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Update March 11, 2013
By Lauren V
I live in a STUDIO apartment and work during the day. My meter was replaced in late January and my first electric bill since then is absurd. I’ve averaged around $130 for the past several months, including December and January when I did run the heater most nights. February has less days, I ran the heat less, and I was out of town for almost 7 days yet my bill is $267. How in the world is a studio apartment miraculously doubling its electric usage in a short month? Further, the power blows out every morning if I try to use my hair drier on anything more than low. See attached for photo.
February 12
February 12, 2013 By Steven E. Greer, MD
We received a comment about the high electric bills in Gateway plaza which supports the notion that the Gateway staff, during the green energy meeting, were misleading the community by claiming that average electric bills were only $71 per month. The person wrote, “Lefrak is overcharging the rent stabilized apartments through the electric bills. My electric bill was $400 last month despite the fact that I work all day and barely turn on my heat. It’s obviously illegal, yet no politician is willing to step in. I lost all of my food in the hurricane, but unlike ConEd persons, I was not granted the $400 reimbursement. I do not understand how it is legal to overcharge rent stabilized apartments by “making it up” in their electric bill. The new tenants would never stand this. They have insulated their apartments and given them energy efficient units. I have mold growing all over my bathroom yet no one will fix it. What the new tenants should understand is that my apartment and those of the other rent stabilized decaying apartments are next to theirs.”
Meanwhile, the Broadsheet publication is posting letters claiming that their bills are modest and only $81 per month. The Matt Fenton article covering the Gateway green energy meeting also completely failed to report on the issue of replacing the windows and heaters which would cost at least $10,000 to LeFrak. Publisher Robert Simko lives in Gateway.
To get to the truth of this scandal, and determine whether LeFrak is indeed trying to “smoke out” the rent controlled units and replace them with new market rate apartments, help us collect data. Send us photos of your electric bill and any stories you want to share.
To the person who believes her electricity is being marked up: Does she have an electricity meter in her apartment as we do? Can she take a time stamped picture of her meter before she leaves for a long time and then again when she returns to see if it has changed in the interim?
Our bill for our unrenovated 2br in Gateway was over $700 last month. That is not unusual in the winter.
i am sending my unreal electric bill of 434.56…this is the highest it has ever been….and yes i am gone during the day and never use it all nite…this is nuts…………..
I live in a STUDIO apartment and work during the day. My meter was replaced in late January and my first electric bill since then is absurd. I’ve averaged around $130 for the past several months, including December and January when I did run the heater most nights. February has less days, I ran the heat less, and I was out of town for almost 7 days yet my bill is $267. How in the world is a studio apartment miraculously doubling its electric usage in a short month? Further, the power blows out every morning if I try to use my hair drier on anything more than low. See attached for photo.
Lauren V
It seems that t people in rent subsidized units are getting higher bills than the tenants who signed up after 2009
Editor
My electric bill has been “estimated” since this past November because of water damage to my meter, that of which was of no fault of my own. The meter was so badly damaged (I’m assuming from the renovation/construction in the apt. above me) that the box came out of my wall and formed a pile of debris below it- which is always pleasant to see after a long day of work. A porter came up and attempted to screw the box back into the wall, however, the meter numbers were no longer visible- he assured me that the meter would still be operating per usual and that I should not worry about anything (shady). From then on, I started to get “estimated” bills (so shady). When I went to complain about these absurd amounts, I was told that the only thing they could do was to check out last year’s winter bills, add on a few $$$$ since the rates have gone up since then, and then use that amount towards a new bill. Sure, just make up whatever numbers you want- it’s only money! Since last year’s winter bills were much higher than in the summer, I had already made a conscious decision last year to conserve as much heat and energy as possible for the upcoming winter. I deliberately have been leaving my apartment in Gateway for weekend trips and have even gone as far as using the oven as a source of heat in desperate situations. How could it be that Gateway can take whatever amount they feel is accurate and use that towards my new bill? This is so wrong on so many levels. I hope to bring attention to LeFrak/Gateway Plaza’s outrageous management operation and will be taking legal action as well if this is not resolved.
This has nothing to do with the windows- which are obviously inefficient and leaky. It has to do with Gateway overcharging and arbitrarily arriving at a price or putting in faulty meters. I live in a studio apartment in the 600 building at my bill was over $300 this month- after never going above $150 ever in 2 years. The new meter installed is going faster than it should- i never ran the heat this weekend because i was out of town from Friday morning at 9am until Monday morning at 7am, yet somehow my meter shows that i used 30kw per day. Every appliance was not only off but was unplugged. I think this would work out to an over $200/month bill if i continued the same behavior of not being home and not using any electricity. Gateway has yet to respond to my emails and phone calls.
Good morning,
A few of the residents of Gateway have decided to join forces in an attempt to further address the outrageous electric bills and failure of Gateway Mgmt to address several issues including:
-February & March bills reportedly jumping as much as 100%
-Estimated vs Actual
-Cost per kwh relative to area and state averages
-Meter problems
We would invite people to email us either anonymously or not with your experiences, issues and would of course to have as much proof that electric bills have been erradic and far greater than the $80 avg reported.
Thank you!
Concerned Gateway Residents
BadGatewayElectric@gmail.com
To Concerned GW Residents
Please share with us your results
Editor
Please do not publish name or email address
my bill averaged 140 to no higher than 180 in high usage months in a one bedroom and i work five days a week..and some evenings. so it was high enough.
it jumped to over $320 – usage staying level. i have confirmed with management office there was no increase in my usage. it was a shock…increase came with no warning.
even after talkin to them i dont understand how and why the increase occurred.
400 building
It seems that there was a huge increase in one month, for “rent subsidized” people, consistent with those who think that LeFrak wants you gone.
Editor
Why doesn’t someone go to the attorney general consumer fraud Division or get the atty who handles stuy town case or even go to daily news or post?
We got a $600 bill for our 2 bedroom apartment in gateway plaza. This winter..We weren’t even home most of the time. It’s crazy! Something is very off. Can we talk to someone about this.
I live in a 1br and tenants and myself are averaging $400- $500 per month for a 1br for electric and 2br around $800 per month