid–30s. When I got up this morning, it was 37° so I presume it reached the forecast low. Nights should be a little warmer this week, and days should be in the 60s and 70s, which will be an improvement over yesterday. Today's high is supposed to be near 60°.

This morning's meter reading is 15597. Yesterday's reading was between 15560 and 15561 so my consumption was 36½ kWh. That is nearly six times my consumption in the previous 24 hours, and it is a little more than four times my consumption level on this date in 2013.

March 16, 2014

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It was cooler and overcast most of the day yesterday. The temperature got into the 60s but dropped into the 50s after sunset.

The forecast for last night was for a low of around 50°. When I got up this morning, though, it was 55°. It has dropped since then, and there is a strong wind this morning that makes it feel colder than it is.

It will be in the 50s the next couple of days, according to the forecasters, then the temperature will be in the 60s the rest of the week. The lows for the next few nights will be in the 40s, then 50s can be expected.

This morning's meter reading is between 15560 and 15561. Yesterday's reading was 15554. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 6½ kWh, an increase of about 8% over the previous 24 hours — but it is about 13% lower than this date in 2013.

March 15, 2014

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Yesterday's high was in the low 70s, and the forecast called for a low of only 59°. Did it drop into the 50s? I don't know. It was 61° when I got up this morning.

Not much variation in temperature is expected today. The forecast says it will rain today (100% chance), especially this afternoon. It's been overcast all morning.

This morning's meter reading is 15554. Yesterday's reading, which was taken later than usual, was 15548 so my consumption since yesterday morning has been 6 kWh.

That's 70% lower than my consumption in the previous 24 hours, and it is precisely my usage level of this day in 2013.

March 14, 2014

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Conditions were a little warmer and a little sunnier yesterday — and with a lot less wind. The temperature may have reached 70°.

Last night's low was supposed to be in the upper 40s. It might not have quite reached the forecast low (46°, last time I checked), but I know it got close. It was 49° when I got up this morning.

I'm a little later in getting to this today than usual, but the meter reading is 15548. Yesterday's reading was 15528. That is 20 kWh. It's 73% higher than the previous 24 hours, and it is more than three times my consumption of a year ago.

March 13, 2014

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Yesterday's high was supposed to be in the upper 50s. It was warmer than that — 62° — when I checked the conditions around 5 p.m. It was very windy, though, which made it feel a bit cooler.

Last night's low was supposed to be in the upper 30s. I know the heat came on a few times during the night so maybe it got that cold. It was 40° when I got up.

Milder nights are in the forecast for the weekend.

This morning's meter reading is 15528. Yesterday's reading was between 15516 and 15517. That's 11½ kWh used in the last 24 hours — an increase of more than 64% over the previous 24 hours, and it is more than double my consumption on this date a year ago.

March 12, 2014

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The forecast called for a high in the low 80s yesterday. I don't know if it got that warm, but I do know the temperature was 79° around 4 p.m.

It was supposed to get much cooler last night. The forecast low was 43°. I can't say whether it got that cold last night. It was 47° when I got up this morning.

This morning's meter reading is between 15516 and 15517. Yesterday's reading was between 15509 and 15510, which means my consumption in the last 24 hours was 7 kWh. That is more than 22% lower than my consumption level in the previous 24 hours, and it is the same as this date last year.

March 11, 2014

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Yesterday was sunny and warm, and we reached the forecast high of 77° by 4 p.m.

The low was expected to be 54°. Since that was probably achieved (or not) in the wee small hours of the morning, I can only swear to what the temperature was when I got up this morning (59°).

Our wildly fluctuating temperatures will continue this week, it seems. Today's high is expected to be 82°, then tomorrow's high is expected to be 57°. After that, forecasters say, it will settle into a more consistent pattern of highs in the 60s through next Monday.

This morning's meter reading is between 15509 and 15510. Yesterday's reading was between 15500 and 15501, which means my consumption in the last 24 hours was 9 kWh. That is a drop of about 67% compared to the previous 24 hours, but it is 50% higher than my consumption on this date last year.

March 10, 2014

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Yesterday was warmer than expected. Forecasts spoke of a high around 59°, but when I checked the conditions around 6 p.m., the temperature was 61°.

Last night's low was expected to be 45°. It was 47° when I got up this morning so it may well have dropped that low during the night.

Much milder weather is expected today. The high is supposed to be 77°, and tonight's low is supposed to be 53°.

This morning's meter reading is between 15500 and 15501. Yesterday's reading was between 15485 and 15486 so my consumption was 15 kWh. That's nearly 63% lower than the previous 24 hours, but it is two–thirds higher than this date in 2013.

March 9, 2014

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Yesterday was colder than it was the day before. It hovered in the low 50s until mid–afternoon, then it dipped into the 40s.

As Marty Feldman said in "Young Frankenstein," it could have been worse. It could have been raining. At times, the forecast called for as high as a 60% chance of rain — but it never materialized.

Last night's low was predicted to be 37°. If it didn't get that cold, it got close. The temperature was 39° when I got up. The heat ran quite a bit — more than I expected, really — and electricity consumption went way up.

This morning's meter reading is between 15485 and 15486. Yesterday's reading was 15445 so my consumption was 40½ kWh. That is almost three times my consumption level of the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly seven times my consumption of a year ago.

March 8, 2014

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The forecast called for a high yesterday of nearly 70°. It was mild yesterday, but it was windy, which made it feel cooler than it was. Nevertheless, when I checked the weather conditions at noaa.gov around 5 p.m., the temperature was 67°.

Last night's low was supposed to be 48°, and it did get cold last night, but I don't think it got quite that cold. The temperature when I got up this morning was 53°.

It is cloudy this morning, and the forecast calls for a 60% chance of rain. The temperature will rise to about 58° before it slips into the 40s this afternoon. Tonight, the temperature is supposed to dip into the 30s.

This morning's meter reading is 15445. Yesterday's reading was 15431. Thus, my consumption was 14 kWh, which is more than 39% lower than the previous 24 hours. That's an encouraging trend.

It is still more than double my consumption of a year ago, but that, too, is moving down compared to most of this past week.

March 7, 2014

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I spent most of the day in the newsroom so I don't know what the high temperature was, but I do know it got to 55°. I checked conditions online.

Last night's low was supposed to be in the upper 30s. It was 44° when I got up.

Today's forecast calls for a high of 68°, and tonight's low is supposed to be 48°. Given the recent pattern, I am hopeful the temperatures will be warmer than anticipated.

This morning's meter reading is 15431. Yesterday's reading was 15408 so my consumption was 23 kWh. That is more than 36% lower than my consumption in the previous 24 hours.

But it is still nearly four times my consumption on this date in 2013.

March 6, 2014

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Yesterday's forecast called for a high in the low 50s, but, when I left campus around 5 p.m., the radio reported a temperature of 55°.

Last night's low was supposed to be around 34°. It may not have made it. The temperature was 41° when I got up this morning.

My daily electricity consumption continued to fall.

This morning's meter reading is 15408. Yesterday's reading was 15372. Consumption in the last 24 hours was 36 kWh — a drop of more than 12% compared to the previous 24 hours.

But it is about seven times higher than my consumption level of a year ago.

March 5, 2014

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Each day since the ice storm last weekend, we seem to exceed the high temperature that has been predicted.

Yesterday, for example, the forecast called for a high around 46° or 47°. I don't know what the actual high temperature was. I was in the newsroom all afternoon again. But when I was driving home around 5 p.m., the radio reported that the temperature was 49°. For all I know, it reached 50°, maybe higher.

Last night's low was supposed to be around freezing. It was a little warmer than that when I got up (35°).

So I am hopeful that the temperature today will exceed the predicted high of 51°.

This morning's meter reading is 15372. Yesterday's reading was 15331 so my consumption in the last 24 hours was 41 kWh — which is still much higher than I'd like but definitely better than it's been the last couple of days. It represents a drop of nearly 41% in my consumption compared to the previous 24 hours.

But it is five times higher than my consumption on this date a year ago (when the all–time high temperature for the date fell).

March 4, 2014

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Yesterday was milder than the day before. The temperature managed to get above freezing, and the sky was sunny.

It wasn't as cold last night as it was the night before, either, but it was still cold. When I got up this morning, the temperature was in the 20s.

Today's high is predicted to be in the mid–40s. Tonight's low is expected to be in the low 30s — all of which is better than it has been lately, but not quite what Texans expect at this time of the year.

This morning's meter reading is 15331. Yesterday's reading was 15262. My consumption was 69 kWh — still higher than I like to see, but nearly 35% lower than the previous 24 hours. It is, however, more than eight times my consumption of a year ago.

March 3, 2014

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It got colder with each passing hour yesterday, spending most of the daylight hours in the 20s. Occasionally, we had freezing rain, which could be heard pelting against the windows like handfuls of pebbles.

By mid–afternoon, the temperature had plummeted to the mid–20s with a wind chill of 10°. The overnight low was supposed to be 12° with a wind chill between –3° and 7°.

It should be no surprise that the heat ran almost constantly last night. I expected to find a huge rate of consumption when I checked the meter this morning. After all, it was 18° when I got up.

All I can say is, I am so ready for this winter to be over.

This morning's meter reading is 12262. Yesterday's reading was 15156. That is the first triple–digit consumption in a 24–hour period that I have recorded in nearly two years of monitoring my meter.

The weather is supposed to be gradually warmer each day this week.

March 2, 2014

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I spent most of yesterday indoors at an all–day workshop/seminar on campus. The forecast called for a high in the low 80s; maybe it got that warm. I don't know, but, if it didn't, it got close. It was 78° when I left campus, according to the radio.

This springlike interlude apparently will be short. The forecast for last night called for a low of around 39°, then today's high is supposed to be 43°. Today's high remains to be seen.

The temperature was 31° when I got up this morning, but that was later than usual because I overslept on this Sunday morning. Even so, I honestly don't think the heat came on last night.

The downstairs unit is empty now, I think, and the only reason I can come up with for the heat not coming on last night is that the apartment must have accumulated a lot of warmth yesterday.

That must be what happened — because my electricity consumption was in single digits.

This morning's meter reading is 15156. Yesterday's reading was 15149 so my consumption was 7 kWh — and that was in roughly 27 hours because I checked my meter nearly three hours later today than I did yesterday. That's a drop of more than 39% in a 24–, no make that a 27–hour period. And it is a drop of more than 12% compared to this date in 2013.

March 1, 2014

I was in the newsroom all afternoon yesterday so I don't know how warm it was. But I checked noaa.gov late in the afternoon, and it reported that the temperature was 80°.

Today's forecast calls for a high of 82°, but then things are expected to change. After today, daytime highs are predicted to be in the low 50s — at best — until the end of next week.

Last night's low was supposed to be in the low 50s. It was 52° when I got up this morning so that prediction came true. It will be colder at night for the next few days as well — with freezing rain back in the forecast.

This morning's meter reading is 15149. Yesterday's reading was between 15137 and 15138. I didn't quite get below double digits, but I came close. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 11½ kWh. That's a drop of 63% compared to the previous 24 hours, but it's more than double my consumption level on this date in 2013.