What are your utility bills like?

from june 13 to july 13 my electric bill was 150. gas was 26, only running the stove, dryer, and water heater. july 13 up until last week was solidly above 100 with the A/C running a lot. although that was also the case from the beginning of July to July 13. so we'll see...

1500 sq. ft single story plus half basement.
 
Right-sizing the home's good; plus, having a half basement like that really helps you with avoiding radiant heating (from the outside in the summer, heat loss in the winter).

I really noticed that with Jesse's place - very comfortable in the basement with little AC operation.
 
our half basement isn't living space like Jesse's. i thought his whole house was an ice chest.
 
I just paid my electric bill from from last month. $347.85. Ouch!
 
Figured out I was getting hosed on my rates; signed-up to change electricity providers, should save something like 23%, one-year lock on the rate. I did not do this earlier because I was misreading the rate I was paying.

D'oh!
 
EppyGA said:
Seems like we've been in the 90's since the middle of May here in the ATL area. I have a modest house, around 1200-1300 sq ft with a full basement and two air conditioning units. The house is all electric with heat pumps. My last two electric bills have been $180 and $188.
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Double that number for me here in the ATL. Of course my house is 3500sq feet with three AC's and all electric as well (and heat pumps).
 
SCCutler said:
In my stupidly-large (3700 feet), old and inefficiently-built house, our usual electric is $400/mo summer, low hundred range winter; gas is twenty bucks or so summer, $175-ish winters. This summer, all bets off, I will be amazed if I get away with less than $600.00 this month for electric, but we've been having 106* every day.

If I knew I'd keep the house, there's a lot I'd do in the way of new windows and added insulation; if and when I move, it will be to something much smaller; this much house is silly.
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We moved from a 2200sq ft house to our current 3400+ house. The wife has said the same thing...too damn big. We have no kids yet, but even when we do, the old house was plenty. Ours is 20 years old with old, leaking wood sash/sill windows, but like you we are not planning on staying so I have no interest in dumping 10K plus into new windows.
 
SCCutler said:
Well, I got a bill for $668.62.

Ouch!
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What temperature do you run the ACs at ?

I found that shutting off the AC that drives basement and ground floor overnight has no impact on comfort and humidity yet saves on the electrical bill.
 
I'm on an equalizer plan and pay roughly $180/month for about 2,300 sq feet heated and cooled, all electric service with no alternate energy source.
 
We turned on the heat this AM to take the chill off the house. (gas)

electric bill last 2 month billing, $28.67 the shop equipment isn't running much this time of year.
 
I replaced heat and AC system last winter. Still gathering data on the bills for this year.
 
weilke said:
What temperature do you run the ACs at ?

I found that shutting off the AC that drives basement and ground floor overnight has no impact on comfort and humidity yet saves on the electrical bill.
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Front zone has been set to 81*, 79* in the evening; rear zone (bedrooms) at 79* (day), 77*(night). All very comfortable (ceiling fan in bedroom at lowest speed makes *all* the diff).

Our house is single-story, rambling, no basement (we just don't "do" basements here).
 
The local energy co op has about the cheapest rates for electricity in the country. I have 1800 SF in the main house, 1000 SF for the machine shop and 1400 SF for the 3 bay garage, that one is solar heated. Including my 112.2 temp for my electric heated hot tub my power bill runs 57 -62 a month. I built my house using killer insulation, ie, R-21 walls and R-48 roof.... I have not turned on the 10 kw whole house furnace in 20 years,,, I heat the main house with a EPA approved Country T Top wood stove with a heat recovery system in the flue pipe. Temps in the house stay around 70 in the winter and I burn about 1 cord of wood a season which I cut from the local forest..... Cheap livin for sure.:yesnod::yesnod::yesnod:
 
Youse guys are making me feel good.

As I said having half of the house below grade really helps, along with having a less than 10 year old high-efficiency American Standard gem here when I bought the house. (I love that original owner/builder).

I guess I can turn the A/C back on tonight and enjoy my reasonable bills. It just occurred to me that I've been roasting slightly with everything off the last few "cool" 80 degree days to save less than $5 a day. Who am I? Montgomery Burns?
 
Usually $35/mo for electricity, and with gas appliances, gas heat, and gas hot water the gas bill runs from about $30/mo in the summer to $140/mo in the winter. (Brrrr.)
 
I live in an apartment here in VA. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and it totaled to $195.
 
1700 sf split level in MN with very reasonable electric bills ($150ish).

A programmable thermostat will reduce your bills wherever you live. My electric company also offers a 15 percent discount for the summer months if you let them put a switch on your AC unit. This allows them to turn off your AC for up to 20 minutes an hour during peak hours when they have high demand. I have never noticed them turn off my AC and enjoyed the discount. I take all the money I am saving and spend it on 100LL.
 
With the new AC, my energy usage last month was 20% lower this year than last, with the thermostat set a bit lower and the cooling degree days substantially higher.
 
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