Frustrated with electric costs...what's your average bill?

[lauradis]

We have paid nearly the same amount per month since we moved into our house 18 years ago. The last few years I have been getting those little pamphlets in the mail that say your electric usage is higher/more expensive than your neighbors, but I figured it was just bunk. After reading the electric bill thread on the community board, I think I DO have a higher bill than most! What gives????

Our bill is usually $75-$80 in the summer and anywhere between $100-$130 in the winter. We have solar hot water so that's why it's a little higher in the winter, the electric element comes on for an hour in the am & pm if the panels are snow covered or the water is not up to temp because of low sun. It's always higher at the holidays too for Christmas lights & baking, but I'm ok with that We heat with wood too, so no furnace is running in the winter.

No AC ever in the summer, but quite a few fans.

Our power company will send out tech if you think you have real issue, had to pester them for couple of months. They came out and replaced the meter,(meter wasnt spinning properly and sending false readings) the guy was nice of enough to go thru the house with me and tell me the best places to save money etc etc worth a try.

 

[tvguy]

All electric house here. Lowest electric bill I can remember is $120. December, January, June, July, August and September usually are in the $250 to $400 range if it is really really cold (as in 30 degrees) or really really hot (as is 105-110) for days in a row. Summer is usually the worst, because you have to run the ac to stay cool. In the winter, we can keep it at 60 and put on a sweater and everyone but the cat is happy.

 

[pigletto]

I did read a tip somewhere online. If you are on breakers, have someone stand outside at the meter. Shut the power down. Then turn on the breakers one by one and have the person at the meter note when it really spikes. I guess you could use cell phones for this, or in our case the window for the room the breakers are in is right by the meter outside.
Anyway, it could give you an idea where your biggest draw is coming from and you could look for what the problem is in that area.
Our power company also allows you to monitor your usage on their website. I also just got a flyer in my bill for a free "Peaksaver Plus" monitor. It will automatically adjust my central air or electric hot water heater when demand is high. It comes with an "In Home Energy Monitor" as well, so I can see and manage my energy usage. It calculates the usage for me if I unplug the small appliances or do a load of wash for example. I am thinking of enrolling in the program to see if I can get the bill lower. My hot water tank and dryer are gas, but it could help in other areas.
You could check to see if your company has any similar programs.

 

[BCmomma]

You moved into your house 18 yrs ago - is that also the approx age of the house or is it older? Do you have double pane windows? Perhaps you are losing heat through areas you don't realize (older windows, door cracks) etc.

 

[fabulousfive]

Our company allows you to pay the same amount per month, which we just started taking advantage of this year & I love! I couldn't stand the unpredictability -- especially in winter months. We were usually at $600 every January! So they now take an average of our months & we pay that each month. It's $255. I'm very happy with that.

 

[fabulousfive]

We have paid nearly the same amount per month since we moved into our house 18 years ago. The last few years I have been getting those little pamphlets in the mail that say your electric usage is higher/more expensive than your neighbors, but I figured it was just bunk. After reading the electric bill thread on the community board, I think I DO have a higher bill than most! What gives????

Our bill is usually $75-$80 in the summer and anywhere between $100-$130 in the winter. We have solar hot water so that's why it's a little higher in the winter, the electric element comes on for an hour in the am & pm if the panels are snow covered or the water is not up to temp because of low sun. It's always higher at the holidays too for Christmas lights & baking, but I'm ok with that We heat with wood too, so no furnace is running in the winter.

No AC ever in the summer, but quite a few fans.

Oh my goodness! It seems so low! I've never heard of that before. Way to go! I think you're doing great.

 

[pat fan]

You moved into your house 18 yrs ago - is that also the approx age of the house or is it older? Do you have double pane windows? Perhaps you are losing heat through areas you don't realize (older windows, door cracks) etc.

We really have no heating costs associated with electricity. Wood stove in the winter and just fans in the summer, no AC.

We used to have an oil furnace, (well, still do we just don't use it) but now it is strictly wood. If we're not home for a while it does get chilly in the winter, but it's better than buying oil!

 

[eliza61]

We really have no heating costs associated with electricity. Wood stove in the winter and just fans in the summer, no AC.

We used to have an oil furnace, (well, still do we just don't use it) but now it is strictly wood. If we're not home for a while it does get chilly in the winter, but it's better than buying oil!

Wow, can't imagine no A/C? I would gladly sell my blood before giving that one up. The last 10 days in Philly the temperature was in the high 90's with over 70% humidity. heat index was 110. We had quite a few heat related deaths from folks who did not turn on their a/c.

Anyhoo,
Generally I'm around 200 bucks a month. Next months bill (for July usage) will probably be higher. like I said, no way could I stand my house at 98 degrees.

My house is about 3500 sq. ft. Actually my winter cost are not really high. House has top insulation and great windows. My problem area is my hallway which has a two story entrance way.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
I'll trade. We spend around $300 a month but we have an electric well pump, water filtration system, sump pump, radon system, and then all electric appliances. There is no option for gas here.

 

[scrapquitler]

1800 SF house built in 1950s in CT. Electric oven, electric clothes dryer. Gas heat, gas hot water, gas stove. No central AC, we run 3 window units. We have a municipal electric company here in my town, so our electric rates are slightly lower than those in the area who have CL&P or UI.

Most of the year, our electic bill ranges from $120-$150. In the summer it goes up to about $200 because of the AC and the two dehumidfiers that we run. It has been REALLY hot recently, so the bill that just came in yesterday's mail was $230. The highest one we've ever had. But I'd rather pay $20-$30 extra a month and not be miserably hot.

In the winter our gas bill (for heat & hot water) is in the $160-$180 range. If we get an extremely cold spell, it goes a little higher, like $200. We keep the temperature at about 65 -68 in the winter. During the summer, the gas bill plummets to almost nothing. Last month it was $26.

 

[mebbradley]

January- 233
Feb.- 247
March- 172 [we switched to green Electric]
April- 143
May- 257

Havn't gotten June's yet. Our Heat/AC is both Electric. We don't have a gas bill. The water bill is about 60.00 per month, billed quarterly.

 

[kkmcan]

My bill is around $300 in the summer and $130 in the winter. We live in Arizona where the a/c is running 24/7 from June-Sept/Oct and we have a pool. Our home is 2200 sq feet 2 story with one a/c unit. Our neighborhood is all electric so that's our heating costs- no gas.

Not too bad, I think.

 

[kimsuenew]

2000+ square feet, no Central Air, propane heat, one window AC unit that has been turned on 5 times in a year, 2-3 fans (newer) used when hot... $120.00-$140.00 a month average. Ohio prices have increased. We used to always be under $100.00 ($80.00's generally) until this past year.

 

[rdevine10]

Our home is about 3300 sq ft (about another 1000 sq ft in a basement). Fall and spring months its about 80ish. Winter was about 120 to 130, summer with AC is about 180ish (that was 30 straight days of AC set at 75 to 78).

We live in CT and use all energy eff light bulbs and appliances. When we bought the house we switched out all the light bulbs and it was amazing how much our bill dropped in 1 month!

 

[StephMK]

We pay $116 on the level billing plan. 2100 sq ft without basement and we need new bedroom windows. We have gas heat so it would probably be higher if heat were part of the bill.

 

[manning]

I've read somewhere that coal burning generator plants are being shut down causing an increase in cost of producing electricity.

 

[southlakejr]

We have 1452 sf in CA bay area. Dual pane windows, no AC, good insulation, gas appliances, 2 year old mid efficiency heater. Just two of us, house was built in 1942. We spend 75 a month during the summer, and 100 a month during the winter- with the heat cranked up to about 75.

In contrast, our last place was 1500 square feet, terrible insulation, single pane windows, and I can only assume ancient heater. (we were renting) House was built in the 70s. Keeping the house at 58 degrees was over 250 a month- and it's not like it's that cold where we live! Goes to show how much of a difference insulation and dual pane windows can really make.

 

[aubriee]

Our house is about eight years old and 1800 sq feet, all electric, in east Texas, so looking at triple digit temperatures sometimes in the summer. For the last year it's been $213.00-$249.00 for June-Sept and $130.00-$220.00 Dec-Feb. The lowest we've had in the last 12 months is last Nov which was $123.00, with August always being the highest month at around $250.00. (I just looked up my account on the TXU website to make sure.) My house is well insultated and we try to keep the lights off as much as possible. My central air is always set at 73 degrees, pretty much year around.

My eldest son lives in a two story house with very high ceilings in the living room, dining room, and kitchen. I'm not sure about the sq footage, but it has an office, utitility room, master bedroom, 1 and 1/2 baths, living room, kitchen, and dining room downstairs, then upstairs is a playroom, a bath and two more bedrooms, so not real big. He told me the other day that his electric bill for this month was over $900.00. EEEK!!!!!!! Of course his living room and dining room is nearly all glass on two full sides all the way up to the tall ceilings (2 1/2 stories), so they lose alot of energy there, even though the house is surrounded by a bunch of big old trees, which shade it alot. However they always have alot of lights on, even if they are not in the room, which to me is a waste.

 

[spacemountain1971]

About $90/month average. 1700 square foot house.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Yes, I am coming late into this conversation.
2) But, my company is in the Green Fuel business.
3) We are not Solyndra, and are highly profitable.

4) I can tell you that electric bills will continue to rise.
5) In fact, they will take a major jump in 3-4 years.
6) That is when the major impact of Obama's new EPA regulations hit.
7) Coal-fired plants will start to close or add mega-millions of control devices.
8) And, these extra costs can, and will be, passed along to the consumer.