An example of yearly utility expenses for a 1,500 sq/ft North Raleigh area home (Henderson: renter, houses)

[mdp_az]

Thanks NRG! I think one thing that helps a lot is that we have a very open house and get a lot of natural light. During summer months, we don't need to use lights much at all.

We keep the house pretty warm in summer. Upper-70s when we're home and low-80s when away. However, my wife is home Fridays, and I usually work from home one or two days per week. We also use ceiling fans when we're in a room to help keep a bit cooler...especially at night. In the winter, the ceiling fan in the two-story family room is always on, helping keep the warm air down where we need it most. Thermostat is 70 when home, 65 at night and when away in winter.

If we planned to stay in this house for more than a few more months, I'd invest a small amount in the following projects to help bring our utility use down even more:

Better insulate exterior doors against drafts: $50
Insulate all outlet & lightswitch boxes on exterior walls: $25
Install recirculating hot water pump: $250
Install extra-low-flow showerheads (1.5 gpm): $100
Install dual-flush toilets (3): $750
Rain barrels (2): $150

Oh well, at least I'll have a to-do list once we move. Well, after I hang pictures and window treatments, paint a few rooms, get new furniture, etc...

[solarity]

Originally Posted by mdp_az

Once we move, I think I'll switch to Vonage or another VOiP to save a few bucks. I'll also probably give satellite a good look and consider a package deal.

We are doing the same thing. We're going to be moving to a 2215sqft house (currently in a townhouse 1150sqft). Our average electric bill currently is $60 but no gas heat. The new house will have gas and electric. We also have the same TW package for $110 but really need to rethink this...I mean thats $1320/year..kind of scary but my husband is a major sports buff and needs all of the cable sports channels. We are also thinking of switching to RR Lite which is a lot cheaper than the basic RR package (I think the cheapest is $25/month by default people are signed up with the most expensive). When we move we will consider dish packages, anyone have this for less than TWC?

My plan is to drop one of the cell phones and convert the other to a pay per minute phone (around $100 a year is what I've been told). Then go with a limited minutes vonage which I believe is around $20/month but might have to analyze my minutes usage to determine if we need the unlimited for $30.

I'm really trying to make my budget as cost-effective as possible..

We're also going to be insulating our garage door and putting a radiant barrier in the roof. But won't have the dual zone a/c and such (at least I don't think so..its new construction and not sure what they put in, guess that is a good question to ask).

[alice_61]

NRG,

I think your house has room for improvement. The electricy bill for our 1967 all-electric 1100 sqft very leaky ranch, occupied by 2 adults and one child is less than your combined gas and electric bill. Our highest bill since we moved in June was for August ($105). We have all compact fluorescents. We had an energy audit done last summer by Bill Klotz (Raleigh) but we haven't made most of the suggested improvements yet. Most of them are to the duct system and the front door. We look forward to making the improvements and comparing the energy bills. We improved our old home in Pennsylvania and saved a lot on heating oil (~850 down to 550 gallons/year). Energystar.gov has a lot of information about energy audits and improvements.

Also NC has a substanial 35% income tax credit on solar hot water heaters, passive and active solar heating, and photovoltaics through 2010. The federal gov't has 30% tax credits on solar hot water and photovoltaics through the end of 2008. (NCSEA Resources/Tax Credits and Incentives and DSIRE: DSIRE Home)

[ibeg4sushi]

Maybe you could install some openable skylights in some rooms like high entryways or kitchens (where there is alot of heat). Just a thought. Also, where can one buy a rain barrel?

NRG what about your window insulation? I know it's a newer home of 6 years, but I think American brand windows tend to be pretty skimpy. I am going to look into something on this for you....

I remember someone recently mentioning putting buckets in the shower with you during the drought if you have a vegetable garden to water during the drought.

[ibeg4sushi]

Okay, NRG I found a German website that shows some examples of the kinds of windows (Fenster, Fenstern) that are found typically in Germany. Keep in mind air conditioning doesn't really happen there, everyone uses their windows and fans. I admit it doesn't always got to hot, but it sure can get REAL COLD!!

Kunststoffenster

I would like to see if there is a company in this country who produces the same types of windows. Once you've had these, you'll look at the others and just laugh.

[lamishra]

We are in a 1550 sq ft house in Cary, built in 1976 and our range looks similar to your in electric and gas, only a litlte higher on electric with 2 kids (I do a lot more laundry and probably more dishes etc). Our house heats fairly well with gas, but the A/C is about to kick the bucket. The hosue doesn't seem to cool as well as it heats. I think our high electric last year was over $200.00 (maybe $220.00) during the hottest part of the summer . Hopefully that will come down when we get a new unit. I also think it might have to do with the fact that the kids and I are all HOME in the summer (I have summers off).
I would say gas is about the same (we also have a gas fireplace and gas water heater) and water may be a bit higher, but when I ad din the extra baths/showers, dishes, and laundry for 2 kids, I would say it's roughly equivalent.

[bta]

NRG - we must really think alike. My wife and I put our utility bills in Excel last week. We just never thought to post them until we saw your post. So here they are:

Background Info:

Our house is located in Cary
Our house is 1 year old, around 3,675 sq/ft, and has an unheated garage
Two adults no children (1 dog)
Gas heat downstairs, gas water heater, gas cooktop, gas fireplace (seldom used)
Electric oven, clothes dryer, heat upstairs, and central air conditioning

We keep the thermostat at 71 in the winter and 72-73 in the summer. My wife and I both work from home so we're at home running utilities all day everyday.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

bta,

Thanks for sharing your numbers. You have a very efficient house! That is so cool and a real testament to the quality of your home IMO.

I'm sure that just like mdp_az's numbers, that they will be very helpful to others looking to buy similarly sized homes in the Triangle. I must say I have really learned a lot from this thread myself.

I am inspired now by these results and need to get to work and figure out ways to improve my homes heating and cooling efficiency!

Again, thanks for sharing your info. It is very helpful!

[TexRob]

May 2007 $53.43
June 2007 $132.78
July 2007 $180.59
August 2007 $180.59
September 2007 $166.32
October 2007 $138.28
November 2007 $115.57
December 2007 $137.65
January 2007 $176.97


We moved into our home in May of 2007. It is 2730 sq feet, two story, up and downstairs AC units, and no gas, all electric. I think our numbers look pretty good considering we are all electric. We keep the house at 69-70 when the AC is running and 67 when the heat is running. The two months back to back with identical amounts is fishy, I had never noticed that before.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Anybody on the forum live in a 100 year old historic house in a neighborhood like Oakwood or Boylan Heights? Interested in sharing your numbers?

I am very curious how those older homes do with heating and cooling efficiency. I imagine a lot would have to do with whether or not the systems have been upgraded, but still, I often wonder what the utility bills (heating/cooling) are like in a historic home compared to a newer home of equal size.