[brfitzp]

So I'm buying a new home that is twice as big as the apartment I currently live in. It's a 2 story four bedroom home and a little over 2000 sq feet.


I currently live in a 2 bedroom, 1100 sq ft apartment, my current electric costs are at most $130 and thats only in the summer because I keep the AC on 71 at night time and 75 in the day.

In the new home there are two AC units and i'm concerned it will cost much more in electric to live there.
Could anyone with a similar size home in florida share their energy costs?

[StarfishKey]

I can't give you estimates because my house is closer to the size of your apt. and I pay more like $80/mo on average (more in summer and less in winter), but your electric company website will give you plenty of tips for keeping costs down. Consider that you don't have to keep the A/C running on both floors all the time unless someone's actually using the space. Keeping the blinds/curtains down in bedrooms or rooms you're not in during the day can also help a lot. You should definitely cycle the A/C through all the spaces regularly to prevent mold, but you can do it only once a day, or keep it on but at a higher temp for the areas less used.

I work from home so am here all the time, which unfortunately runs up the electric. But I counter that by keeping the daytime temp somewhere around 84, but keeping multiple fans going to both circulate air and to aim at me so I feel much cooler than it is. It may sound odd, but keeping hydrated or sucking on frozen organic grapes or other fruit like bananas, or juice pops or flavored ice cubes, all day also keeps you feeling pretty cool without the house being cold. Another possibility is to block off airflow to just one room or several, and run an Energy Saver rated window A/C if you're really only in one or two rooms most of the time. There are may other tips, including making sure your unit is serviced properly, roof colors, using the shade of trees, insulating windows, etc. that the electric company will be expand on.

71 is very low at night for Florida summer time. I would really consider a fan in bedrooms while the A/C is on maybe 76, or window units (depending on how many bedrooms need to be that cold at night), rather than paying to freeze the entire house if only one or two rooms need to feel like that temp over night. There are lots of way to stay cool with a lower cost. And yes, if you're willing, putting a bag of ice of frozen vegetables in a bucket right in front of or behind the fan airflow does work (even if it is a bit on ghetto side). I'd rather save money for something fun than giving it all to the electric company. For the amount of money you're looking at potentially paying for electric for just one month, you could buy a kayak!

[brfitzp]

Thanks, those are some good tips. I will definitely try the fan thing for my bedroom at night. I should probably be doing that now.

[unquiltom]

It depends on which part of Florida you're living in. In south Florida, specifically Miami-Dade, you'll use your AC 365 days a year, while in places like Tallahasee or Jacksonville, you may need to run the heater for a few weeks a year.
My home, in SW Miami-Dade, is a little more than 2000 sq ft and my electric bill runs from around $120 to $160 a month. It has gone as high as $195 in a July where I was off work and home for 2 weeks of the month. It's never been below $120 though. Hope that helps.

[Sheepie2000]

I'm in NE FL. Our house is about 2500 sq ft, but it's only one story. Our next electric bill (July) is going to be about $150.00 and that's pretty high for us, even in the summer. We usually keep the a/c at 78F or 79F and outside it's been in the low 90's lately. Of course you'll have 2 units and we only have one. Think about installing ceiling fans. They really do make a difference. Also closing the blinds or curtains when the sun in shining directly in.

[Rabflmom]

Our house is 1 floor, about 1500 sq ft and the bill this month was $185 with FPL. Sometimes in the summer over $200 but so far never more than $280 in the 4 years we have lived here. We are here all day and husband keeps it cool while I wear a sweater(keeps it at 74 or 75). We use the ceiling fans and 1 small fan in addition to the air. We rarely are able to open windows because the house becomes humid even in winter and would never leave them open at night for safety reasons-even though our yard is fenced.
Which company you have might make a difference too. 2 air conditioners will mean bigger bills. Probably can run the one that cools the upstairs less because upstairs will basically be for sleeping. If the house has a pool you have to filter in the cost of running the pumps etc, too.

[lynxville]

You can contact Duke or who ever you have and ask what the previous usage was. Also they give free energy audits and will advise you on how to conserve energy.

[smarino]

You're moving to a 2 story home with two central a/c units? Assuming you live in all areas of the home all the time, I'd guess you'll be paying $200 to $250 a month or more in the summer, since you have double of everything compared to where you're moving from. This is assuming the units are in good condition, the home is properly insulated, etc. What about your water heater and stove/ range? If they're electric too.....