High utility bills in Salem? (Electricity) (co-op, house, heat pump)

[FullArmor]

Hey everyone, during the last little cold snap we just had, PGE states that I have used 406kWh in 8 days. Bill is at $55 already! I live in a newer manufactured home 1300sq ft, with a heat pump & haven't had the thermostat over 70 degrees. Is anyone else using this much electricity in such a short period of time? I do use the oven and stove daily (I cook a lot). Other than that, the lights are all energy efficient & I don't keep them on unless I'm using a particular area of the house. Any feedback appreciated.

[PNW-type-gal]

Well, if you calculate it out by the 100w bulb standard:

406kwh/8 days = 50.75kwh/day

100w bulb x 24 hours = 2.4kwh/day

so that is the equivalent of running about 20 100w bulbs 24 hours a day for 8 days. The usual electricity hogs are: the heating system, the water heater, the dryer. Running the dryer for an hour can be around 1-5kwh depending on how efficient your dryer is.

What is the heat pump rated for? Some heat pumps don't heat well at low temps and switch over to a resistive backup which really eats up the power.

[Billy_J]

Not much more you can do the save electricity. But you can install LED light bulbs in the lights you use most often. Maybe kitchen, living room, outside?

Those bulbs will use like 13 watts to put out 100 watts or light. Note LED lights have different "colors" and you might not want "daylight" on an inside bulb as it is quite bright.

Anyway those bulbs will save year round. Maybe help to offset the cold snap months high bills.

Also wet yourself with the shower, then turn off the water. Soap up, then turn the water back on and rinse. Saves hot water. Hot water can be 30% of an electric bill.

You may be able to skip taking a shower on a weekend day as well. (If not going anywhere.)

Wash clothes in cold water.

[skypros]

I am going to assume that you only have electricity (no gas service) at your home.
$55 for 8 days in this cold weather sounds CHEAP!!! Your home sounds like it is very energy efficient, And in all honestly If you try and conserve.... You will probably only knock a few $ off per month.

I live in a completely different climate than you..... But the last 8 days..... I used 966 Kwh in my 1268 sf built in 1979 all electric home. Only thing that saves me is that my electric company is a co-op and we pay roughly 40% less than PGE rates.

I say just do what you are doing and enjoy your comfortable home in the winter time.

[Larry Caldwell]

Your top electrical use comes from heating water. If you install solar hot water, you will cut your electric bill in half over the course of a year. Second comes heat. A heat pump is not very efficient when temperatures drop toward freezing. A secondary heat source like a wood stove or pellet stove will save you some money, though not much if you have to buy fuel. If you have your own wood lot, wood heat is a nice thing, particularly in power outages.

Probably the best thing you can do is an energy audit (the power company will do it) and upgraded insulation, doors and windows. Sliding glass doors are big energy hogs. I upgraded my 1700 sf. house a decade ago, use a heat pump with wood heat, and our electric bills for only two people still run $200/month. I know people who pay almost 3x that for heat in the winter, so am pretty content.

[FullArmor]

Thanks for all the replies. I lowered the thermostat a couple degrees and it has made a usage difference. At least according to the PGE website. I'm thinking an insulating blanket for the water heater and some LED bulbs would help. Thanks for the suggestions!