What's Your Summer Electric Consumption/Bill

[Amorphous02]

Now I am curious: how did you acquire this nice little appliance?

In addition , i was wondering: does this mean you make ice and fill up the coolers with beer sodas etc for parties? You are having FUN! I havent had a single grilling party this year. :-((

[Dido]

I'm looking at my June bill: 388 KW hours and $42.46 for the month (also from PA). July's been hotter, mostly in the 90s, so I expect it to go up. I'm also on the budget plan for gas and still paying winter heating bills at $150/month.

To try to keep the A/C costs under control, I've started turning off the upstairs A/C except on the hottest days (only the cats go upstairs during the day), and even then I set it on 83--all I want to make sure is that I don't end up with fried kitty. Downstairs, I use a timer to cycle the A/C on and off every 15 minutes. I also have ceiling fans running in almost every room, and most nights I turn the A/C off as long as I can get the house down to 80.

[Ima saver]

I got my bill today. I think reading the meter every day is helping. My bill is for $113 (part of that is tax $8) for 1198 kwh's. However compared to last year, I had used 1774 kph, so that is a difference of 576 kph. That comes to almost $52 less than last year's bill.
Lots of the houses we build now have bars and ice makers. But they are expensive and seem to have a lot of problems. But they are great for parties. [Automated by GetSmile]

[BCHGRL]

$150 in Florida

[lynclarke]

We are in IL outside of St Louis. My last month's bill was 1375 kwh for $125.70. We have two full size fridges, one full size freezer, one ice maker, 5 ceiling fans, a/c set at 80 degrees, electric cook top and oven, and every power tool known to man. I think our bill is high but when I think of how much money we save with the freezers, I stop complaining. I am an opportunistic buyer. I need absolutely nothing, but I will buy anything with a hot price tag. Two weeks ago, the local Deals had restaurant quality tempura cod 1 lb packages for $1. I bought two to be sure they were as good as the previous time- then I went back for 6 more boxes. Two boxes fed two big male eaters, me, and made two lunches. Great deal. When chicken legs hit 19¢ a pound, I am the happiest person in town. So- I guess, I can't have it all ways a cheap electric bill and FULL freezers. lynclarke

[Ima saver]

Lyn, I wish my husband would eat frozen food, but he does not like anything frozen except ice cream!! So, I barely use the freezer in my refrigerator for anything except ice cubes. I think my next bill will be higher because of the heat. I just looked at my bill from last Sept. and it was $155 and cost per kwh was cheaper last year.

[lynclarke]

He doesn't eat frozen food? Do you live on a farm? You must really love this guy- I would have poisoned him years ago!! Have you made the same meal from fresh and frozen chicken and see if he can tell the difference? lynclarke

[Ima saver]

No, I don't live on a farm and yes, I really do love him. He says he can tell the difference between fresh and frozen. However, we eat out almost every night, so I only have to buy one meat a week, usually. Then he cooks it!

[JoyJoy]

$178.78. It's really been hot here in New York!

[Ima saver]

I think it has been really hot everywhere. We have in the 90's every day. Lucky for me, my house is so well built and so well insulated, that helps a lot! Luckily fans don't use much electricity.

[Kirbycruiser]

Ours runs about $198.00 seems so much higher then everyone else here. I guess it is because we have such an old house. I know the attic needs new insulation. We have the old jealousy windows that we plan to replace at tax time.
Ima, I wanted to try your water heater idea, My husband doesn't like the idea, He says its too much trouble. About how much do you think you save by turning it off everyday? Is it harder on the heater itself? Thanks.

[Kirbycruiser]

Oh yeah, we live in Florida too. The heat is much different down here. Very humid. Heavy Hot Air UHG. Its better than being cold though imo.

[lynclarke]

kirbycruiser- how many kwh did you use? Maybe your cost per kilowatt is higher than ours. I live in the St Louis area, the heat and humidity capital of the midwest! We only a/c to 79 during the time people are home and moving about and 82 the rest of the time when sleeping or motionless. lynclarke

[Ima saver]

Kirby, I have been doing it every day for 30 years. It is not hard on the heater and saves a bundle. Why let the hot water run all day when all you need it for our showers and the dishwasher. Just go to the circuit breaker and turn it off. Turn it back on 20 minutes before a shower.
We have done it so long, my husband puts a switch in the kitchen of every house he builts, so it can be turned off.

[getforfree]

It's so hot here in California! It has been over 100 degrees for over a week now. Even at night it's over 80. My AC is running day and night. Yesterday it was 115. The AC was running without stopping and the temperature in the house was like 83. I had fan on in kids room and in the living room. I am afraid, my bill will be like $200 this month.

Because they charge almost double for ever Kw after first 700. So, I made resolution, not to turn tv on, only for kids cartoons, computer, for no more than 2 hrs/day.

I did laundry yesterday, and I am not doing any more untill after the 6th of the next month, that's when they will check my meter and send me the bill. Hope, the next month it will be cooler. And I dry the laundry outside since end of april. But, I guess, I will have to do one load or my dh's work clothes and my workpants and whatever else we shor on all in one load, because we don't have enough of it to last for 2 weeks. Does anyone know how many Kw does a washing machine take to wash one load?

[Kirbycruiser]

Well, Our bill is 4.9 cents for the first 1000 kw and 5.9 cents for each over that. fuel charge is 4.979 cents for the first 1000kw and 5.979 cents for each over that. Then we get charged
Gross receipts tax $4.23
Municipal Franchise fee $10.62
Municipal Utility Tax $11.11

We used 1488 kw for June. We keep the A/C between 77 and 79 and try to turn it up when we leave but I am the first one out of the house in the morning.
I think I will try turning off the water heater and line drying some clothes. I will have to hang them in the house though. My dogs would love to play with my clean laundry Thanks for all the great advice.
This is a great thread. It's the first time I have actually looked so closely at my bill in years. I am paying more for fuel then electricity?

[Ima saver]

If you wash in cold water, it does not take much to run the washer. The big things are the hot water heater, the airconditioner, the dryer, the refrigerator and the stove. Turning off the tv maybe saves 2 cents!! We pay .091 cents per kwh!

[Ima saver]

I just plugged the kilowatt thing into my washer. Next time i do a load of clothes, I will report back on how much it cost to run it. The tv took 5 cents for a 24 hour period and the fan took about 5 cents running it about 14 hours!

[getforfree]

We pay 8.6 c per KW ---- first 700 Kw
then --- 15.1 ---------------- next 300
then 16.8 -----------------for I don't know how many more
+ $5 fee
+ some taxes which are like $2- $3

I checked my meter today, since last bill we already used 1055 KW (for 17 days), so whatever I am using now and will be using within next 13 days will be at 16.8c per Kw.

I have nat. gas for stove and water heater, so that should not be much, since we have tankless water heater now.

[lynclarke]

kirbycruiser-Sounds like you need a programmable thermostat! I can't remember what we paid but I am sure it paid for itself because we can no longer forget to turn down the heat or up the a/c.