Ouch!!!

[Marilyn]

Just opened our electric bill. It's $421.51 this month!!! :eek: We used 2424 KWH's. This is not the most we have ever used, but our rate has gone up significantly. We were paying $0.12/KWH a year ago after we changed providers to save money. Our current rate is $0.167/KWH!!!!

There is a website we can go to here to compare rates offered by the various suppliers available to us www.powertochoose.org (http://www.powertochoose.org), so I got online and the rates vary, but we are on the lower end. Many companies are at $0.17 up to over $0.20/KWH.

I guess as gasoline goes up so do other types of energy. It probably costs more to get the coal to the coal power plants, and other power plants in the area use natural gas which is also getting higher.

Time to evaluate our thermostat settings again. It's supposed to be 101 deg in Austin this weekend. It will be a little cooler where be are, but not much.

[AngieDoogles]

WOW! :eek: I can't imagine using 2424 KWh in one month. Last month Brendon and I used 412 and the month before that only 300. Admittedly, we are very conservative with energy and also only have a 2 br, 2 ba townhouse, but that difference still blows my mind!

On top of that, your rate is MUCH higher than mine. I couldn't find a figure on my statement, but I did the math and it came out to $.084/KWh. Crazy!

Hopefully next month will be lower. This reminds me of Tink's "announcement" about the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Marilyn]

We turn our computers off when we are not using them. The thermostat upstairs is set at 79 (I did have it turned off, but hubby had me turn it back on and set it high since we are in a high humidity zone). The one downstairs is at 73 when we are home and 78 when we are away. We turn off lights and televisions when not in the room. We use the small florescent light bulbs, have double insulated windows with tinting. Lots of insulation and attic venting, a high effency HVAC system, newer high efficiency appliances. I'm just not sure what else we can do. Hubby attends energy conservation seminars for his home building and is one of the most energy effecient home builders in the area. I just don't understand where the energy consumption is coming from. :confused:

[Mandy]

It's the same here - disgustlingly expensive!!
We too have newer high efficiency appliances, turn off lights when leaving a room, turn computers off when finnished, have double insulated windows.
I dont know what more we can do, and i seriously cant figure out how they add it all up!

[Janet]

Looks like I need to do some conserving in a bad way. We used 1,678 kWh this last month at a cost of $140.60. The average cost was $0.0783 per kWh. Not sure what was going on but the average cost last month per kWh was $0.0826.

We leave our ceiling fans on all the time to keep the air from turning on so much and my son and I do leave our computers on. I check in on and off throughout the day and it would be a real PITA to turn it on and off, plus according to the computer tech it's hard on computers to turn them on and off. Ours are only shut off during a storm.

Guess I need to put energy cost savings on my list of things to do too.

[HALEY]

Wow that is alot for one month! i hate to see ours, the a/c been running for days now.. look out !!! i bet ours is going to be around 200.00 this month :mad:

[Dobie]

Are you sure they are doing actual readings and not just an estimated reading? We are also very energy conscience and couldn't figure out why our bills are so high - until I read more closely and found out that our bill was "estimated" - based on what most of the other people in our neighborhood use.
Apparently, in our area, we only get an actual reading once or twice a year, the other times it's all estimated. We now call in the reading every month and the bill has been greatly reduced. Although they do give a little bit of an attitude on the phone - basically saying "If you are lying about what you are calling in, there is a big fine"

[judy]

Are you sure they are doing actual readings and not just an estimated reading? We are also very energy conscience and couldn't figure out why our bills are so high - until I read more closely and found out that our bill was "estimated" - based on what most of the other people in our neighborhood use.
Apparently, in our area, we only get an actual reading once or twice a year, the other times it's all estimated. We now call in the reading every month and the bill has been greatly reduced. Although they do give a little bit of an attitude on the phone - basically saying "If you are lying about what you are calling in, there is a big fine"


I had the same issue years ago. I couldn't afford it. I was a single parent at the time, so they put me on a payment plan. I'm still on it and it's much better. It just evens out over the year.

I've had my a/c on for the past 3 weeks day and night. I probably will be paying a steep bill when I close the account before I move!

[goofywife]

I am not sure how many kwh we used but our bill was $155.00. I thought that it was high. We have a programable t-stat. DH has it set to go to 84 after we leave in the morning. It goes back to 74 half an hour before we get home. We also planted lots of trees. Our big bill the is water/sewer. It was $202.00. We have to water the trees.

[teri88]

We just moved into this house in November, and the utilities are killing us! They are 3 times what we estimated they would be. Between that and the way gas has gone up it's costing my husband $70 a month just to drive back and forth to work. He works 3 jobs and the one part time job just covers our gas for the month. We are seriously considering moving out of NJ when Megan graduates from HS.

[DianaB]

I keep our thermostats at 78* and if we get hot then we turn it down. You know when it's 100* outside then 78* feels pretty good. We also turn on the ceiling fans when we need a breeze on us and sleep with them on in the night. We haven't had very many really hot days yet and have actually had a nice summer so far with the cloudy and rainy days.

We had blinds installed in our windows on the west side of the house soon after we moved in because of the heat that comes in so when it's hot the blinds are turned to reflect the sun. When it's really hot I close them completely in the afternoon. It really helps to keep the kitchen cooler. I try to keep my computer on stand-by when I'm not using it because then the fan doesn't have to run......now if my family could just get that little trick through their heads!!!! Just press a key and it automatically comes back on.

My bill last month was $82.20 and we used 712 KWH. We read our own meter and send it in with our bill and I know that next month's bill will be higher. Our home is 2,350 sq. ft. with a full unfinished basement (4,700 sq. ft. all together).

[Marilyn]

I just don't get it. All of you have so much lower rates and lower bills. Diana, your rate calculates to $0.115 per KWH, so you are higher than most, but your usage is sooo low. Hubby and I live in a home build in 2003 with oodles of insulation, high efficiency everything. It's just soooo frustrating.

If we were paying Janet's rate, our bill would be $189.80.

At Angie's rate, our bill would be $203.62.

At Diana's rate, $278.76.

Our bill is $421.51!!!! And that's using non-profit, COOP power!!!!

We also use gas to heat our water, so our total energy bill is even higher!!

If we used some of the higher priced companies in our area, our bill could be as high as $509. We are using almost the lowest priced option in our area. We need more nuclear or something!!!! Maybe we need to violate the subdivision restrictions and start hanging the wash outside on a clothesline. That would look nice on the 15th fairway, don't ya think???

[Janet]

There is no way, honestly, that we would be able to pay your electric bill Marilyn. I forgot to mention that we are total electric also. I guess I shouldn't complain too much about what we pay.

I was also told...don't know how true it is...but that changing the thermostat settings is what makes most bill go up. I guess the reasoning is, once it's at a certain temp..it doesn't take much to stay there, but if say you turn the air up while you're gone...then it has to work harder longer to get cool again...same way with the heat. So we pretty much leave ours the same all the time.

[DianaB]

I want to say that if you're total electric you get a different rate, but I could be wrong on that.

We use gas for our clothes dryer and hot water heater so we're not total electric. I think that I save a lot by keeping my thermostat turned up. I'm comfortable with it higher because I don't handle it much cooler than 75* (Thanks to low thyroid). When my family is hot we just turn it down a notch and usually are comfortable. We have a pretty effecient home with Pella windows. Our home was built in 1999. We pay less for utilities than we did in our old, old home that was half our size!!! Did I mention that it was really old?

[Tink]

We used 890 kWh last month @ .09675 for a total bill of $124.67.
My refrig is 16 yrs old, my range 6 yrs old, my dishwasher, washer and dryer are too old to even remember when we got them; and we have 3 window air conditioning units going. I thought OUR elect bill was high till I saw Marilyns! LOL

We have natural gas for the water heater and furnace.

[gja1000]

I live in HOT Austin Texas - 100 right now at 5:45PM. Last month I used 2196 KWH for $230.60 (.1051 per KWH) Our home is about 27 years old, 2000 sf. total. 1200 sf is 27 years old and not well insulated; 800 sf we built on 6 years ago and it is very well insulated. We have two AC units - we put a separate one in the new addition. We have a den and my office in the new part and we stay out there almost exclusively except to sleep, of course. We keep the thermostat on 78 out there with two ceiling fans in the den and one in my office.

We keep the "main" part of the house at 80, unless I cook and then I turn it down a little. I don't cook much in the summer - we eat lots of sandwiches, fruit salads, etc. or cook out on the grill.

At night we turn the air down to 74 to sleep. My hubby has a heart condition and has to use oxygen at night. The oxygen concentrator (separates the oxygen from nitrogen in the room air) creates lots of heat, so our bedroom usually stays about 76-77. We use a ceiling fan and a floor fan blowing directly on us. We have two yorkies and they sleep under the covers! :)

My water bill was $50 because I have to water some trees every week. I planted trees a few years ago in front, side and back and they are getting big enough to provide some shade and help keep the house cool - but they do require some water right now. They are very drought tolerant, after they get a good start I won't have to water them so much.

[Dobie]

Wow- it must be because some of you are in very hot climates and are used to it, but I couldn't imagine having the house in the 70's. We keep most of the house at 68 and our bedroom is at 64 - I don't feel bad about keeping the house a little cooler now, because we only set the thermostat at 52 in the winter (and I still walk around the house in just shorts and a t-shirt). I really can't stand the heat, I guess I'm lucky I live in New England and not a warmer part of the country.

[Tink]

52!?!?! Dobie, I'd be one huge goosebump at your house!
I keep my thermostat at about 70-72 year around. With hypothyroid, my body doesn't regulate it's temperature well, so either extreme hot or cold really get to me.:o

[Dobie]

52!?!?! Dobie, I'd be one huge goosebump at your house!
I keep my thermostat at about 70-72 year around. With hypothyroid, my body doesn't regulate it's temperature well, so either extreme hot or cold really get to me.:o

I'm lucky that Jim also likes it at 52 in the winter, unfortunately, I think the dogs are ready to go live a grandma's house - they like it nice and toasty.

[Marilyn]

gja1000, you are so fortunate to have the lower rate available to you in Austin. If you paid our rate, $0.167 your bill would be $366.73. Not too far below us.

Hubby and I have been talking about it, and we are going to start raising the thermostat and see if we can handle it higher. We'll do it gradually. We had it at 75 in the bedroom last night, and slept fine, and did not use the ceiling fan. I'm going to raise it to 76 tonight and see what happens. We're going to try to get to 78 all the time with the fans going if needed and see what we can do. I hang quite a few of our outer clothes on hangers to dry, but have to dry the towels, sheets, and underwear. I've raised the thermostat upstairs to 80. We'll just see what happens. We had all of our blinds closed all day today (I don't like being all closed in, but oh well) and changed out a few more bulbs to the small florescents.

We also pay the bill at hubby's office, and he said his last bill was around $180, but he has not received the latest one yet. He's expecting it to be over $200. He pays a higher rate than we do at home because it is a business. Phone, internet, everything is much higher than for a residence. His office is six rooms if you count the restroom and little kitchenette. He's taking a fan to work to put on his desk while he's drafting on his computer. He has to keep it comfortable for meetings in his conference room, though. Can't have the clients uncomfortable.

Diana, we don't get a break here for total electric, and Janet, the temperature differential is so small when we raise and lower our thermostats during the day that it does should not affect the efficiency that much. If we shut the units completely off and were trying to cool down a hot house, that would be different. We're just talking about a few degrees, and the recovery time is pretty quick.

[Marilyn]

Was just watching our local news on TV and they reported that electric rates are up in the area due to the rising cost to coal and natural gas. The price of coal has doubled in the last year, and natural gas prices have doubled in the last 6 months. Guess we should be thankful that electricity has not doubled along with them. Electricity has gone up 30%.

[Shada]

Its to bad our wages don't reflect the true cost of living.

In the past six years, my job was eliminated. Given a different position. Froze my wages, until the devision I am now working in comes up to to the wage I had been making.

So basically that means that two years ago I got a ten cent an hour wage increase, last year I got a one time payout of $300.00 .. WOW... Impressive. Corporate greed. Yet gas prices are rocketing, all utilities have increased. Groceries are going up due to gas prices.

Times are tough.. and getting tougher I am afraid.
Sad for the future of our Country.

[Marilyn]

I feel for the people who had money in the IndyMac bank that failed. FDIC will cover the first $100,000, but if they had more than that on deposit, they are probably going to lose it. For many, that could mean their life savings for retirement. We should all be more diversified than that, so we are not caught if something like this happens, but it's kinda like not backing up your computer. Most of us know what we need to do, but getting around to it, or knowing how to do it is another matter. Maybe we are just too trusting.

Our world is changing, and we'd all better be preparing and being prudent with our lives and our funds.

[Tink]

I'm afraid that's the first of many Marilyn.

We might get a taste of what our grandparents went through during the great depression by the time it's all said and done.

[Marilyn]

I just checked the rates for the Rural Electric Authority in our county to see what their rates are, and they are paying $0.083701 compared to our $0.167. There is a rural substation right down the street from us, about a mile away. They do not provide service to our subdivision and cannot. So we have to pay double the rates. This is soooo not fair. There is some kind of agreement between the rural authority and the company that owns the transmission lines in the city.

[goofywife]

OK, I found my electric bill. We used 1211 kilowatts and the price is 0.125466 per kilowatt. We are with the local co-op. My DH works for the competitor OGE.

[DianaB]

.........I was also told...don't know how true it is...but that changing the thermostat settings is what makes most bill go up. I guess the reasoning is, once it's at a certain temp..it doesn't take much to stay there, but if say you turn the air up while you're gone...then it has to work harder longer to get cool again...same way with the heat. So we pretty much leave ours the same all the time.

We have a programable thermostat in our home and I think that once you have the humidity out of the house it's not too expensive to change the temperature. If I understand correctly, it's more expensive if you turn your cental air off and on a lot because of all the work of getting the humidity out. That's why we didn't put in an attic fan.

In the summer our airconditioner doesn't change too much. For some reason it's a little warmer in here in the morning so it's set at 77* and changes to 78* at noon. We're finding that we're more comfortable with it like that. We also sleep with the ceiling fan on low with a sheet and light blanket.

In the winter it changes quite a bit because at night it goes down a lot cooler for sleeping and warms back up right before we get up in the morning.

I would highly recommend a programable thermostat for everyone. I think that it does save on utilities. I think that we paid about $40 for ours.

As for having the temperatures in the 60's or lower I'm just not comfortable with anything below about 73-74*. My nose gets cold and I just shiver. I know that it's because of my thryoid. I'd absolutely die at 52*!!!!!! Or be dressed like an Eskimo!!!!

[Marilyn]

Already doing that. We have 3 programmable thermostats. I think our problem must be the high coastal humidity. Probably makes the systems work harder, and the high rate per KWH that we are forced to pay. It's highway robbery!!!

[HALEY]

Try living in Pa, talk about crazy, the change of seasons, somedays we run the a/c during the day and the heat at night!! Never get a break from the gas or electric companies....

[Janet]

I feel for the people who had money in the IndyMac bank that failed. FDIC will cover the first $100,000, but if they had more than that on deposit, they are probably going to lose it. For many, that could mean their life savings for retirement. We should all be more diversified than that, so we are not caught if something like this happens, but it's kinda like not backing up your computer. Most of us know what we need to do, but getting around to it, or knowing how to do it is another matter. Maybe we are just too trusting.
Our world is changing, and we'd all better be preparing and being prudent with our lives and our funds.



LOLOL....that and most of us don't have $100,000 to begin with....LOL...

[DianaB]

Already doing that. We have 3 programmable thermostats. I think our problem must be the high coastal humidity. Probably makes the systems work harder, and the high rate per KWH that we are forced to pay. It's highway robbery!!!

What if you got a dehumidifier to help out your airconditioner? That might be helpful.

Here's something that talks about how a dehumidifier can help your airconditioner. You might want to check more throughly into it.

http://www.sylvane.com/dehumidifiers.html

[Marilyn]

Just had to post one more time.....

Diana, I will definitely check on the dehumidifier and see what our AC guy thinks about it. This may be why you can get by with your thermostat set at 78. Your air is dryer and feels cooler. We haven't tried it so far because when you live in this high humidity for so long, you are affected more by dry climates. When we go skiing for example in the mountains where the air is dry, my nose dries up and bleeds, our lips crack and bleed, and I've even had the skin on my sides get dry and sore. Our bodies are climatized to where we live, but will ask and see what he thinks.

Also, I visited with a customer today who lives in Bay City, Texas. He is paying over $0.20 per KWH for his power. His bill last month was over $600, and he lives in a new, energy efficient home with new energy efficient appliances. He did discover that there was a problem with one of his A/C units and has had it repaired, so hopefully next month his usage will be lower. He also contacted his electric company and negotiated a fixed rate for the next 3 years of $0.165 for his power. So I don't have the highest rates around, and ....there is a nuclear power plant at Bay City. Not sure that is the source of their power though. I think the power from the nuclear plant goes to Houston.

[Tink]

That's just awful Marilyn! I can't imagine paying that much for electricity.
I balk that ours is over $100. lol

[katcarasella]

Oh my goodness Marilyn, that is outrageous..:eek:
I have a very small house so mine never goes above $100.00 per month.

[Marilyn]

Just checked humidity and temperatures at various locations to compare, just for grins, and since we are comparing rates and such:

Now it is 6:15 a.m.......

My location: 90% humidity, 75 deg

Wichita, KS: 83% humidity, 68 deg

Frankfort, IN: 75% humidity, 70 deg

Chicago, IL: 81% humidity, 73 deg

New York, NY: 66% humidity, 73 deg

Trying to determine if humidity is a factor. Will try to check again this afternoon when it's warmer. Interesting.....

[Janet]

Walked outside today and my glasses steamed up...it's going to be so hot!!!


http://weather.msn.com/hourly.aspx?wealocations=wc:USIN0219&q=Frankfort%2c+IN+forecast:hourly&weap=0#day0

[Tiramisu]

Our last bill was $355 and it will be higher this month. I heard that all the remote electronics use a fair amount of power because they are constantly reading the remote control. We don't manage electricity usage very well. We have talked about it - does that count? I turn the temp up on workdays and way down when home. I leave a radio or TV on for the doggies. Hubby and I both take two showers per day. We're all electric (2100sf) with a heat pump system (3yo), double insulation. Our frig is 22yo. One water heater is 22yo and one is new last year. We use ceiling fans in most rooms. We have an extra full size frig, a counter top frig, a 7yo freezer, and a 20yo freezer in the garage.

Things to cut:
TV/Radio for doggies
1 daily shower
sleep warmer
turn computers off
unplug or turn off extra clocks, VCRs, DVD players, printers
sale a freezer
sale extra refrigerator

[HALEY]

Our electric bill was 120 this month, but i have a small house, so that is high for us.
we do need to cut back on things to, i do turn the a/c up when we go to work and back down again when we get home, i have two dehumidifiers in the basement, but it's been so dry there not running alot. and Mike is a good one for leaving lights on all the time, have to run after him and shut them off. i have to leave the a.c comfortable at night cause Micah gets heat rashes.. and we do use our ceiling fans alot when i'm cooking, my kitchen heats up really fast.
I did change all the light bulbs to those energy ones, and i got a new fridge last year and just got a new stove, so that should save some money there.
I did get my Grandmoters almost new washer and dryer a really nice set. so well see what the bill is next month.. with gas prices so high, have to save on something. and it's getting hotter in pa now, so Mike is going to have to start cooking on the grill again, can't stand to heat up the oven when its so hot...

[Marilyn]

Sandy, selling a freezer is probably a good idea. We used to have a freezer in the garage and got rid of it a few years ago before the rates got so high. Now we have an upright in the laundry room inside the house. Can you imagine what it must cost to keep the internal temperature freezing in a hot humid garage. We figured it was not worth having.

I'm seriously considering convincing hubby to buy an older home in a neighborhood where we can get the rural electric power and lower taxes. (Don't know if I mentioned, but our property taxes are over $7,000 per year.) We have been talking about it the last couple of days, and he has a client who is wanting to build a home who may like ours. Hubby is going to show ours to him tomorrow and if he likes it tell him what we will sell it for and see what happens. It probably won't happen, but if it does, we may be making a quick move to a rental. Maybe we'll just store everything and live in the RV....NOT!!

I really like our home and would hate to leave it and move, but just don't know if it's worth what it is costing. AHHHHHHH!!!! Tough decisions.

[Marilyn]

I just told hubby I don't want to move. He said okay. He'll quote an outrageous price and see what happens. Hey, I'm married to a home builder. Our house is always for sale. ;)

[judy]

I think that's a good idea Marilyn. Wait it out and get a feeling for other houses first.

[judy]

I think that's a good idea Marilyn. Wait it out and get a feeling for other houses first.

[judy]

Should I post it again?:confused:

[DianaB]

Marilyn, I wish that I could come up with something that would help.

If you have the high ceilings you won't want to run your ceiling fans because it will bring all the heat up there down and your airconditioner will have to work harder. I was told that with my peaked living room ceiling but I keep the temperature high enough that sometimes having the breeze on you feels good.

Also, do you have your thermostat set to change while you're at work? That would probably help a lot with your bills. Have a higher temperature set for when you leave and have it come on right before you get home so it's nice and cool.

[Tiramisu]

Hubby says the freezers pull about the same power in garage or house BECAUSE in the house they create hot air that the A/C has to cool.

We have high ceilings in our den, but put ceiling fans in with a longer pole/rod, so that they hang lower.. One of our neighbors lowered their ceiling (put in a dummy ceiling with insulation) and he said their bill dropped alot. Hubby and I are talking about dropping our ceiling.

[HALEY]

Marilyn, I wish that I could come up with something that would help.

If you have the high ceilings you won't want to run your ceiling fans because it will bring all the heat up there down and your airconditioner will have to work harder. I was told that with my peaked living room ceiling but I keep the temperature high enough that sometimes having the breeze on you feels good.

Also, do you have your thermostat set to change while you're at work? That would probably help a lot with your bills. Have a higher temperature set for when you leave and have it come on right before you get home so it's nice and cool.

can't you reverse your ceilings fan to go the other direction? we run ours all the time, one way for winter and the other was for summer right? one way to cool and the other was to heat..

[Janet]

I don't know if it's always the most comfortable. I think you're suppose to have the celing fans drawing up in the summer to bring up the cooler air and blowing down in the winter to blow the heat back down since heat rises.

I do okay in the winter, but I also have to have the ceiling fan in the bedroom blowing down in the summer. Not sure what the solution is.

[HALEY]

Ceiling fans are both functional and decorative. They are particularly useful in the summer, since they effectively reduce energy usage while creating a cool breeze. They can also be used in the winter to gently pull heated air away from the ceiling where it tends to collect. Light kits can be added to increase the usefulness of many ceiling fans. A wide range of both fan and light kit styles is available, providing choices that will contribute to the beauty of any room. This how-to provides general instructions for installing a ceiling fan and should give you a feel for what is involved. Remember, however, to always consult the manufacturer's instructions during actual installation. Lowe's is happy to provide this information as a service to you.

Janet i found this on Lowes, so i guess it works, they also have way to save energy on there web site if you want to check it out...

[Janet]

Thanks Haley, I will be checking it out!