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What does duke charge for a killo watt hr? I know i had a fridge that the defrost ran all the time and ran my bill way up.Needed a new fridge i did.Cnange the setting on fridge from frost free to reg maybe a answer.
I thought about that also but she said she isn't having any problems with the fridge. Very possible though. The ice maker also has a heating element on it.
Using my bill dividing the bill (minus sales tax) by the total usage says it's $.079/kwhr
One of the biggest problems that happens with heat pumps during the winter is if it loses it's refrigerant charge the home owner usually doesn't notice because they have backup heat. On new system they usually have a pressure switch which keeps the compressor from coming on when low to save it's life. the outside fan will still come on but the compressor itself won't. Then what happens when you go to cut your HVAC system on it heats the house up (and quite quick) because it's only using the backup heat. I could easily see the bill doubling if that's the case. When you cut the heat on is the air coming out of the vents rather warm or slightly warm to your hand?
In terms of how much power above and beyond the electric heating strips use: Colder days usually 2-3 times the amount of power as opposed to the heat pump alone. On warmer days 3-4 times the amount of power. The reason being as it get's colder the heat pump becomes less efficient of a pump but still way more efficient than the backup heat strips.
I thought about that also but she said she isn't having any problems with the fridge. Very possible though. The ice maker also has a heating element on it.
Using my bill dividing the bill (minus sales tax) by the total usage says it's $.079/kwhr
BigJon- That's just about what my electric rate is here in Monroe. I had a problem with my fridge a few months back. It started to cycle on and off every few minutes. They replaced a little motherboard in the back - free of charge, which solved the problem! Icemakers in refrigerators are a major component that tends to go awry every so often!
ani - Has the fridge made any unusual noises lately?
ani - BigJohn has come up with some really good ideas here for checking out your water and heat systems. If any of the water emanating from your hot water heater is the least bit warm, this might be the problem. With that big increase in electric usage it's got to be a major system. Electric heat is the priciest option for heating your home here. Even tho' electricity is considerably cheaper here than back in NJ, those low temperatures (below 25 degrees) put a strain on most electric heat systems. I had a friend in NJ who had electric heat (a rarity in NJ) and she would have bills over $800 a month -and that was 10 years ago! Heat pumps are ideal for Florida, but become less desirable the farther North from there you get. I'd replace that Microwave no matter how painful it might be. Any microwave that comes on with the door open is extremely dangerous!!!!!! We want to keep you around for a good, long time! The water heater might be going as well. I know my bill was up a lot last month, but that might have been because I wanted the house a little warmer, now that the mortgage is paid off - I went from 65 daytime to 69 daytime, figuring I'd splurge a bit on heat! However, when that bill comes in, I will usually do my Jimmy Carter impressions, until I feel a bit "richer"!
EM - the microwave incidents have freaked me out. It takes a second to realize what has happened and there I stand in front of that thing. It really has worried me what I have been exposed to. (Surely not much???)
I think I will just have that thing taken out and get a new one. Surely someone has a stainless steel one that is the right size and will fit. Or maybe call repair - but I bet it will be something expensive to repair. I have already fought w/ Frigidaire over the dishwasher - wh/ took over 8 months for resolution (the second d/w is the one that had the control panel quit and it was just barely a year old). So I am disgusted w/ these products. If I call a repairman - not like I can duplicate the problem - it is so random. It functions just fine - then out of the clear blue - the thing turns on when the door is opened.
Y'all are right - this has to be something major. That is waaay too much consumption.
maybe it was your earlier bills that were wrong or estimated wrong and your new bills are actually the correct ones?
Hopefully thats not true but its a possability....
You are right - definitely a possibility. The other houses are similar to ours, but two have only a couple in them (empty nesters) so I asked them about their bills and nothing has changed for them. They found it all quite mystifying as to why ours jumped. Their bills are about what mine were previous to the big jump last Fall.
Thinking about this, I believe that BigJon's suggestion to check out your heat pump/heat strips is probably your best bet and makes the most sense.
If you are indeed using 2x the electricity, there are very few items in your house that could draw that much, and the heat strips are one of them.
Some thermostats have a light that comes on (it might say aux or emergency heat) to indicate when the power strips come on. If yours has this, and you see that the light is on often, you have found your culprit.
BigJon- That's just about what my electric rate is here in Monroe. I had a problem with my fridge a few months back. It started to cycle on and off every few minutes. They replaced a little motherboard in the back - free of charge, which solved the problem! Icemakers in refrigerators are a major component that tends to go awry every so often!
ani - Has the fridge made any unusual noises lately?
No, none at all and we have really been keeping an "ear" on it - as we wondered about that, having had a fridge "go bad" years ago.
EM - the microwave incidents have freaked me out. It takes a second to realize what has happened and there I stand in front of that thing. It really has worried me what I have been exposed to. (Surely not much???)
I think I will just have that thing taken out and get a new one. Surely someone has a stainless steel one that is the right size and will fit. Or maybe call repair - but I bet it will be something expensive to repair. I have already fought w/ Frigidaire over the dishwasher - wh/ took over 8 months for resolution (the second d/w is the one that had the control panel quit and it was just barely a year old). So I am disgusted w/ these products. If I call a repairman - not like I can duplicate the problem - it is so random. It functions just fine - then out of the clear blue - the thing turns on when the door is opened.
Y'all are right - this has to be something major. That is waaay too much consumption.
ani - It sounds like the "safety interlock" is malfunctioning. It's not really worth it to get it repaired. I wouldn't trust it.... anyway! Have DH "trash" it so noone else can ever use it! For the life of me, I can't understand why the wall-mounted models cost 3x what the countertop models do! A few brackets and nothing more in functionality for all that money! My friend gave me my wall-mounted one for a move-in present. Being notoriously cheap, I would have bought a countertop model that did well in Consumer Reports. BTW, you don't live in a "haunted house", do you?
One of the biggest problems that happens with heat pumps during the winter is if it loses it's refrigerant charge the home owner usually doesn't notice because they have backup heat. On new system they usually have a pressure switch which keeps the compressor from coming on when low to save it's life. the outside fan will still come on but the compressor itself won't. Then what happens when you go to cut your HVAC system on it heats the house up (and quite quick) because it's only using the backup heat. I could easily see the bill doubling if that's the case. When you cut the heat on is the air coming out of the vents rather warm or slightly warm to your hand?
In terms of how much power above and beyond the electric heating strips use: Colder days usually 2-3 times the amount of power as opposed to the heat pump alone. On warmer days 3-4 times the amount of power. The reason being as it get's colder the heat pump becomes less efficient of a pump but still way more efficient than the backup heat strips.
on
Well, we have the heat pump serviced annually - and we had a problem w/ a relay, wh/ they replaced this summer (this year). And they checked the refrigerant this past summer and again this Fall. Maybe I should get a different company to come check it this Spring. I have it maintenanced every Fall.
Thinking about this, I believe that BigJon's suggestion to check out your heat pump/heat strips is probably your best bet and makes the most sense.
If you are indeed using 2x the electricity, there are very few items in your house that could draw that much, and the heat strips are one of them.
Some thermostats have a light that comes on (it might say aux or emergency heat) to indicate when the power strips come on. If yours has this, and you see that the light is on often, you have found your culprit.
I totally agree with you all on this - cause it seems likely it would have to be something that pretty much sucks electricity. Think about how many warm days we have had this winter when we were not even USING heat at all - for days on end.
No, the aux light has not come on. I keep a close watch. We have two heat pumps and I check both thermostats frequently during the day, every time I walk past either one of them (as they display the indoor temp and I like to see how even the temp is remaining on both levels). So no - have never seen the light on except once when the unit had been off and we had to turn the heat back on in the evening.
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Icemakers in refrigerators are a major component that tends to go awry every so often!
Heat pumps are ideal for Florida, but become less desirable the farther North from there you get. I'd replace that Microwave no matter how painful it might be. Any microwave that comes on with the door open is extremely dangerous!!!!!! We want to keep you around for a good, long time! The water heater might be going as well. I know my bill was up a lot last month, but that might have been because I wanted the house a little warmer, now that the mortgage is paid off - I went from 65 daytime to 69 daytime, figuring I'd splurge a bit on heat! However, when that bill comes in, I will usually do my Jimmy Carter impressions, until I feel a bit "richer"! 
