Ouch - Summer Electric Bill

[disney1990]

People do that? turn it off at night? LOL.. That's never even been a possibility for me

We keep our house A/C set on 80 degrees. When the evening temps fall to at least 79 degrees, we turn off the A/C and open the windows -- this is usually about 10:30 pm. With one of us working and the other one drawing Social Security, high electric bills are NOT and option.

Still I am very afraid of this month's bill. Baltimore Gas and Electric issued a warning just today that some people should expect their normal electric bills to be double what they normally are.

 

[tiggerlover]

Could you go on the budget plan? We signed up for this because I got tired of the high summer time bills. Now we pay an aveage, usually runs around $125 in the fall/winter/spring and then in the summer it goes up to about $170 for a few months. I like it better because I can truly budget no matter what my actual bill is.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I'm a bit OCD about tracking utility usage. Each month I store my electric, gas, and water usage and view it in a year-over-year chart. It helps me see how I'm doing over time. It is important to store the information in base units (kwh, adjusted mcf, gallons) rather than dollars so that price changes don't show up as usage changes.

Here is an example:

I also have a Kill-o-watt. It allows me to see how much electricity a device is using. It helps me see how much devices are costing me in electricity. I also have a temperature gun. It shows me how hot things are, which is useful when looking for heat/cold leaks.

Our biggest savings have come from replacing our primary pool pump with a high efficiency pump and replacing our AC units. We've made other gains by adding a radiant barrier to the attic and crawl spaces, adding solar screens, switching to CFLs, and getting more aggressive in how we program our thermostat. For example, the kids rarely play upstairs during the day, so I let the temperature up there go 2 degrees above the downstairs. I also let the temps go up another degree at night after everyone is asleep.

It's a constant back-and-forth game. We are always adding new electronic devices, so we are always looking at ways to make things more efficient. We also focus on the expected energy usage when we shop for appliances.

Our electricity rates are relatively high. We have a semi-open market where you can choose your electricity provider but not the company that manages the power lines. It pays to keep an eye on rates because you can easily pay a few cents more per kwh if you aren't careful. Our current rate is about .11 per kwh.

 

[dejr_8]

Our biggest savings have come from replacing our primary pool pump with a high efficiency pump and replacing our AC units.

I've noticed a few posts about how much it costs to run a pool. We installed a pool two years ago with a high efficiency four speed pump and it only increased our bill by about $15/month. I can see how you saved by upgrading your pump.

 

[JessicaR]

I've noticed a few posts about how much it costs to run a pool. We installed a pool two years ago with a high efficiency four speed pump and it only increased our bill by about $15/month. I can see how you saved by upgrading your pump.

We upgraded our pump last year too. But when you have a heater it doesnt matter much. Between my filter running and the electric/solar heater my bill increases.

 

[pigletgirl]

Oh yeah, this time of year there isn't anyway to get away with turning off the A/C. It runs everytime I'm home, which is alot. I think this past month's bill was $120. That is a 2 bedroom apartment, with a roommate living with me as well.

 

[MoniqueU]

I have yet to read on any board anyone who has had a higher bill then I got last august. It was 1070 bucks, yep you read right. This months bill was only 500 and we were thrilled. Our rates here in my part of CA are triple my friends in alabama. We have a 3300 sq ft house with 2 units.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

We have a pool and it maybe, maybe costs an exra $20/month. However, there isn't any need what so ever to heat the thing. I thank goodness it is screened to help keep it cool.

If your pool is costing you $100 and you are heating it during the summer, something isn't right.

 

[si-am]

I have yet to read on any board anyone who has had a higher bill then I got last august. It was 1070 bucks, yep you read right. This months bill was only 500 and we were thrilled. Our rates here in my part of CA are triple my friends in alabama. We have a 3300 sq ft house with 2 units.

 

[tonilea]

I am feeling really good about my electric bill after reading some of these! Of course we have a small home (1100 sq ft), but the A/C runs non stop. Two months ago, before we had to turn on the A/C our bill was $50 - the lowest it has been in years. Last month it almost doubled to $90 and this month we are at $137. In the past we have been up around $200, so I am thrilled.

 

[wilderness01]

$490 for us this month.

 

[marymouse]

$295 this month. I have been in this house 5 years and that is the worst we have ever had. I have been doing more laundry and that does include water, sewer and garbage for a 1600 square foot house. The air got moved up to 73 (OMG, that is killing me) and I am only washing full loads now. The heat index is supposed to be 110 here tomorrow. I am not seeing much relief for next month.

 

[lemondog]

Ridiculous bill here too. 3000 sq ft house, 2 units...ours was $380 this month. We run it pretty much continuously from May - September set at 71 degrees and it has NEVER been this high.

 

[DarthKTrava]

hi there fellow DISer from Chapel Hill

I've also had the highest energy bill since I moved here. But I have been turning the AC off when I go to sleep and have a tower fan in each bedroom with a timer shut-off. We set the timer for 2 hours and has no problem falling asleep. Occasionally I've left the fan on all night, which still uses a lot less electricity than having the AC on all night.

We turn our AC off at night too. And run the fans all the time. Latest bill was $140 and we had a rate hike too. Gee thanks, Duke Energy.

 

[lustergirl]

ours was 280 as well. It has been extremely hot this summer in buffalo.

 

[crashbb]

Okay, my bill was actually not much money. It was $37 (keep in mind I have a small 650sq ft apartment).

What annoys me is that less than $10 of that was actual electricity usage costs (I used about 145 kwh), the rest of it was taxes, delivery, and regulatory fees. These fees quadrupled my bill!

 

[dejr_8]

Okay, my bill was actually not much money. It was $37 (keep in mind I have a small 650sq ft apartment).

What annoys me is that less than $10 of that was actual electricity usage costs (I used about 145 kwh), the rest of it was taxes, delivery, and regulatory fees. These fees quadrupled my bill!

Take a look at your phone bill. Same thing.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I have yet to read on any board anyone who has had a higher bill then I got last august. It was 1070 bucks, yep you read right. This months bill was only 500 and we were thrilled. Our rates here in my part of CA are triple my friends in alabama. We have a 3300 sq ft house with 2 units.

I might beat you next month. I am at $600 w/ only night time AC when I get the bill for the AC that ran 24/7 for 3 weeks plus the pool pump I just might die.

 

[disney1990]

Ok, so we got our electric bill today.

2400 sq ft house, new A/C system put in about 2 years ago, new windows put in this past spring.

The bill was $182.00.

Our A/C is set on 80 degrees.

 

[MoniqueU]

Ours is set at 78 and I would open the windows but I am a scardey cat. 2 of us sleep downstairs and leaving windows open at night would have me pacing the floors.