Oh My Got my Electric Bill Today (2010, heat pump)

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by LeeB

I would hope we don't have squatters .... People have been watching the house for us...

I am not sure what kind of heat it is. I know the house was built in 03 and it is a unit on the side of the house. The girl I talked to yesterday said that on 1-20-08 when it was 9 degrees the house used 107 KWH @ 8:00am and that it used 26 KWH normally. She said that they read my meter via digital readout. This is so hard being 2500 miles away.

Sounds like you have a heat pump (which is good).

It may have just been a combination of things . . . perhaps a longer than average billing cycle and colder than average weather. It still sounds high for a small house with the thermostat set low and no one living there.

It isn't that the electric rates are too high (relatively speaking). You are paying about $.08 per KWH as well as I am.

[46Barb]

Have someone check out the thermostat.

A week ago, we took out a maintenance contract on the heat/ac unit. When the service guy checked the termostat, it was heating with Alernate Heat source which draws a lot of electricity.

Looks like the setting somehow changed (due to a power outage?) and instead of the Alternate Heat kicking in if the heat went below 4 degees of our setting, it was kicking in after only being 2 degrees below our heat setting.

The service guy changed the termometer so at 2 degrees below the setting, the regular heat kicks in. ONLY if the heat goes 4 degrees below the setting, the Alternate Heat will kick in.

Our bill went up an additional $100 due to using the Alternate Heat for a month.

Our normal bill for heating a 2,300 sq ft house is $125 a month set at 68 during the day and 64 at night.

If you need any more info, ask me. I live in Cottontown right next to Portland.

[46Barb]

Lee,

As far as the landfill goes, each county has their own that residents use. For Sumner County, where Portland is located in, the landfill is in Gallatin. From Portland, you would take Route 109 south into Gallatin.

Gallatin is also where you go to get your car inspected and get license plates (tags) for your car.

Barb

[Cruikshl]

Maybe it's the hot water heater sucking up the watts

[LeeB]

Thanks Alleycat and Barb and Cruishi.. We just got off the phone with CEMC and she said that it could have been the heat pump kicking in because it was so cold. (She is going to send us a temp chart) She also said like Barb was saying it could be the stat. I turned down the water when I was there in December but you have a good point....

Thanks for the landfill information... I know where Gallatin is and will have to check it out.......

[alleycat]

Next question, Lee. Have you had a wood store or fireplace before? And have you bought firewood before?

[bran_smith]

We have the same eletric company, and we live in a very small apt. not even close to 1000sq feet and out bill was in the low 100 range..and we keep it 72 in out place...I know their rates went up some..I dont think you bill should be that hight with it being 50 in there.. does it have a up stairs thermostat..if soo check it, they may be different....

[MontanaGuy]

I just moved here from Phoenix and I was surprised at how much my electric bill was. I just got my first bill for a full month and it was $210. According to the bill I used 2637 KWH which is two and a half times as much as I normally used in Phoenix. My problem is that I hate being cold so I'm hoping that once it warms up it will drop significantly. This has me wondering if my all electric heat is an outdated and inefficient unit. I would also like to hear information about using a wood burning stove. In many cities it's not allowed because of the pollution or it's at least restricted on days that have pollution advisories. I know that was the case when I lived in Denver. By the way I have my thermostat set at 75 which is cool for me because I had it set at 79 in Phoenix. I know that seems hot to many people but if it gets below that I'm just freezing.

[Bones]

MontanaGuy, I heat entirely with a wood stove. Got the heatpump set at 62° in case I'm not home for some reason...

[Rainna]

Originally Posted by MontanaGuy

I just moved here from Phoenix and I was surprised at how much my electric bill was. I just got my first bill for a full month and it was $210. According to the bill I used 2637 KWH which is two and a half times as much as I normally used in Phoenix. My problem is that I hate being cold so I'm hoping that once it warms up it will drop significantly. This has me wondering if my all electric heat is an outdated and inefficient unit. I would also like to hear information about using a wood burning stove. In many cities it's not allowed because of the pollution or it's at least restricted on days that have pollution advisories. I know that was the case when I lived in Denver. By the way I have my thermostat set at 75 which is cool for me because I had it set at 79 in Phoenix. I know that seems hot to many people but if it gets below that I'm just freezing.

We don't like being cold either. Our bill last month was $204. We keep our thermostat setting at 78 during the day and 68 at night. Sometimes I get cold and turn my heat up to 80. We used 2562 kwh last month. I sure dread seeing my bill this month. Our home is 1600 sq. ft. and 2 of the bedrooms we don't heat. My heat furnace is 11 years old. I'm wondering to if it is outdated. I don't know what the avg. span is for furnaces but surely it more than 11 years. I hope anyway.