You Could Always Try Keeping Warm By Setting Your Stack of Electric Bills on Fire

Well, this story at least shows I wasn’t alone this month when I nearly had a coronary while opening my electric bill. Said the study cited in the News piece that might have gone overlooked post-Obama Day, Dallas’s average monthly bill for all utilities in ’08 was $378.27, compared to the national average of $289.86.

I’d been using Green Mountain Energy for more than two years without such exorbitant bills. Then I moved in with a friend to save money on rent, only to discover that our new apartment is apparently insulated by a thin slip of Saran Wrap, which also explains the fact that we can constantly hear our downstairs neighbor pursuing his endless quest to conquer the gaming universe. Our grand total for the past month? $430, and it’s still chilly enough to wear sweats to bed.

In this week’s paper version of Unfair Park, a host of Texas clean air and efficiency advocates talk about how this year’s legislative efforts to reduce pollution and draw more energy from renewables have the potential to slash our utility costs. Let’s hope they’re right. Otherwise I’ll be wearing my ski gear at home.