[bepperoo]

Well, of course we just received our first electric bill. $480.00?? Wow I thought Maryland was expensive. I guess thats the price we pay for having a pool huh? We have 2400sf and keep air at 78 degrees. Seem about what I should expect during the summer? We have an additional fridge (which I decided to unplug) and raised the ac up a few degrees. We will see what that does to next months rent.

Actually not complaining but just wanted to know if this is typical for around here. I have never owned a pool before and the desert heat admittedly gets to me so I do like a/c.

Thanks for listening to me.

By the way....we are very happy here. Thanks for being so nice everyone.

[MR77]

That seems a little high to me, but I read that NV will be cutting rates soon. Nevada Power Rates To Go Down - Las Vegas News Story - KVVU Las Vegas

[MomMom]

That seems about right including the pool at keeping the thermostat at that temp. Unfortunately, most tract homes are not energy efficient, so you lose a lot of a/c that way.

First year transplants usually can't take the heat, they are not used to it. You might fare better next summer.

Install a solar powered attic fan...you'd be surprised how much money it saves in keeping your attic cooler, which keeps your house a bit cooler, and helps keep that a/c compressor from going on every ten minutes. If you have a two story house with only one a/c unit...you're going to use up more a/c that way as well.

Make sure your pool pump only runs for the minimum amount of cycles to keep the pool sanitary. Often times, folks have that pump running way too much when it isn't necessary for the amount of gallons their pool holds.

[jpk]

$480 is not unusual for cooling a house in the summer.

I'm a bit skeptical that your pool is to blame. Most of that is probably your A/C. Turn up the thermostat to 80deg and use ceiling fans at night to keep your bedroom cool.

[AA702]

Pool pumps suck juice, usually it will be about 70-100 a month on your bill, depending on how many hours you run your pump/motor. There are new motors that save up to 60% on your consumption, but they are expensive. 8 Hours is the recomended for summer time, and that is durring the hottest parts of the day. Having a pool is not cheap sometimes.

[AA702]

The upside to all this is 9 months out of the year, your power bill will be cheap. My bill in the summer is about $150 max, but I have a small home with no pool. The winter months is around $40 to $50. Gas can be high in the coldest months depending on how you use your heater.

[uncle_el]

does your bill include a deposit fee in there?

[bepperoo]

thanks everyone. My deposit fee is only $15. We did decide to up the a/c temp and we do use ceiling fans as well as only fun the pool filter 6-8 hours a day so I think we are followig the recommended guidelines. Gosh though this is a car payment!

[MomMom]

Originally Posted by bepperoo

thanks everyone. My deposit fee is only $15. We did decide to up the a/c temp and we do use ceiling fans as well as only fun the pool filter 6-8 hours a day so I think we are followig the recommended guidelines. Gosh though this is a car payment!

Raising the thermostat will help some, but until your house is completely energy efficient, that's about what you're going to pay.

Nevada Power has been steadily raising the rates, although we're supposed to get a small decrease this month or next..whenever THEY deem it appropriate to do so.

Unfortunately, Las Vegas is not the cheapest when it comes to utilities, unless you're comparing it to the major metropolis type areas, which are more expensive...

[jpk]

Anyone have any recommendations for optimal programming of the thermostat? Just curious if there is programming pattern that works best for conserving energy and keeping the house comfortable.