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Old 01-24-2009, 07:29 PM
 
81 posts, read 474,174 times
Reputation: 91

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Hi all,

We are currently renting a 3300 sq foot 2 story house, and the highest power bill (in August) was $831.

Now, we have a pool (but to be perfectly honest, I don't know how often the pump or whatever runs, there's a guy that comes to the house weekly to keep up the pool, so I don't know much about it...but I think it only runs for like 2 - 3 hours a day...maybe?), a second refrigerator in the garage and we also have 3 roommates that can't for the life of them turn a light off when they leave a room.

So, my question is this:

We're moving to a place of our own in April. If we try to get a house that is one story, will that help at all with the power bill? It would make sense to me that if the house is only one story, and if we got one that was, like, 1600sq ft, the power bill would be less. Am I correct?

Thanks in advance for any answers.
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Old 01-24-2009, 07:39 PM
 
65 posts, read 230,641 times
Reputation: 24
WOW - and I thought my power bill was high ... We just moved and the house we moved from had a pool. The power bills there were about $475 for a 2300 sq. foot house. The house we are in now is bigger - about 2700 square feet and our power bill last month was $233 and the month before was $175 - so the pool makes a BIG difference. Now in this house, our gas bill went up - but we use the fireplace more and there are two units - one thermostat works the upstairs and one works the downstairs - although we can't seem to get it regulated - when it is warm upstairs, it is cold downstairs (which is why we use the fireplace more). Also, I have kids who wouldn't know how to turn a light off or a TV off to save their souls - lol.

You should see a big difference in a smaller house with no pool.
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Old 01-24-2009, 07:40 PM
 
Location: 89113
101 posts, read 313,713 times
Reputation: 45
#$&%@#$(%&

831 dollars!?!?!
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Old 01-24-2009, 07:58 PM
 
Location: Kailua Kona, HI
3,199 posts, read 13,360,519 times
Reputation: 3421
Sure,if you have
a. Smaller house
b. No pool
c. Less people
d. No 2nd fridge in hot garage
e. Learn to pay attention to what's going on around you in your own house

then, yes, you electric bill would be less. By the way, your pump should be running several hours per day, probably 6 to 8 during the night "just in case" exposed pipes could freeze even in Vegas. More in summer and during the day.

If you install timers, florescent light bulbs, have new energy efficient appliances that will also help. Personally I would get a smaller house WITH a pool cause it sucks in LV without one.

good luck!
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Old 01-24-2009, 08:31 PM
 
1,558 posts, read 4,770,494 times
Reputation: 1105
Putting solar screens on the windows help too.
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Old 01-24-2009, 08:47 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas, NV
2,990 posts, read 8,691,508 times
Reputation: 1516
Running a pool pump makes a big difference. Pool pump motors eat up a lot of juice, most of them are using around 3 kilo watts per hour. Make sure your pool guy sets your timer to run at night for 4-6 hours max in the winter (coldest part of the day to prevent freezing). But if your moving to a house without a pool, it will be cheaper.
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Old 01-24-2009, 08:50 PM
 
Location: Kailua Kona, HI
3,199 posts, read 13,360,519 times
Reputation: 3421
Oh yes, good point. I had forgotten about that. We had solar screens on all our windows of the 2nd house we owned in LV, plus double paned windows, and awnings on the west side. Just like dealing with the cold back East; the more cold (or heat) you prevent from entering your home in the first place, the better off you are. Obvious, a few tall trees helps as well as grass right around the house. Even with low water landscaping you can have several feet turf around the house and for instance, the Arizona Ash, or a pine (can't think of the type but not the huge ones) around to further mitigate the heat.
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Old 01-25-2009, 12:59 AM
 
1,365 posts, read 4,461,383 times
Reputation: 453
Depends on where the house sits. We had a one story, 1500 square foot house, and our power bill bill was more then what we have now, which is a two story, 1800 square foot home.
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Old 01-25-2009, 01:16 AM
 
Location: Somewhere.
10,481 posts, read 25,222,387 times
Reputation: 9120
eapeas, if my power bill were $831, I'd probably have a heart attack!
My highest in August is around $150. I'm in a 2-story 1558 sf home. I'm miserly when it comes to a/c. And heat. It's set on 82-84 depending on the time of day/night. Winter is set at 68 all season.

Your bill will definitely drop considerably in your own place, and it also depends on how high or low you set your a/c that determines what you will pay in the hottest months.
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Old 01-25-2009, 01:55 PM
 
Location: Here and there, you decide.
12,908 posts, read 27,907,492 times
Reputation: 5051
where do you buy the solar screens and approximately, what do they cost... if the screen is on, how bad is the view obstructed, considering i love my views (mountains one side, strip the other) and would not give them up
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