Winter electric bill (home, buy, best)

[PhureeKeeper]

I think you can expect to pay 3 times the rate for utilities in the summer vs. in the winter. Perhaps even more.

Once you are established in a residence for a year you can change your utility payment to average out over 12 months. It makes the summers much more tolerable (payment wise)!

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by CheyDee

For two people in an almost 2200 sf single story house with the thermostat set at 70 around-the-clock, we were paying $55-$75/month for gas, (heat, hot water and clothes dryer), and under $100/month for electric from SRP, (with a pool pump).

Curious how new your home is or if you have done any insulation upgrades? I am assuming you are using A/C or A/C with an Evap? We are in a 1200sqft home and even keeping the thermostat at 80 we are over $400 in the summer.

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Curious how new your home is or if you have done any insulation upgrades? I am assuming you are using A/C or A/C with an Evap? We are in a 1200sqft home and even keeping the thermostat at 80 we are over $400 in the summer.

I believe she is referring to her winter bill, not summer, since that is what this thread is all about.

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

I believe she is referring to her winter bill, not summer, since that is what this thread is all about.

Ah...okay that sounds about right then.

[CheyDee]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Curious how new your home is or if you have done any insulation upgrades? I am assuming you are using A/C or A/C with an Evap? We are in a 1200sqft home and even keeping the thermostat at 80 we are over $400 in the summer.

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

I believe she is referring to her winter bill, not summer, since that is what this thread is all about.

That is correct; those are winter bill figures. Summer is another whole ball of wax, but I can tell you we never had a bill as high as $400 in the summer. (We were close a couple of times though.)

[AZ Bound2013]

I am very jealous of everyone. Barely using your heat...I cannot wait to move out there. The winters here are lasting longer and we haven't really had a summer yet because it just keeps raining every day. We are going to be moving there in the next months or two.
Thanks for all of the response everyone. It was very helpful

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by AZ Bound2013

I am very jealous of everyone. Barely using your heat...I cannot wait to move out there.

Be aware that your results may vary. I had never encountered anyone that said that they never or rarely used their heat until I started following the conversations here. I think that most folks turn their thermostats to HEAT for a few months in the winter. We have occasional frost here and the average low temperatures in December, January and February are in the 40s.

[DR2012]

I used heat last year - but someone told me last year the winter was unusually cold? That it's not normally like that?

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Be aware that your results may vary. I had never encountered anyone that said that they never or rarely used their heat until I started following the conversations here. I think that most folks turn their thermostats to HEAT for a few months in the winter. We have occasional frost here and the average low temperatures in December, January and February are in the 40s.

Yes, the OP should remember that it gets legitimately cold to use the heat in the winter here, and that the Phoenix area is not a tropical paradise where we have the luxury of not having to heat your home. Even in Florida (which has even warmer winters than the Phoenix area) people use heat.

[AZ Bound2013]

I was thinking that you would have to use your heat sometime, but just thought that maybe I could use my pellet stove in the winter to supplement the heat. Thank you everyone for letting me know your experiences. Its very helpful.