$737.00 electric bill!!!!

[catsrule]

That stinks! I keep our house at 68, used to have it at 70. Our gas/electric bill was still 290.00, and I thought that stank! We have an older furnace though too.

 

[robsmom]

Ours was about $450 last month. My husband usually doesn't say much about any bills but was really shocked by this one. He immediately turned the heat down even more (we used to be at 68 or 69 already). He had to turn it back up because he parents were here from the day after Christmas until the 19th of Jan. It has been really cold so I bet January will be even higher.

 

[luv2nascar]

I feel your pain we used to live in an old not very well insulated house with bad old windows that rattled when it was windy and would spend 300-400 month to keep the house relatively cold.
and had to run a coal stove besides.

We have since moved into a new well insulated home. small amount of windows but good ones. Just under 2000 sq feet and our last month gas bill in PA which has been very cold (0) this morning with -8 windchill was $77.

Our highest gas bill last winter was around $120 for one month. We aren't on a budget because the gas is so low. In the summer gas bill is under $20 mo.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

So I guess I need to keep quiet about the $90 electric bill I've had over the last 4-5 months. Hasn't budged one bit. We have our electric bill pro-rated. They average out the electricity use over a period of time and then set your bill at that amount. It was $70 but went up about $20....I guess from what I see of those of you living in the north, I should shut up and be VERY HAPPY!
Thanks for living in the south..WOO HOO!!

 

[Mamu]

I know this sounds high, and it probably is a little, but this has been a very cold and windy winter. With the evenings hovering around 0 degrees every night and wind chills somewhere between 10 to 20 below. The heat never shuts off.

Some of the things that will spike your bill this time of the year. Christmas lights (we forget about them) extreme cold and wind with no let-up, it's been one of the coldest winters in a long time. Now tack on your hot water heater, (eletric water heaters are the most expensive form of hot water) More laundry because of heavy winter cloths, longer drying time. Lights that seem to be on all the time.

All these contribute to higher bills this time of the year especially in the northeast.

Hopefully this cold spell will end soon. My last bill ran about $160 a little high but December and January usually runs high. My bill usually runs just under $100. I heat with oil, forced hot-air so the blower is on more, I also have electric hot water, probably half my bill, electric stove and I run a heater in the fish pond. I pre-pay my oil so my price is set. Heat usually run me about $500-600 a year, I'm sure it will be more this year.

 

[browneyes]

 

[RUDisney]

Geez, I was doing a happy dance when my January bill came for $254. We have been known to have $400 bills in the past, but last summer we insulated the house. It's nice and tight now. The first night with the insulation was nuts. There was no breeze in our house any more. We can sleep with our bedroom door open, if we choose to without freezing from the breeze.

These prices are all relative. House size, insulation quality, location. Our house is almost 4,000 sq. ft. and we keep the temp set at a constant 68. It is gas hot water heat. Even with the frigit temps and all gas appliances, we have had the least expensive January on record.

 

[jel0511]

Originally posted by CEDmom
Don't be so sure you're well insulated even in a new house. We had our slider replaced a few years ago when our house was about 5 yrs old. The amount of insulation the builder put in was pathetic. Also the standard windows installed on most houses are not the greatest and the caulking around them is lacking so having a lot of windows can really hike up the bill.

We upgraded all the insulation when we moved in, so we're at an approximate r-31 rating, and have all Anderson windows. There are no breezes, from the windows, just coldness that comes through from having so many together. In my family room, we have 7 windows alone, and that is the coldest room of the house. Cold is relative too, since we have the thermostat at 74, one of the reasons we probably have such a high bill. Also, all my cathederal ceilings don't help with the heating bill also!!! I know it's not a problem with my house, since most of my friends in my neighborhood also have similiar bills, and some MUCH higher. The highest I've heard of is one family's is over $1200 a month!!!! Their house is larger than ours, and they have cathederal ceilings in EVERY room, even upstairs. I think of them when my electric bill comes, it makes mine look small!!!

 

[RUDisney]

Lori, you have electric heat, in NJ, in a 4000 sq ft house? No offense, but ARE YOU CRAZY? I'm assuming it's a heat pump, but your bills are still high.

You may be well served by switching to natural gas, if you have that option, or to a propane tank. The money you spend once could save you a fortune down the road. Also, do you have window coverings on all of your windows? I know that it makes a difference in my house... but I DO like the open feeling of no draperies... I just live where you need curtains so rubbernecks don't be peeking in.

 

[jel0511]

Originally posted by RUDisney
Lori, you have electric heat, in NJ, in a 4000 sq ft house? No offense, but ARE YOU CRAZY? I'm assuming it's a heat pump, but your bills are still high.

You may be well served by switching to natural gas, if you have that option, or to a propane tank. The money you spend once could save you a fortune down the road. Also, do you have window coverings on all of your windows? I know that it makes a difference in my house... but I DO like the open feeling of no draperies... I just live where you need curtains so rubbernecks don't be peeking in.

I have natural gas, it's the gas prices that are killing me. I also have blinds on all of my windows, and I do agree with you, it does make a difference. It's just that in my aformentioned family room, I have wood blinds. They sure look nice, but even closed they don't help!!! DH would have a fit if I took those down, they cost us over $2000!!! The thermostat is located in the dining room for the downstairs, so those windows don't even have an effect on the temperature in the house. If you walk from the dining room, through the kitchen and then into the family room, you can feel the temp drop around 5 degrees in that 50 ft walk. It has to do with all the windows and high ceilings (yes I do have ceiling fans, doesn't help too much).

 

[RUDisney]

All I have to say to you, then, Lori, is, "I'm glad I'm not you." Heck, even my wine cellar is insulated R-30 and remains cool even though the rest of the house is warm, and the furnace is outside of that door.

You've done everything right and are still getting bitten in the butt. You should have alot of parties.... body heat can warm a house nicely. You may even have to open some door or windows to cool the house down.