Whew Electric Bill not too bad!

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

I have to admit it after reading threads here and hotter than usual weather I was sweating the electric bill this month. But it came today and I did the happy dance in the driveway. I had told myself if it was close to $100 that would be OK but if it was a lot over that wouldn't bode well for the rest of the summer... it was .....$72.65 !!

For those who like details we live in the Raleigh, NC area, everything is electric except heat and hot water and our house is 2 stories and about 2000 sq feet. Weather was up/ down we got into the high 90's as I recall and "down" into the 80's during the day. The worrying point was in mid May when our normal highs would be in the low 80's and we were in the mid 90's! I used all the tricks in the book - turning off the A/C at night when it dropped below (or near) 70 (and opening the windows), blinds/ curtains are closed on the sunny windows etc.

I called DH to tell him the good news - he actually thought the bill was high! I had to tell him our normal bill is around $30 then he got it! So I thought I"d share the good news with fellow budget minded folks who will recognize that a $72 bill is good when the A/C is involved!

 

[puffkin]

Just make sure it is an actual reading and not an estimate. That happened to us the last two summers...our first bill of the summer came and wasn't too bad (but was an estimate) and then we got SLAMMED on the actual reading the next month. We went to the budget plan last year which looks at our average usage over the last 5 years. Much easier on me to budget the same amount each month!

We have pretty much the same specs on our house (2000 SF 2 story, gas heat but everything else is electric) and your bill sounds super low! And I live in a pretty low cost electricity area. My budget plan amount is $89/mo. Before that our lowest bills were around $50 and my highest was around $200.

 

[mum4jenn]

I will trade you for mine!! Mine is $297 and that is elec only.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

an excellent point puffkin - it is an actual reading (I'm looking at the bill now)

According to the bill we used 502 of whatever the unit is

Last June we used 451 so a lot less (it's confusing they call it June but it's actually mid-May to mid-June)

Our highest usage in the past year - according to the graph - was last "August" (so mid July - mid- Aug) and was 909 "units" so I'm hoping my highest electric bill will be around $140. Fingers crossed!

 

[Hocus_Pocus]

I will trade you for mine!! Mine is $297 and that is elec only.

oh my goodness I would faint if I had a bill like that.

 

[cmwade77]

And here I thought our utilities were high at around $37 for electric and $45 for Gas/Trash.

 

[DawnM]

This past month we went WAY too high. It was about $300. WE have never had it that high before.

I have turned all the a/c units up to 78 and hope that will do the trick.

That covers all of our utilities, including water. It typically runs around $200. Our house is twice as large though and we have a pool that we run the filter on in the summer.

Dawn

 

[princesspeach]

Were in Az our electic bills will be between 400-500 for June, July,Aug. I'm ok with it. The cost of living here is so much better than it was in California that I will gladly deal with a few high electric bills.

 

[cmwade77]

Were in Az our electic bills will be between 400-500 for June, July,Aug. I'm ok with it. The cost of living here is so much better than it was in California that I will gladly deal with a few high electric bills.

You know, I always here that the cost of living is high in California, yet I live in California and my parents live in Utah and every time I ask about the price of something, it is at least 10% higher there. Rent and gas for the car is admittedly is slightly higher, but short of that, everything seems more expensive there.

 

[tar heel]

I can't imagine a bill that low. Ours was $348 for electric and water/sewer, and I was relieved. July and August will be higher. We hit $500 in August last year.

 

[SettinSail]

We are moving back to Raleigh from Germany next week - well Holly Springs to be exact - and this is one of the things I am dreading, adjusting back to the high a/c bills and the high temps and humidity.

I am budgeting $300 for the Summer electric bills but house is 3200 s.f.

Atleast I won't have the snow/gray skies like we have here in the Winter

Congrats on a great Summer electric bill

Shawn

 

[aprilgail2]

I will trade you for mine!! Mine is $297 and that is elec only.

ours is 200 a month for 12 months a year!