single story vs. two story a/c bill (appliances, how much)

[nismospec]

Looking into purchasing a home in the near future here in town, but i'm curious if anyone can give me some insight between the differences in their energy bill between a single and two story home during our hot summers.

Ex. what would a single story 1500 sq ft energy bill be vs a two story 1500 sq ft home?
I know there are a ton of variables with temperature, electricity use, etc. but my assumption is that a two story house is more expensive to cool than a single story. Just trying to ballpark how much.

[bigtexan99]

I can't give you hard numbers, but yes, the power will be more. Also, just due to physics, the bottom floor will be colder than the top floor. (heat rises). So unless you have 2 AC units, it will be harder to cool the top floor during the summer.

Another factor is the garage. If the master bedroom is over the garage, then you have a hot garage and possibly 2 hot cars in there radiating heat into the floor of the 2nd story bedroom. It can be miserable.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

My house is one story, 1550 sq ft, 3 years old. I keep the ac set at 72. During the summer, my bill is just under $200.

(maybe some other people will tell you how much theirs is in a 2 story and you can compare)

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom

My house is one story, 1550 sq ft, 3 years old. I keep the ac set at 72. During the summer, my bill is just under $200.

(maybe some other people will tell you how much theirs is in a 2 story and you can compare)

My house is 2095 Sq Ft, 14 years old two story with one A/C unit upstairs (3-year old Trane 4 Ton 15 Seer). I keep the thermostat at 79 (anything less is very cold). I average around $160 during the summer running all day with two people at home. Don't forget, CPS raises electric rates during the summer.

[en28so]

I have a 1556 Sq ft home built last year and my bill is $75 a month with three occupants. I keep my a/c at 77 during the day and 76 during the night. I have a coworker with a 2000 sq ft two story home with cathedral ceiling (which is the hardest to cool from from what I have been told) and his bill is $200 a month.

[Azure110]

I have 1900 sq ft single story home built in 1956. Electric bill is usually around $170 - $200 a month during the summer.

That is with no attic, no insulation, and single pane windows! (I think having so many trees with shade keeps my bill down)

I love my mid century home on a huge lot.

I wouldn't trade it for a poorly built newer homes on tiny lots at all.

[nismospec]

so ballpark $200, err on the highside. That's more/less what I was looking for. Thanks for the insight. Never thought about the garage being under the bedroom, good thought.

I was just checking to see if the difference was extreme. single story $200, two story $400/mo.
If it's in the ballpark of a $50-$75 difference, that's better than I thought.

Budgeting, budgeting, budgeting. Thanks for the advice!

[elnina]

1480 sq home, 60 years old, only partially insulated, but ridge roof, white shingles, and new windows. New A/C 15 SEER. All energy saving appliances and light bulbs.
77F in Summer, 70F in Winter. Peak Saver thermostat. One person household. Home cooking and computer on 24/7
Summer electric bill is under $100, in Winter around $50.

[Chaka]

1600 SF. 120 yrs old, single pane windows (8ft x 3ft) and 12 foot ceilings. Single Story. Insulated attic and partially insulated walls. A/c unit is 9 years old, 14 SEER. Lots of mature trees shading the house. Set ~80F most of the time. Summer, usually $100-150.

[Readerfeeder]

3400 sq ft. 2-story ...can't stand it higher than 74 in summer. Our June-Sept bill is around $300-350. The rest of the year it's around $150