Damn Electricity Bill

[CPA]

Dude, quit your whining. My bill was about $750 this month.

 

[IGBT]

..ya. I think they are fooling around wit baseline useage. How is that determined?? If they lower your baseline it puts you into a higher rate base.

 

[Haui]

Average billing....best thing I have ever done.

My last two bills:

July:

Actual Bill: $164
Average Billing: $120

August:

Actual Bill: $187
Average Billing $115


Nice....

 

[TheSlamma]

Originally posted by: Haui
Average billing....best thing I have ever done.

My last two bills:

July:

Actual Bill: $164
Average Billing: $120

August:

Actual Bill: $187
Average Billing $115


Nice....

I don't trust that crap at all. Somewhere along the line the power company WILL get their money.

BTW I used 480kwh last month, I leave my PC on 24x7 and run a 14 seer central AC unit. I don't know WTF all you guys are doing, but I would have to bust my balls to get over 700kwh.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: ScottFern
You guys must have large houses, or your growing some plants in the basement! jk

Even that could be done with low-wattage light sources. Get some extremely high brightness red LED arrays, maybe mix in a few blue, UV, and IR T1 3/4 LEDs in there (plants do use a little bit from those wavelengths), power it all with a high efficiency LED driver and you're good to go. You could probably grow a LOT of plants on that extra 500kWH.

My latest bill was for 372kWH for 17 days. My major power consumers:
- 8000 BTU AC
- 6000 BTU AC
- computer
- a 300W halogen lamp I intend to replace with a powerful CFL
- dehumidifier - I'm a few miles from Lake Erie. I think the relative humidity has been over 70% for at least the past month, probably longer.

The dehumidifier runs about 80% of the time. Then there's the computer, on only when I'm home. The halogen is on less. The 6000 AC runs at night, and the 8000 if it gets much over 77F inside.
Water heater and stove are gas.


Oh, and there's a refrigerator.

 

[potoba]

my electric bill runs about 1000$ in winter. In summer it's about 250bucks.

 

[PingSpike]

For the last bill, ending sept 7th, 35 days...I used 280kwh in our house. I don't have AC and I hung most of the clothes on the line last month though. $48, which is less then the 55+ I was paying in our apartment before we moved. I'm sure it'd be a bit more next month though. But I think I might put a line in the basement and hang some clothes down there.

 

[ultimatebob]

My biggest bill for a month was $600 in early March, where I used about 3,000kwh of electricity to heat my house.

Electric heat sucks!

 

[SlitheryDee]

The last few months my bill has been in the $150-$200, but that's to be expected living in Louisiana. In the winter I hardly ever have to turn on the heat OR AC so I have $40-$50 bills then. I feel sorry for some of you folks living up north. Before joining AT I had no idea how high a heating bill could be in areas with harsh winters.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: rstove02
Not all meters are read every month. In some cases they are read every couple months and what your billed on is an estimated consumption (usually estimated from current usage and usage during the same time in the previous year). If they over/under estimate your consumption during one estimation period, they subtract/add more to the next estimation period to refund/recoup the difference.

Some people bitch alot but never bother to read the bill/contract. Typical of most Americans. LAZY! Now will someone please go to my fridge and get me a beer!

 

[Coquito]

Earlier this year our the bill went from about $125, to now $185. I've sold all but two pcs, got a new energy star refrigerator & AC(that only runs at night), & barely ever turn on my second monitor. The price per kw hasn't budged much, so we suspect some random outlet with the tenants upstairs is on our line, & being sucked dry.

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: TheSlamma

Originally posted by: Haui
Average billing....best thing I have ever done.

My last two bills:

July:

Actual Bill: $164
Average Billing: $120

August:

Actual Bill: $187
Average Billing $115


Nice....

I don't trust that crap at all. Somewhere along the line the power company WILL get their money.

BTW I used 480kwh last month, I leave my PC on 24x7 and run a 14 seer central AC unit. I don't know WTF all you guys are doing, but I would have to bust my balls to get over 700kwh.

Whaa? Isn't average billing simply distributing a customer's expected annual useage and thus costs evenly over each period (a month or two)?

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: TheSlamma
1700kwh!! OMFG!!!

I used 2240 last month. A/C is 78 from 6 to 8am, 82 until 4pm and back to 78 to midnight where it goes back to 82.

Two of us living here, 1800 sq ft. S. Florida.

 

[TheSlamma]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: TheSlamma
1700kwh!! OMFG!!!

I used 2240 last month. A/C is 78 from 6 to 8am, 82 until 4pm and back to 78 to midnight where it goes back to 82.

Two of us living here, 1800 sq ft. S. Florida.

My wife and I used 610kwh last month (our biggest ever) running a 14 seer AC unit @ 74 degrees while we were home and 80 when gone, house is 1100sqft up 860 down. Also ran two 220 floor sanders last month to sand down the 500 sq ft of hardwoods to refinish them (made the lights dim through the whole place, this is what took us up from our average 450kwh). My PC runs 24X7 hers she turns hers off at night.

Other then that we don't leave lights on in the rooms we are not in, use those compact florescant bulbs in the fixtures we can. I honestly don't know how you people are doing so much unless my meter is screwed up and I'm getting killer breaks, I don't think of myself as a eco nut I just think we are practical. But it's sure nice paying $68 a month in the summer for both gas AND elec.

How many SEER is your AC unit? might be time to look into a 16 - 19 SEER unit. Sounds like it'll pay for itself in a month in your situation.

 

[Zysoclaplem]

I love the winter. I never turn on the heat. Just wrap myself up in blankets. Cheaper.

 

[jandrews]

August is typically the hottest month of the year it shouldnt be too suprising to see a good jump in your eletric bill am i rite

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: TheSlamma

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: TheSlamma
1700kwh!! OMFG!!!

I used 2240 last month. A/C is 78 from 6 to 8am, 82 until 4pm and back to 78 to midnight where it goes back to 82.

Two of us living here, 1800 sq ft. S. Florida.

My wife and I used 610kwh last month (our biggest ever) running a 14 seer AC unit @ 74 degrees while we were home and 80 when gone, house is 1100sqft up 860 down. Also ran two 220 floor sanders last month to sand down the 500 sq ft of hardwoods to refinish them (made the lights dim through the whole place, this is what took us up from our average 450kwh). My PC runs 24X7 hers she turns hers off at night.

Other then that we don't leave lights on in the rooms we are not in, use those compact florescant bulbs in the fixtures we can. I honestly don't know how you people are doing so much unless my meter is screwed up and I'm getting killer breaks, I don't think of myself as a eco nut I just think we are practical. But it's sure nice paying $68 a month in the summer for both gas AND elec.

How many SEER is your AC unit? might be time to look into a 16 - 19 SEER unit. Sounds like it'll pay for itself in a month in your situation.

Not sure on the SEER, I think between 9-11. it is a 2005 model and a 2002 air handler, 3.5 tons. Temps here are around 90+ and I only have about R11 batts and about 3-6 inches of blown in insulation in the attic. I just moved in in June so replacing the a/c is not a priority.

If I upgraded the a/c and insulation I would save money, it would take about $6k probably to have it done even doing some of the work my self.

 

[DT4K]

In the winter, our electric bill averages about $120 with about 1300 KWH.
In the summer, it goes to around $300/month with over 3000 KWH.

Of course, we do have a 3500 sq. ft house and 4 kids who like to leave EVERY frickin light in the house on all the time. And we've got a lot of light bulbs in our house. Our girls' bathroom has 8 bulbs and our kitchen has 6 recessed lights. I think the switch in our master bathroom turns on like 16 bulbs.

It was a big shock going from a 1500 sq. ft, single story house to a 3500 sq. ft two story.