[L00k4ward]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Is your home built in the 1950s?

I recall you said you you retrofitted your place with insulation?

Originally Posted by sinatras

I have had countless energy audits over the past 15 years and I am insulated up to the wazoo and believe me when I tell you that among ALL of my Tampa rental properties, a $400 electric bill this July is now AVERAGE. All of my tenants are complaining about it. And so are homeowners in the neighborhoods. All you have to do is read Next Door and Facebook Tampa groups. But of course you don't do that; you just come here and make false claims.

Maybe get another audit?
Another one if the renters are young they may not have much of common sense regarding the house.

For example, speculating here: if the house faces South or West with the expanse of glass - do they have heavy drapery or cellular blinds to cover windows when the sun is blasting?


Do they maintain and clean the condenser? It is a half hour job. Dirty condenser would eat up a lot of kilowatts
Do they keep the lanai door open to the pool?, etc

(As a landlord you could try to grow fast growing shrubs or trees to shade the windows? On the western and southern sides? It could help! Eventually!)

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by silverct9a

Where are you located? Here in Palm Beach County & Broward we were under a flood watch as of yesterday.

Has literally rained heavily every single day here for the past month. This also illustrates my point perfectly…this is a big state! One can’t use blanket expressions of how much Florida’s weather sucks. YOUR part of Florida sucks…please clarify (not directed towards you).

On the gulf that never gets rain northwest of Tampa thanks to a west flow. All the rain is inland and east coast year after year. This is the worst part of FL weather wise. Never any rain never any canes and no more cold like we used to get in the 1980's.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by L00k4ward

I recall you said you you retrofitted your place with insulation?




Maybe get another audit?
Another one if the renters are young they may not have much of common sense regarding the house.

For example, speculating here: if the house faces South or West with the expanse of glass - do they have heavy drapery or cellular blinds to cover windows when the sun is blasting?


Do they maintain and clean the condenser? It is a half hour job. Dirty condenser would eat up a lot of kilowatts
Do they keep the lanai door open to the pool?, etc

(As a landlord you could try to grow fast growing shrubs or trees to shade the windows? On the western and southern sides? It could help! Eventually!)

Thanks for the suggestions.........gonna look at the condensers.

Both rentals are 2-story 1950s CBS construction with regular insulation and additional blown-in insulation into the ATTICs. Both rentals have the Trane HVAC heat pumps serviced (coils cleaned etc) yearly. Both rentals do not have pools. Both rentals are south facing and this year there has been little to no rain in South Tampa. The only time the outside temp gets lower than 82 in South Tampa in summer is when it rains. Which it hasn't. Last summer was same crap.

AC runs nonstop with thermostat set at 75 or lower.

And before anyone starts arguing about the rain, or saying they are getting buckets of rain every day, please see here for more info. about the severe drought in Tampa and SW FL:

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Curre...aspx?Southeast

In the summer, rain is pretty much the only time ACs and electric bills get a break in Florida.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Thanks for the suggestions.........gonna look at the condensers.

Both rentals are 2-story 1950s CBS construction with regular insulation and additional blown-in insulation into the ATTICs. Both rentals have the Trane HVAC heat pumps serviced (coils cleaned etc) yearly. Both rentals do not have pools. Both rentals are south facing and this year there has been little to no rain in South Tampa. The only time the outside temp gets lower than 82 in South Tampa in summer is when it rains. Which it hasn't. Last summer was same crap.

AC runs nonstop with thermostat set at 75 or lower.

And before anyone starts arguing about the rain, or saying they are getting buckets of rain every day, please see here for more info. about the severe drought in Tampa and SW FL:

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Curre...aspx?Southeast

In the summer, rain is pretty much the only time ACs and electric bills get a break in Florida.

I think that's your answer right there. AC running nonstop - 75 or lower! Geez, in this kind of heat it's no wonder those bills are what they are! The AC is usually reponsbible for most of your electric bill. Install some fans and bump up that AC or suck it up and pay the bills. I think maybe the two-story build may be a factor.

I have Lakland Electric, which typically runs high but I keep my AC around 78 with fans running and it stays plenty cool in my one story solidly built home. $143 for electric last month.

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

I think that's your answer right there. AC running nonstop - 75 or lower! Geez, in this kind of heat it's no wonder those bills are what they are! The AC is usually reponsbible for most of your electric bill. Install some fans and bump up that AC or suck it up and pay the bills. I think maybe the two-story build may be a factor.

I have Lakland Electric, which typically runs high but I keep my AC around 78 with fans running and it stays plenty cool in my one story solidly built home. $143 for electric last month.

I keep mine at 81 when i am work. Then 78 when i am home. By bedroom is 82 to 84f after around 3pm thru the nite and i have a winder unit i use before i go to bed to bring it down to 78f.

[L00k4ward]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Thanks for the suggestions.........gonna look at the condensers.

Both rentals are 2-story 1950s CBS construction with regular insulation and additional blown-in insulation into the ATTICs. Both rentals have the Trane HVAC heat pumps serviced (coils cleaned etc) yearly. Both rentals do not have pools. Both rentals are south facing and this year there has been little to no rain in South Tampa. The only time the outside temp gets lower than 82 in South Tampa in summer is when it rains. Which it hasn't. Last summer was same crap.

AC runs nonstop with thermostat set at 75 or lower.

And before anyone starts arguing about the rain, or saying they are getting buckets of rain every day, please see here for more info. about the severe drought in Tampa and SW FL:

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Curre...aspx?Southeast

In the summer, rain is pretty much the only time ACs and electric bills get a break in Florida.

Bob Villa thought to be respected site.

The cleaners they recommend; there are great YT videos how to clean the outside unit.

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/bes...-coil-cleaner/

If you have mini splits - then inside heads have to be cleaned monthly

If you have space: def consider planting some trees on the southern side of the rentals.

It creates microclimate and alleviate the heating of the walls. Sun’s radiation is a b!¥ČH

In Fl I would even consider evergreens as you may not need the sun even in winter?

Send a southern view picture or just a photo of jotted down diagram of the yard with the dimensions and utilities locations if any - maybe we could suggest some treed “sunscreen” for your properties?

This heat doesn’t go anywhere, sounds like it would stay or even get worse…

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by L00k4ward

Bob Villa thought to be respected site.

The cleaners they recommend; there are great YT videos how to clean the outside unit.

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/bes...-coil-cleaner/

If you have mini splits - then inside heads have to be cleaned monthly

If you have space: def consider planting some trees on the southern side of the rentals.

It creates microclimate and alleviate the heating of=f the walls.

In Fl I would even consider evergreens as you may not need the sun even in winter?

Send a southern view picture or just a photo of jotted down diagram of the yard with the dimensions and utilities locations if any - maybe we could suggest some treed “sunscreen” for your properties?

This heat doesn’t go anywhere, sounds like it would stay or even get worse…

Not sure if Bob is even around anymore. Never see him on TV.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

I think that's your answer right there. AC running nonstop - 75 or lower! Geez, in this kind of heat it's no wonder those bills are what they are! The AC is usually reponsbible for most of your electric bill. Install some fans and bump up that AC or suck it up and pay the bills. I think maybe the two-story build may be a factor.

I have Lakland Electric, which typically runs high but I keep my AC around 78 with fans running and it stays plenty cool in my one story solidly built home. $143 for electric last month.

These are not my bills. They are my tenants' bills. And my tenants are complaining about electric bill prices/increases in Tampa as "unaffordable". It also is a problem when a potential tenant calls TECO and asks for "average power bill" for the address and TECO tells them $400 during summer months............potential tenant then moves on to another home

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by sinatras

These are not my bills. They are my tenants' bills. And my tenants are complaining about electric bill prices/increases in Tampa as "unaffordable". It also is a problem when a potential tenant calls TECO and asks for "average power bill" for the address and TECO tells them $400 during summer months............potential tenant then moves on to another home

That is what i did in 2004 when i lived in Danashores when i got a bill from TECO that was 2 times the normal price. I moved so fast it made their head spin. Plus i did not need a big house my parents left me and wanted something half the size. And the prices in west Pasco were the cheapest in the state with homes well under 100k in 04.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Is Miami considered coastal? It also sits on a bay.

I've always considered Miami Beach as being coastal, but not Miami.