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Would love some guidance on what else to check-out. We kept temp @ 76 degrees, and we had AC company check-out our units (one is two-years old, the other is 12). My neighbor across-the-street says their water bill is $350? We used around 22 ccf. I have watched the meter and there does not appear to be a leak. We water about once, max twice, per week @ 30 minutes per valve - and that is what is drawing the overwhelming amount of water. Is there a good service I can call to evaluate energy efficiency?
I would love to help you out because it seems you're getting killed on costs that shouldn't be near that high. It might be worth contacting Duke and/or a local reputable HVAC contractor (sorry I don't know one to advise) about doing a detailed energy audit... I'm talking where they measure and look for air leaks, etc... Look into adding an attic fan - something like that. Even if it ends up costing you a few bucks, the potential savings on electric could be substantial.
I don't really know what to say about the water bill... maybe the kids are taking 45min showers or something! lol - similar it may be worth a call to the county to talk about water usage and see what days/times your usage is spiking to help determine where the big hit is coming from.
We have an 1800sf subdivision house with poor insulation, terrible windows and a heating / ac unit that is not equipped to handle the workload.
We keep insulated curtains on some of the windows and close off rooms we're not using. Ceiling fans added to all rooms. We also have an infant son and are running the washer / dryer pretty regularly. We rarely water the lawn. We are keeping the house at about 72-74 during the summer, 68-70 during the winter.
June/July - Electric $178, gas $28, Water $56
The cold months usually run: electric $80-90, Gas $150-200, Water $50
Yes - I had to pay deposits on my utilities moving in (Duke and Piedmont Gas only, no deposit for water, I didn't have a history of having utilities before and my credit was mid-range / fair.
3,600 sq ft, 2-story, 1/3 acre. House built in '98. July Duke electric bill was $236. Water/sewage/storm bill was $178 - and that is watering less than 2x/week @ 30 minutes.
We have a home that is 4000 + square feet and our water heater is in the garage. Where is your water heater and does it take a long time for your water to heat in your kitchen and in the upstairs? Do you have to let it run for a bit to get hot? We used to have to let ours run for a bit until my husband put something on under the kitchen sink and at the water heater to fix that problem.
We also had Duke Bills that were $250 (that was without heating/cooling the 3rd floor at all) and we kept our thermostat on 78 during the day on the 1st floor and 80 on the 2nd and off on the 3rd. We had 3 units. We had curtains on every window but I am thinking that blinds are the answer. We are now renting a home for the next couple of years and the LL has blinds on all the windows. Quality blinds and we keep the thermostat at 75 during the day and 78 upstairs and our last Duke bill (which was 100 + degree days) was $156.
Worth mentioning, one time my water line broke at the meter and ran all night before the city could repair it. They billed me $150 for water and I shrugged it off and paid - was certainly cheaper than hiring a backhoe and plumber on my own.
So I would say $300+ for water indicates there is some serious wastage going on.
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