How much is your utility bill?

[frannn]

I have a medium sized colonial in Nassau County, NY, and it now costs about 325./month for gas and electric (109 electric, 216 gas). I use Lipa and Keyspan, and my house has gas heat. My house is a bit larger than your normal 3 bedroom colonial, but the monthly costs seem high to me. I'm not sure what my actual usage is yet, as this is the amount that was budgeted for me by Lipa and Keyspan, based on my last meter reading. This way, even though my gas bill will be lower in the summer and my electric lower in the winter, the cost is spread somewhat evenly throughout the year.
We keep the thermostat at 70 from 6pm-11pm, and it drops down to about 65-68 during the day and after 11 pm. What am I doing wrong?

Does this sound high to you?

 

[aprilgail2]

I live in Suffolk...I have a 5 bedroom house with a full finished basement (that has electric heat the rest of the house oil) I pay 96.00 a month Gas & Electric(gas dryer and gas stove), 126 a month oil...I keep the house at 70 daytime and nighttime (my 75 year old mom gets cold!

 

[Planogirl]

My last bills were $85 for gas and $100 for electricity. We also have gas heat but we haven't had many cold days yet. I suspect that our gas bill would be about like yours if we had cold weather like that up north.

You could check to see if you have adequate insulation and around your doors and windows to see if you feel any drafts. Our back door area is very drafty which is something I need to work on.

 

[tlgoblue]

You're not doing anything wrong! Gas is horrifically expensive. (though still cheaper than fuel oil or electric) My colonial is about 2700sq ft. and my gas bill last month was 103. Now, I'm in IN, so rates may vary somewhat, and we did have that warm snap in December. But I keep my heat at 65 during the day and 63 at night. (I do have it go up in the AM to about 70 to sweat us out of bed, but other than that I freeze my butt off. My fingers get so stiff I want to do dishes and iron, just to stay warm!) It wouldn't really kill my buget to raise the temp a bit, but it's getting kind of personal with me and NIPSCO. Yhe part that kills me is when gasoline and fuel oil goes up, somehow the natural gas folks think they are missing out and raise their prices as well. Maybe some wise DIS person could explain that one to me. I am confused as well.

keep the Faith!
Tracy

 

[jimmiej]

Winter- around $185, Summer- $225

 

[Alice28]

Last month my electric was $65, gas was $116...we live in a 3 bedroom home, about 1500 sq ft. Our furnace is VERY old, and I'm sure if we got a new one, our bill would go down cause it would head the house more efficiently. In the summer our gas bill has been as low as $17, but that was several years ago, before all the gas hikes. I think it was about $30/month last summer and electric was around $40 or so (gotta keep those fans blowing!).

 

[frannn]

My house is about 1700 square ft and I am paying over 200/month just for gas....what is wrong with this picture?

 

[jel0511]

Geez, I'd love to have some of these bills. I have a 4 bedroom colonial with full finished basement, approx 4000sq ft to heat, and our last bill was almost $600 (gas $450 electric $150). This month will be worse!!! We live in a new development that is off a farm, so we get lots of wind here. I also have 3 zone heating (one for each level) so that's supposed to help, but it doesn't. I do keep it relatively warm, 74 during the day and 67 at night, with the upstairs a constant 72 due to DS's naps. I live for the summers when the air is on (again 74 degrees), that bill is usually only around $350 per month. We have PSE&G here.

 

[nyfinfan]

We keep the thermostat at 70 from 6pm-11pm, and it drops down to about 65-68 during the day and after 11 pm. What am I doing wrong?


Greetings from Suffolk County. We keep the house @ around the same temps as you and pay $94.25 - LiPa and about $80--Oil. Hope that helps.

 

[sharbear]

Electric 109 this month but usually in the low 90's. Gas 157 on the budget. They wanted to charge me 185 but I protested and they lowered it 10%. Small older house, gas forced air heat. 70 during the day, 65 at night.

My DH who works for a Gas/Electric Utility Co. says that gas prices have gone through the roof. Has to do with more Gas being used to generate electricity although it's becoming too expensive.

 

[ugadog99]

Please consider that I live in Georgia, first. I am all electric with no gas at all. I also have some kind of heating system called a geothermal loop. I don't understand all the details, but something about part of it being underground and using water??? I moved in here in August. Our winter bill is about $165-175 a month. Like I said, no gas. Of course, the bill will go higher in the summer because of our awful heat and hudmidity and we will have a pool to run, too.

 

[legs22]

Aaaahhhh........FL in the winter. Just got my electric bill today- $60.96

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I am on the budget and pay $100 a month for gas and $108 a month for electric. I noticed a spike in electric usage last month with the Christmas lights, but now it will be down until summertime. Still doing all right on gas--I don't let it go over 70.
Now the WATER bills are a different story in my little suburb...
Robin M.

 

[FreshTressa]

Wow, this really scares me. I wonder why ours is so low.

We keep our house at 72 during the day, 68 at night and we arent very careful.

Ours runs about 90 dollars in the summer and about 140 at the very highest in the winter. It averages about 119 a month we figured out last year. That is for gas and electric on a four bedroom house. We have had insulation added, so that must help a little.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

I have a 3 bedroom small ranch house. I just got my electric bill today and it is 114.00 for this month. My house is total electric.

 

[Kimickey]

Mine is as low as it's ever going to get...it "free"! We live in military housing and utility bills are non existence. Now I'm going to outta here before I get beat up.

 

[DVC-Don]

We paid $229 for gas & electric last week. 2500 sq ft 4 bed and half finished basement. That bill included the Christmas lights bill though so it may be a bit higher due to that.

 

[GeorgeG]

I'm coming up on 36 years working for an electric and gas utility. Trust me on this, the only real control YOU have over your bill is usage.

About the only thing "competition" did was to allow other people to get a piece of the profits. The companies that actually deliver the product do not change, from the people who install and maintain the wires to the people who read your meters. Any savings are minimal and likely to be short-lived. Utility rates are very much controlled by state agencies and many utility companies are cutting corners to stay within operating budgets, but that's a whole 'nuther story.

About twenty years ago I attended what was called the "President's Breakfast" where a group of management employees were treated to breakfast by the company to share thoughts, etc., with the president of the company. The current president said something that really sunk in: "the customer needs to realize that every time a switch is turned on or an appliance is plugged in, they are making a purchase decision."

Houses need to be well insulated and the furnace kept in good working order. We all need to be more conscious of what we have spinning the electric meter. A freind of mine was complaining that his electric bill was twice that of his neighbors and he thought the meter was off. I had the meter tested and it was working perfectly. It turned out he was leaving his hot tub running 24/7. A month after he realized he shouldn't do that, his bill was half what it was before.

Warmer areas (Florida) will have much lower heating costs, but offset a bit by more air conditioning usage. Other areas will have lower rates due to lower overhead in wages and other operating costs such as property tax. Cheaper hydro production of electricity certainly helps where available.

As for here in New York, I can't wait to retire and move to Florida where when it gets cold I just need to put on long pants!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

$70 electricity
$130 natural gas
2400 sq. ft.

Lori

 

[DocRafiki]

Originally posted by legs22
Aaaahhhh........FL in the winter. Just got my electric bill today- $60.96

Oh you've got me beat. Mine's usually $70 most of the year, $100 in the summer (3-4 hottest) and $140 during the rare cold month (1-2 times a year). I like it hot, so winter is more expensive for me.

I could do better if I didn't leave the A/C and TV on all day for the dogs. They're so spoiled. My insulation is also HORRIBLE.

As for here in New York, I can't wait to retire and move to Florida where when it gets cold I just need to put on long pants!

LOL! You say that NOW, but when you get down here, you'll be turning your heater on when it hits 60 degrees, too!