# Who wants to talk about reducing basic utility costs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 28, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184 "2017-03-28T00:17:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/21 "2017-03-28T17:51:59Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Refuse to pay administrative costs. Stop getting paper statements, if they charge extra for them. > > I recently discovered that my electric company is charging me a flat $5 fee every month, for paying by credit card. Which most months is more than 5% of my bill. So I’m looking around for a new provider. > > If you scrutinize all your utility bills for sneaky charges, it probably adds up to over $100 a year. Generally they just round it up to the nearest $5 flat fee. In other words, 15-cents is rounded off to $5. Phone them ans say they have lots of competitors who are soliciting your business, and ask to have the charges waived. Do you know about this new thing of notices from companies telling you you can change electricity providers? I am too swamped to give this due dilligence. I wonder if I’m missing out. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/22 "2017-03-28T17:58:45Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > [Quote not working again, fugthisantiqueapp.] > > I don’t much care for the Ooma/MagicJack model. Yes, it works, but it long ago had to drop the “buy the box, free phone calls forever” model when they were forced to account for things like e911 surcharges etc. So you pay quite a bit for the box and then still have $4-5 overhead each month (and just the hassle of another bill to pay). I also question how well they support the existing base when their revenue is entirely dependent on new sales. A model like Vonage or Broadcom is more honest; they give you the cheap box and offer a huge array of very reasonable plans, all with an exceptional range of features and services. They are bound to keep up the service and quality or people (who have zero investment in their box or service) will move on. > > As for cable bundles, ain’t nothin’ free. Quit playing games with teaser rates and bundles and shell games that eventually bite you in the ass when the rates go up, and reduce your services to one good, stable net connection. Then you’re free to hop landline providers and build your own video entertainment list at whatever flexible cost you care to pay - which can be zero. > > As for being frugal around the house, only the most profligate households have much room to save by turning down thermostats and the like. There’s a zone between some kind of maximum savings and some kind of minimum comfort and hassle, and a few dollars a month “wasted” not frantically saving every last drop of hot water and hour of heating is worth it to most folks. But yes, your goal should be only essential and irreplaceable incandescent lighting, with LED preferred and CFL/fluorescent where necessary. > > Another good reason to get rid of your cable box or DVR, by the way, is that most models draw 60-150 watts. 24/7/365. So switching to all LED lighting will only mean you spend more each month - $10-15 - to keep your box powered than you do to light your house. Chuck the inefficient sucker. If I’m not going to bundle I’m looking at Vonage for landline; Hulu or Amazon Prime for TV; and what are some basic internet providers to replace comcast with? Or is Comcast suitable as an internet provider? Love the idea of dropping cable: They told me that my old tech is going to be replaced by this awful alpha search modern system my mom has, that I would rather not watch than use. I’m sure I’m going to get the push to change or be forced into it soon. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/23 "2017-03-28T18:02:45Z")
[quote=“Amateur\_Barbarian, post:19, topic:783184”] > [@](#): > > There are three kinds of phone service: copper-wire (old school), cellular, and VoIP. All phone service provided by cable companies is VoIP - IP telephony, data telephony, digital telephony. Unlike the bond between AT&T or the local phone provider and your copper phone wires, VoIP is a net service that can be provided by anyone anywhere on the net. So you can tell Comcast to stuff their $30/month/line rate (which is set at that because its what AT&T gets for copper) and go with another provider of your choice. I recommend Vonage from long experience and research, but they’re hardly the only one. (I just think they are the best for new converts needing an easy to use service with a ton of features at a reasonable cost.) > > And yes. Dump all bundled services and get the best deal on 24-25mbps internet you can find. It might even be an internet-only provider in your area, although competition has reduced most areas to a couple of cable companies. > > I’ve been giving an enormously popular “Cut the Cord” seminar for several months now, and am booked through the year for over a dozen more around the state. It’s a good time to get rid of “cable” and bundles and excess costs and bring it all into a model that gives you more control over cost and selection. > > And don’t forget OTA TV - use the FCC site to see how many strong channels you should be able to receive. It’s free and true HD, even though almost everyone has forgotten about broadcast channels. You can’t get cable stations OTA though? Can you? You’re giving seminars? Sounds like a real need. You’re like the guy on the mountaintop with the beard! I found you. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/24 "2017-03-28T18:04:02Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > and what are some basic internet providers to replace comcast with? Or is Comcast suitable as an internet provider? Which internet provider is available depends on where you live. At the very least, you have Comcast or the local phone company as options, and there may be others. (BTW, I read someplace that Comcast isn’t even all that upset about cord cutters, because their internet services are actually more profitable than their cable television business and in most areas, cable company internet is the fastest option.) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/25 "2017-03-28T18:09:01Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > If I’m not going to bundle I’m looking at > Vonage for landline; > Hulu or Amazon Prime for TV; > and what are some basic internet providers to replace comcast with? Or is Comcast suitable as an internet provider? Any quality internet provider in your area - shop around and look for reviews and ratings. (Here, it’s almost universally Comcast or nothing; where Frontier is available, it ranges from a no-brainer better service to absolute crap.) Vonage is a good step towards cheaper landline service. You can always switch again to something cheaper (some go down to $4-5 a month without Ooma/Magicjack’s limitations) but I wouldn’t jump too far at first. For TV, you need a streaming device like a Roku or Amazon Fire TV. (Avoid generic Android TV gear for the same reason as above - some are harder/techier to use than the consumer-grade stuff, and you probably won’t care about the open-source OS.) You can get either one for under $50, and the discount stores have them for less. That will bring you a video universe that’s much bigger than cable, although it’s missing a few things like live sports at a reasonable cost. Add in a cheap OTA antenna, though, and you’ve probably fixed that hole. And that’s it. TV need not cost you a dime after you buy the Roku or Fire TV device. Subscriptions to Netflix and Hulu add less than $20/month for a vast amount of material, and most channels have good streaming apps that are free. With Pay-Per-View like Amazon Video and Vudu, you can watch anything any time. Amazon Prime at $100 a year brings the free shipping, but it also brings an unlimited music library and a huge array of free choices from the Amazon Video catalog. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/26 "2017-03-28T18:11:35Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > You can’t get cable stations OTA though? Can you? No, you’ll have to stream those to see them. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/27 "2017-03-28T18:18:53Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > No, you’ll have to stream those to see them. Well, yes and no. OTA should bring all the networks, plus PBS, plus (often) secondary networks like ION, Univision, Gala etc. Modern digital TV channels are also multi-channel, with each having one or or more secondary channels. So if the FCC page shows you getting ten stations, that can represent up to 30 channels, some of which are low-tier cable staples like shopping networks and secondary sports channels. And nearly all the cable channels have streaming apps with varying access. Some are almost unlimited and you can watch current programs (one day delayed from first broadcast, or a recent selection of them, or their entire library. A few are pay-service; a number are still that incomprehensible in-between of “cable locked” - you can only get the streaming access if you already have the channel on cable. But between OTA, Hulu and all the free streaming apps you can load, most people don’t lose anything of consequence. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/28 "2017-03-28T18:46:23Z")
So I’m going to assume that Iphone through AT and T at $90 per month is not worth finding an alternative for? Or is there a better thing to be doing? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/29 "2017-03-28T18:48:08Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Well, yes and no. > > OTA should bring all the networks, plus PBS, plus (often) secondary networks like ION, Univision, Gala etc. Modern digital TV channels are also multi-channel, with each having one or or more secondary channels. So if the FCC page shows you getting ten stations, that can represent up to 30 channels, some of which are low-tier cable staples like shopping networks and secondary sports channels. > > And nearly all the cable channels have streaming apps with varying access. Some are almost unlimited and you can watch current programs (one day delayed from first broadcast, or a recent selection of them, or their entire library. A few are pay-service; a number are still that incomprehensible in-between of “cable locked” - you can only get the streaming access if you already have the channel on cable. > > But between OTA, Hulu and all the free streaming apps you can load, most people don’t lose anything of consequence. Can you get this stuff streamed in real time from the news channels to go to my living room TV, just as easy to use as the regular TV? You need to have the computer on and the app on? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/30 "2017-03-28T18:49:24Z")
My wife insists on the NFL Network so we’re pretty much tied to the Digital Preferred tier of Comcast. If we could get that elsewhere or convince her to let that go we’d be able to drop to Digital Standard which includes Red Sox games on NESN, my dealbreaker. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/31 "2017-03-28T18:59:54Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > So I’m going to assume that Iphone through AT and T at $90 per month is not worth finding an alternative for? Or is there a better thing to be doing? Depends on your contract. Buying your own phone (especially a ‘last year’s model’ from a good source like [Swappa.com](http://Swappa.com)) and separating its costs from the contract is a good move. Look at buying out your phone costs and renegotiating the contract. You should be able to get unlimited talk and text and a few gigs of data for under $70. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/32 "2017-03-28T19:02:07Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Can you get this stuff streamed in real time from the news channels to go to my living room TV, just as easy to use as the regular TV? You need to have the computer on and the app on? > [@Telemark](#): > > My wife insists on the NFL Network so we’re pretty much tied to the Digital Preferred tier of Comcast. If we could get that elsewhere or convince her to let that go we’d be able to drop to Digital Standard which includes Red Sox games on NESN, my dealbreaker. 🙂 Sports and 24-hour news are still the weak links in streaming, although it’s changing fast. There are a variety of news sources on streaming, including local news broadcasts. OTA helps with that. You can get the full NFL package in streaming. Not cheap ($15/month?) but cheaper than carrying high-tier cable just for a few channels, especially as you only have to carry it for the season (4 months?) Look at Roku’s [Channel Store](https://channelstore.roku.com/browse) to find out what’s available and for how much. (You have to dig to find it - what you get on the surface is nothing but pages and pages of channel icons, which is useless.) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/33 "2017-03-28T19:09:51Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Can you get this stuff streamed in real time from the news channels to go to my living room TV, just as easy to use as the regular TV? You need to have the computer on and the app on? Sorry, I kind of missed the point of the question. Streaming devices are totally standalone and need only WiFi or (much preferable for reliability) wired internet connection. No computer needed. Your smart phone can be used as an uber-remote, though. You don’t multiplex them the way video used to be. You get one streaming appliance for each TV and they all work independently, sharing things like Netflix and Hulu accounts. You can also stream from a smartphone or tablet, using either a direct HDMI cable or a “casting” appliance like a Chromecast. That can save having another piece of junk around for a bedroom or other secondary TV. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/34 "2017-03-28T19:15:35Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Sports and 24-hour news are still the weak links in streaming, although it’s changing fast. There are a variety of news sources on streaming, including local news broadcasts. OTA helps with that. > > You can get the full NFL package in streaming. Not cheap ($15/month?) but cheaper than carrying high-tier cable just for a few channels, especially as you only have to carry it for the season (4 months?) > > Look at Roku’s [Channel Store](https://channelstore.roku.com/browse) to find out what’s available and for how much. (You have to dig to find it - what you get on the surface is nothing but pages and pages of channel icons, which is useless.) Am I right that ROKU looks like a destination for finding the services that we have been talking about? I see all them there. Or is this a choice between? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/35 "2017-03-28T19:18:37Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Am I right that ROKU looks like a destination for finding the services that we have been talking about? I see all them there. Or is this a choice between? Roku is one of two brand-name streaming device makers - think of their product as a “streaming browser.” I don’t think there are many if any channels that Roku doesn’t offer, including a huge array of Roku-only ones that can get pretty bizarre. I like Roku for engineering and function reasons, but also because they’re “independent” and not locked to a particular universe the way Amazon’s Fire TV and Apple TV are. (Apple in particular has stumbled in the TV market because they keep insisting on defining user expectations rather than meeting them.) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/36 "2017-03-28T19:25:41Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Sorry, I kind of missed the point of the question. > > Streaming devices are totally standalone and need only WiFi or (much preferable for reliability) wired internet connection. No computer needed. Your smart phone can be used as an uber-remote, though. > > You don’t multiplex them the way video used to be. You get one streaming appliance for each TV and they all work independently, sharing things like Netflix and Hulu accounts. > > You can also stream from a smartphone or tablet, using either a direct HDMI cable or a “casting” appliance like a Chromecast. That can save having another piece of junk around for a bedroom or other secondary TV. OK let’s go through this: I’m going to do this at home, so my Comcast internet service will be the medium. And my TV should have a USB opening to make this happen on it. And the service might be ROKU or Hulu or Amazon, or any combination? My Iphone can be used to remotely program and control my TV and computer? What does “one streaming appliance” mean? How do they work independently? I have only one tv, and one desktop. (I may be getting a laptop but not now) I think it’s too confusing for me to operate this through my phone. Have you tried it for yourself? How and why would apps “share” accounts? You mean sharing to another tv in another room? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/37 "2017-03-28T19:27:06Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Roku is one of two brand-name streaming device makers - think of their product as a “streaming browser.” I don’t think there are many if any channels that Roku doesn’t offer, including a huge array of Roku-only ones that can get pretty bizarre. > > I like Roku for engineering and function reasons, but also because they’re “independent” and not locked to a particular universe the way Amazon’s Fire TV and Apple TV are. (Apple in particular has stumbled in the TV market because they keep insisting on defining user expectations rather than meeting them.) Sounds like you are saying that ROKU has a problem getting 24 hour news channels simulcasted conveniently? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/38 "2017-03-28T19:33:56Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > So I’m going to assume that Iphone through AT and T at $90 per month is not worth finding an alternative for? Or is there a better thing to be doing? Tell us how many users, how many minutes, how many texts, how much data you need. What carriers have good service in your area? There are a huge number of possibilities; see: > **[prepaidphonenews.com](http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2011/02/best-prepaid-voice-plans.html)** > > This domain may be for sale! > **[prepaidphonenews.com](http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2011/02/best-prepaid-data-carriers-and-plans.html)** > > This domain may be for sale! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/39 "2017-03-28T20:24:12Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > OK let’s go through this: I’m going to do this at home, so my Comcast internet service will be the medium. Okay, there’s your internet. BTW, buy your own modem. An SB6141 runs about $60 new, $35 refurb and will save you $5-10 a month in rental. Back it up with a decent router/WiFi hub. > [@](#): > > And my TV should have a USB opening to make this happen on it. And the service might be ROKU or Hulu or Amazon, or any combination? No, you need an HDMI port. It’s very difficult to do streaming on a TV that lacks one (one option that I know of, not very good). You plug either a “stick” streaming device into that port, or (preferable) the HDMI cable from a small “box” streaming device. The device can either be a Roku (six models) or Amazon Fire TV (also six models). The lineups are similar except that Roku has fewer limitations (past and present, and likely future) while the Amazon one is a little better integrated with Amazon Video and has in the past lacked some services like Netflix. Both come with remotes. The Roku one is particularly nice in that it can be used as a remote listening device, with a headphone jack, as well as a remote. You can also get apps for either iPhone or Android to do advanced control of the streaming box and things like faster YouTube searches, voice searching, etc. But that’s an extra, not a requirement. > [@](#): > > What does “one streaming appliance” mean? How do they work independently? Think of it as an alternate cable box. You need one box per TV/viewer. If you only have one TV, you only need one streaming device. (Computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones are inherent streaming devices, with the right browsers and apps.) But your computer, phone, tablet etc. are adjuncts to a streaming device, not required. You need nothing except (1) internet (2) a streaming device with its remote and (3) a TV. But to have more than one TV and watch more than one program at a time, you need one streaming solution - device, phone, tablet, laptop - per audience. > [@](#): > > How and why would apps “share” accounts? You mean sharing to another tv in another room? Each TV needs its own streaming source, and they work and are controlled separately. What needs to be shared are subscriptions - Netflix used to charge extra for more users but now has 2- and 4-user plans at base rates. That means up to 2 or 4 users can have independent accounts, watch lists and viewing at the same time. Non-subscription (free) stuff can be watched by any number of viewers independently. > [@drad\_dog](#): > > Sounds like you are saying that ROKU has a problem getting 24 hour news channels simulcasted conveniently? There are almost no continuous-feed channels on streaming; it’s 99% on-demand. Which is good in most ways, but it does make things like 24 hour news a little awkward. > [@PastTense](#): > > Tell us how many users, how many minutes, how many texts, how much data you need. I think nearly all carriers are unlimited talk and text. It’s data that has to be chosen and managed carefully, and you can get by with very little if you use WiFi anywhere you can find it. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184/40 "2017-03-28T22:40:16Z")
Inspired by this thread, I just cut my electric bill in half. I phoned an alternative provider, read them my last bill, and they told me that they would literally reduce my cost by half. Last month it was 61.80, the new provider quoted me a rate plan that would have been $30. They said they would pay a disconnect charge if there was one, but there isn’t. From time to time, it pays to just phone your present provider to ask if you can be given an incentive discount or promotional rate, or if not, phone a competitor for a lower rate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-talk-about-reducing-basic-utility-costs/783184.md?page=3)