Electric bill in Az very expensive (Phoenix, Flagstaff: houses, water heater, utilities)

[DellNec]

Originally Posted by shiraz72

Thanks this is great help, my husband likes to keep the electric on about 72 degrees year round. And we are not going with a pool for sure.

72F during a Phoenix summer is going to cost you or it might prove to be impossible. A properly built, sized, and maintained residential A/C system will allow a 30-40 degree difference between outside and inside temperatures. So if it is 115F outside, it will give you a range of 75F-85F interior temps. If you want 72F during a 115F+ Phoenix day, your AC unit will be pushed beyond its limits. Especially if the home is older and is poorly insulated. When you get into 45 degree+ temperature differentials, you are getting into high dollar or commercial A/C units.

MOST people in Phoenix keep their interior temps around 78F during peak summer. Some even go to 80F but anything over 80F starts to get hot. You husband will most likely not be able to see 72F, unless you get a top dollar AC unit and run it all day long.

Originally Posted by shiraz72

Btw when you say older homes what year would that be? what year on would be considered newer? We are going to buy a one story approx 1200 sq foot.

1,200 sqft is small so most likely it will be easier to cool in the summer depending on the AC setup. As far as age, "older" would be pre-2002. That would mean anything 10 years or older is going to have a failing or outdated AC system. That is about the life expectancy of AC systems in Phoenix. Just budget around $4K - $10K for an updated AC system.

[shiraz72]

How long do ac units last? how many years before you have to replace them?

[Kimballette]

Please keep in mind this is an anonymous internet forum. Just because someone posts here, doesn't mean what they say is accurate. And opinions are like noses - eveyone has one. So please take all extreme opinions with a giant chunk of salt.

[DellNec]

Originally Posted by shiraz72

How long do ac units last? how many years before you have to replace them?

In Phoenix and A/C system is on its death bed by 10 years. Area's like Prescott or Flagstaff can see 15-20 years on their AC systems. I've had friends in Phoenix that had their AC systems die in 5-7 years but anything 10 years or older is on its last leg.

Just budget around $4K - $10K for an updated AC system. The reason is that the old refrigerant R-22 was used on the older units but it is no longer legal to install R-22, you will be forced to change to R-410a. That is where a lot of costs will hit you.

[theyreinphx]

This is very untrue. I have lived in Arizona for my entire life. I live in Surprise and my house is 2 story, 2900 sf and my electric has never been more than $350.00 in the summer time. I keep it at around 80, sometimes 82. When we have company we crank it down to 78. If you can afford to be cooler than do it but don't complain about it. It is what it is.

[shiraz72]

Well that is great to hear theyreinphx. How old is your home?

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by DellNec

72F during a Phoenix summer is going to cost you or it might prove to be impossible. A properly built, sized, and maintained residential A/C system will allow a 30-40 degree difference between outside and inside temperatures. So if it is 115F outside, it will give you a range of 75F-85F interior temps. If you want 72F during a 115F+ Phoenix day, your AC unit will be pushed beyond its limits.

This info is incorrect - a properly working a/c unit can cool the air in your home 20-30 degrees *per pass* through the a/c unit, and the air can cycle through that a/c unit multiple times per hour.

The only way a given temperature is "impossible" is when the heat gain of your home exceeds the btu capacity of the a/c unit. And you can control that heat gain by insulating, sealing doors & windows, solar screens, etc.

You don't have to live with a 85 degree house here unless you want to.

I keep my 1600 sq/ft home @ 72, sometimes 68 - with the correct rate-plan, new heat-pump & extra insulation, my "worstest" bill ever was ~$275.

Winter bills here run around $100, so the cost of cooling is <$175/mo, at worst. Usually closer to $150.

It's expensive, but so is propane/wood/natural gas in the states that need heat in the winter.

And the heat pump I pulled off the house was 22 years old. Inefficient, but still working.

[oldtrader]

As mentioned above, ceiling fans are a big help. Put one in every room, and you will find that you can enjoy the home at a 5 degree to 10 degree higher setting and saves a lot of money.

Don't go cheap, and get a small one. Get one with at least 42" blade area as it is the most efficient.

The fan does not cool the room, but the flow of air over you makes the air feel a lot cooler.

As to a one story home costing less to heat/cool than a 2 story home. If the homes are both the same square footage with equal type windows and insulation, the 2 story home should cost less than a one story home to heat/cool, due to the much larger roof footprint which is where a lot of the heat enters the home.

[Ponderosa]

The lifetime of an AC unit given above is also incorrect. The mean lifetime of AC units in PHX is 20 years. Most will need some service in that time ranging from capacitors to compressors. But a 10 year old unit is in midlife and, should it fail, you would be looking at repairs as opposed to replacement. You likely would have a 3 ton unit on a 1200 sf house and a new high efficiency unit would set you back about 4K typically. You won't need one for 8-10 years or longer though if you buy a house built in 2000. You may want to consider a home warranty. People have mixed experiences with them, though.

[theyreinphx]

Shira- our home is seven years old. I play the weather game as long as possible. I open windows at night until the lows are too warm. I have the 12-7 plan so I turn up the AC at 12 to 82 and then turn it back down to 78-80 at 7pm. I keep it dark during the day and only run fans when I am in the room. I keep all the doors shut. It's VERY depressing for me during the summer. I like fresh air and lots of light but unfortunately we cannot afford 600-800 per month for our electricity.