Being Fleeced - Being Judgemental

Spend a lot of time and energy looking at several company sites for problems using Web Analytics and SEO tools; it's much easier to look at other people's issues than my own. I'm reminded of the stories I hear of Doctor's not operating on thier own relatives.

Since last fall I've noticed my energy bills going up by almost 50% in some cases. My typical electric bill last year at this time was around 130.00 a month; it's now 180.00 a month. Natural Gas Bills are around the same, but I noticed a new charge on my bill for "gas-delivery" that I never saw before, effectively doubling the cost for 25.00 to 50.00 last month.

Other utililities are going up too; I noticed my T-mobile cell phone bill had communication charges to cell phones within the same network (one T-mobile phone to another) for 6.99 per month. However, for as long as I remember, communications between Tmobile cell phones was sopposed to be free of charge.

My rent went up also, partly to compensate for the increased energy costs the landlord pays for heating the building I live in.

But most of these charges are being slipped in "under the door" without being explained or approved of beforehand (as if I'd approve a "gas delivery charge" - of course I would not approve it).

I get angry when companies "rob" the consumer. This is how the issue relates to Web Analytics and metics: When it's someone else's problem, it's easy for me to look at it and perhaps make statements, based on the analytics, of my opinion about issues I point out.

It's not at all easy for me to do that for myself though. For example, the same analytic skill that I employ for others should be leading me to compare the cost per killowatt hour last year at this time to now, to see how much it changed. Did I use more energy this year than last? I don't know yet. In fact, I'm afraid to look. I don't really feel like calling the gas company either to find out what the "gas delivery charge" is all about. I did call Tmobile and cut back on a couple of things - and then the service person told me about the 6.99 Tmobile to Tmobile charge.

So, my belief is that someone who looks at others' problems and issues ought to be able to look at thier own problems and issues the same way --- but it's much harder to do so. But I don't want to be too judgemental, too hard on myself. It's human not to be perfect.