Electricity Bill 900Sqft how much ? (2013, apartment, leasing)

[Wayr2go]

Hi guys,

hope everyone is gearing up for the festivities - happy thanksgiving.

I got my first electricity bill (Georgia Power) yesterday for the last month and was looking at the usage/dollar amount and was wondering why/how the bill is high (atleast I think it is high)

I used 359KwH and a bill all inclusive of taxes is 50 bucks. The bill was from 27th Oct until 24 Nov and out of that period I was not at home for 8 days. Since ive recently moved into the apartment, I have no equipment except for my laptop, phone, kitchen appliance (fridge) and the washer dryer. I have an aircycler that runs 24/7 (I am not sure if I should let it run 24/7 -it was on the day I moved in so I did not turn it off). Of the days I've been home I've used heat only 3-4 days in that period.

Could someone tell me if the usage sounds appropriate in light of this information? How do I find out that meter readings are correct? If I'm paying 50 bucks with really no usage, I wonder what it'd be like if I had a TV, Aircon and oven usage like a normal being?


Thanks alot.

[blktoptrvl]

October/November should be two of the lowest bills for the year. This year it was slightly cooler in the south, but the first statement should still stand. I would expect the bill to at least double in the next three months (Dec, Jan Feb), then decrease by 25% for Mar, Apr, May, and then climb again to it's highest rates for Jun July Aug and Sept.

Be judicious with your thermostat.

Also, blinds and curtains are your friends. Get at least a good set of 2" blinds, keep them closed or partially closed during the summer and as open as possible during the winter.

[Wayr2go]

thanks blktoptrvl, do you think this usage/bill makes sense given my circumstances during the period?

My thermostat is off even today and I've only had it on for the heat 3-4 times when I used it. I wonder if I should turn off the aircyler perhaps. On an average I'm using 10-15kwh daily at the moment - is that OK as being a light user?

[blktoptrvl]

Originally Posted by Wayr2go

thanks blktoptrvl, do you think this usage/bill makes sense given my circumstances during the period?

My thermostat is off even today and I've only had it on for the heat 3-4 times when I used it. I wonder if I should turn off the aircyler perhaps. On an average I'm using 10-15kwh daily at the moment - is that OK as being a light user?

I don't know what is an appropriate billing for your area.
Does your bill include any start-up, connect, initialization fees?
How high is your water heater set?

An air cycler uses how much energy? I would go find the meter and compare power usage with the device on and off. In fact, it might be a good idea to shut off all of the breakers in the apt and see if your meter is still spinning (maybe you are wired for theft?). If not, turn on circuits one by one until you find a power hog.

I was trying to give information about the bill and the relative time of year. How much an individual bill will be will depend greatly on how well your home is insulated and your usage; of which I cannot comment.

Even though you say the heat is off most of the time, what happens when it is on, does it go straight out the window?

Personally, every year when it starts to get cool, I do an energy audit myself. Finding areas where cold is seeping in and sealing those areas. Beyond that, there are other steps to be taken, but again this all depends on your usage patterns.

I would get a cheap temp gun and start there...
Non Contact Temperature Gun IR Infrared Digital Thermometer w Laser GM550 | eBay

[Wayr2go]

thanks blktoptrvl -since I live in an apartment, would i have control over how high the water heater is set? I dont know where to look for that. There is no thermostat type equipment near the water heater.

What is a "breaker" ? the meter is in a special room i'm guessing since this is an apartment and I won't have access to it. and how do i identify a potential "theft" if i dont have access to the meter

I called georgia power and the lady said the average bill for my apartment the past 12 months was 72 bucks. There was a couple in here before I moved in and I'm guessing they would have had way more use of electricity than I do...so i'm really 20 bucks away from that average with absolute minimum usage. She said, however, that she thinks that my Kwh usage was very nominal.

I made sure that there was no leakage of "air" from the house with all windows and doors closed/sealed - Its a one bedroom apt so it doesnt have a lot of "holes" the plug in.

Thanks for your help so far

[blktoptrvl]

When I sqy breaker, i mean the circuit breaker in the electric panel. If you are not familiar with that term, i am not sure it would be a good idea for you to mess with it, or the water heater temperature control as you would have to unscrew a panel on the heater.

Instead, i would just suggest you turn off all power inside and check the meter, but that too would require that you know how to read it.

My revised suggestion would be to contact the power company, they may tell you how much the previous tenants paid and may be able to do an energy audit for free.

[Wayr2go]

thanks blktoptrvl...i think i may just do that -talk to the power company and the apartment management. have a good weekend

[blktoptrvl]

Good luck.

[karen_in_nh_2012]

Originally Posted by Wayr2go

I called georgia power and the lady said the average bill for my apartment the past 12 months was 72 bucks. There was a couple in here before I moved in and I'm guessing they would have had way more use of electricity than I do...so i'm really 20 bucks away from that average with absolute minimum usage. She said, however, that she thinks that my Kwh usage was very nominal.

Actually, there's probably not a huge difference in electricity usage between a single person and a couple. Many things that people typically leave on all the time -- refrigerators, water heaters, regular heaters in the winter (if they're electric), etc. -- are likely to be pretty much the same for 1 or 2 people. You are also probably going to be watching TV, cooking, etc., together, so again the electric use isn't going to vary much.

OP, I've lived in lots of different areas in the U.S., and some electric companies have a "base charge," then the kwh charge. Unfortunately companies that do this seem to charge low-volume users more, as the base charge makes up a higher percentage of the overall bill for such users. Maybe your company is doing that too?

Overall, though, 50 bucks a month doesn't seem too bad, although it sounds like it was quite a bit more than you expected. Is this your first time living in an apartment by yourself?

[Wayr2go]

karen_in_nh_2012, thanks - first time leasing an apartment on my own. Previously I 'boarded' so paid everything as lumpsum with the rent.

The lady I spoke with mention that she believes I have a very low usage from what she could see. The base charge is about 10 bucks and another fuel charge or something like that was about 11 bucks. She said my electricity usage was only 19 bucks. so 10+11+19 about 41 something + taxes totaling 50 and some change.

It would be interesting to see how my KwH will hop from 359 to about 520 once I have all equipment (TV etc.) plugged in and using it daily. I would imagine tht would happen quickly and easily as I'm only 161 Kwh away from it (but perhaps my lack of understanding of kwh usage is also a concern here).

The bill from the previous renter issued for month ending September showed the previous month (august) and 1 year ago(sept 2013) usage at about 571 and 577 respectively. September was 539 when they got charged 73 bucks.