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I got our electric bill and I was in total shock! Last month it was $248. I don't know what we are doing to make our electric bill so high. Our heat is electric and I keep it on 75 during the day and maybe 78 at night. We are in an upstairs apartment. We have 1 TV. I use the oven every night for an hour to bake a potato. I use the dishwasher 1-2 times a day depending. But I have a feeling it's the heat that's causing our bill to be so high. I have it set it on 70 which still feels a bit cold but we can't afford $300 for electric every month. Do you all think $300 sounds right for such a small space?
What they said about the heat being too high.... but also apartments are notoriously under insulated. So yeah -- since it's been colder this winter that in the past your heat is working harder to keep the place warmer.
I don't feel the cold much usually, but this year I am feeling it, too... but my warmth factor is 68.
Our heat is on when the temp is lower than 68. Our A/C goes on when the temp is 77....Yes we live in Florida and our swimming pool is set for 90 using solar heat. I prefer 92-93 but my wife and her friend says it is too warm for them. Funny how my wife always gets her way ! ! !
As for the potato thing, I get it. It tastes better baked in the oven, than in the microwave. But maybe you could cut that down to every third day and reheat on days 2 & 3? Or better yet, get a toaster oven.
BTW, I keep the thermostat at 65. When I am too cold (I am the least likely to get cold in this house, so if I'm cold, everyone else is FREEZING) then we "crank it" to 68.
As for the potato thing, I get it. It tastes better baked in the oven, than in the microwave. But maybe you could cut that down to every third day and reheat on days 2 & 3? Or better yet, get a toaster oven.
BTW, I keep the thermostat at 65. When I am too cold (I am the least likely to get cold in this house, so if I'm cold, everyone else is FREEZING) then we "crank it" to 68.
She could get a toaster over, slice the potato into 1" slices and then cook. They cook a LOT faster and taste the same. That's what we do when we're craving potatoes. Our oven takes between 28 and 42 minutes to preheat (yes, we've timed it...it's that ridiculous) so our little toaster oven is used quite often.
I lived in a rather large 4 bedroom house for a while with roommates, and even then our electric bill was rarely over the $100 mark. Had some girls move in (very prissy girls, mind you) and it JUST HAD to be over 80 at all times...so they ran little electric heaters ALL OVER THE FREAKIN HOUSE all the time. Especially when I was away on business, because I would unplug them.
Got the electric bill one month and it was $2100. How is that possible?!?! They bailed and disappeared after that...what a lesson to learn about conserving energy.
My house is about 1250 sq.ft, with a vaulted ceiling and skylight (heat losers) in the main room. I get cold easy and HATE being cold, so my house is set to 73 when I am home and awake, and 68 otherwise. My heat is gas, rather than electric, so I don't know how it would compare, but my gas bill runs around $100 in the winter, power runs about $50. I suspect the temerature is PART of your high bill, but by no means is it the only culprit.
I would say that on average, the DW should be run once per week for each person who lives there, or less. My husband and I run a load about every 10 days. My parents run theirs about once a week. I noticed several families of 4 run theirs 4-5 times a week. Is your water heater electric too? If so, how often are you running the laundry? How long of showers are you taking? Those all factor in.
My question is, how much is your electric bill on low use months? Like spring or fall when neither the AC or heat has to be run. Mine runs about $50, and I'm not especially conservative with it. I know I have a dozen or so little ghosts eating up power on clocks or red lights telling me some electrical device or another is plugged in. I also have 2 computers that are on 24/7, and 2 TVs with all their associated little red light machines. I could get mine down to $40 or even $30 with only a little effort (I really should do that one of these days). For the size of your apartment, a low use bill should be around $30, and a high month should be around $150. But I don't think there is a meter problem, I think it is all lifestyle.
Yikes! Turn down the heat! Wear sweaters and winter clothes. 65 during the day and 60 at night. Get a down comforter or an electric blanket. Make sure the fan is set to auto so you aren't running it 24/7.
NEVER run an oven for an hour for 1 potato. Either nuke them or cook a lot of them at once in the oven and warm them in the microwave. Better yet, cook them in the crockpot(fill it), and add some heat to the apt too.
Dishwasher twice a day when you don't cook? How does that happen? Let me guess, family members get a fresh glass every time they get a drink of water. Put names on the glasses and they each get 1 per day. If they need more than that, they can wash it by hand themselves. Never run the dishwasher unless it is completely full.
That's pretty high. However, you did not mention where you were located, so it's hard to tell if it's due to high inefficiency or just plain old overuse.
I second the toaster oven, that would be a more economical way to cook. Mixing some microwave time and some oven time is good for a backed potato too.
I live in 1680 sq ft 3 bedroom. I keep it about 76 during the day and about 71 at night, and my bill was still only a little over $100 last month despite some nights in the teens and days in the 20s. To me though, even if the bill went from $80 to $150/month, I figure A) I'm still pretty frugal in my usage, and B) an extra $70 over a whole month is actually a very small price to pay for 30 days of being comfortable rather than being uncomfortable.
You may be using a high amount of energy to heat the outdoors. How old is the apartment?
I agree with what's been said about temps set too high. I spend a lot of time in my basement, which is 62-65 deg year round, and am as snug as a bug in a rug with a couple layers of fleece on. If I catch a chill, 30 min with a heating pad over my lap usually has me ready to go roll in the snow to cool down.
That said, I had what I thought was a cheap apartment in college that had electric radiant heat in the ceilings, and it turned out to be ugly expensive to use. Add to that the poor insulation that seems all too common in (especially older) apartments. I found that moving to another place was justified just in the utility costs alone, despite the new place being bigger by half than the first.
Hot water usage also hasn't been mentioned--an old poorly insulated HW heater with a mineral-encrusted heating element can eat a lot of juice, too, especially if you and yours like long hot showers or frequent tub baths.
So my advice is to first try the things mentioned here (turn down the heat to 65 day/60 night, use a microwave or other means of cooking, etc), and if that doesn't help, maybe a new place to live is needed.
One baked potato a night for an hour.The op is addicted to using dishes and cleaning those dishes and glasses 5 at a time 2x a day.Also a person who only eats one potato a day is anorexic.So the op is compulsive repetitive anorexic.So i send love to the op and say,...your a good person,you deserve to eat and your house is clean.Are you on your own for the first time? Your parents are smarter than you think.Call them.
Better yet - don't use the dishwasher at all, wash your dishes by hand. Turn down the heat, and like everyone else says, dress warmly. Buy an electric blanket, and you can turn your heat way down at night.
I have a 500sqft cottage, and it's not very well insulated at all. My gas/electric bill runs about $40-$45 in the winter. I rarely use the oven, and only use it if I'm going to bake something. I cook in a toaster over, microwave, and have a George Foreman grill.
I have a gas wall heater, but don't use it. There's no thermostat on it, and it gets too hot. Plus, it sticks out from the wall right next to my couch. I use a space heater in the living room on a thermostat while I'm at the computer. When I'm on the couch watching TV, I just put a blanket over me (and the cat helps too!). I sleep under an electric blanket, and have no heat in the bedroom. I do have a space heater in there, but only use it if I have to get up very early in the morning, and just for a few minutes.
You CAN reduce your electric bill, but you have to WANT to!
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