What is up with our electric bill? (Howe, Blessing: apartments, buying a house)

[lulubee]

We moved from California to Texas and currently live in a one bedroom apartment. We were originally told that the "average" of electricity would be in the $60.00 range...we have yet to have a bill in that range. Our electric bill is now in the $200+ range, and we are wondering if this is average for a one bedroom apartment in the summer? We run our central air off and on through the day, and turn it off at night. We've been assuming it's our building and an older, non-energy efficient a/c unit, but now we are wondering if there is something we are doing to cause such a high cost.

[ChristieP]

First, quit turning off the a/c! It has to run harder to catch up when you turn it back on. If you don't want it on all the time, set your thermostat to 80 so at least it will keep the temperature moderated.

Most apartments are notoriously poorly insulated, and they have old/inefficient a/c units. There's not much you can do about this.

[hypocore]

First, check your rate per KWH and see if you can find a better deal.

Second, check into average billing to see if it will work for you.

Third, the more electronic equipment you have the more they add up. See what you can live without or replace for energy efficient if possible (like the dryer if you have in in your apt)

My older daughters are both in 1 bedroom apts and don't use the a/c much. Their electric bill will definitely be higher during the summer because they are both teachers and home more hours during then versus during the school year. However I don't think either one has ever hit $200. I know that during the winter their bills were closer to 70ish.

[Barefoot Daisy]

Sorry, but a home AC does not run harder to catch up (it is a one-speed motor that cannot run harder .. it runs at one speed) check the EnergyStar.gov website for tips on energy savings .. you'll find that many of the old myths caused higher usage. It is important to program your thermostat so that your AC isn't running constantly while you're not there (but don't let it get too high .. on 100+ degree days, yes, it will run while you're not there). Put any chargers and electronics that have some light on while not actually being used onto power strips and turn them off when not in use .. close blinds during the day, or install insulated drapes for daytime use in the summer and nighttime use in the winter .. there are a lot of things you can do to save.

[lulubee]

We are really good about turning things off and unplugging items that are not in use. We had a similar problem when using our central heat, and the bill was just as high. We were told by one of our maintenance guys that turning the heat on was like firing up 100 light bulbs all at one, and that he and his wife used space heaters. We ended up getting a space heater that helped tremendously. I can't imagine not using the a/c here, and fans only do so much to keep it cool. We will check out different electric companies for sure. Thanks for the input!

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by Barefoot Daisy

Sorry, but a home AC does not run harder to catch up (it is a one-speed motor that cannot run harder .. it runs at one speed)

right, but it will have to run continuously for an hour to catch up vs. just cycling normally if you'd just increased the temperature on the thermostat.

[Barefoot Daisy]

Thermostat Set Back Myth

Top Energy (and Money) Saving Thermostat Tactics | KQED QUEST

The Straight Dope: Does turning down the thermostat at night save energy?

http://bluestemelectric.com/document...ent_ID_343.pdf

If You Think Thermostat Setbacks Don't Save Energy, You're Wrong!

Blessings ..

[jbb303]

There's a good chance that, being that you're in an apartment, it has nothing to do with your own usage. In the last apartment I lived in before buying a house, our electric bills were wildly inconsistent and never reflected typical patterns that I've had in a house. We had bills in the $50-$75 range from July to September and then had bills approaching $200 during the much milder fall months. The managers could never really offer up an explanation that made sense and since we were only in the apartment for about 6 months, we didn't have a lot of heart to put up much of a fight.

[dbbd]

wow....we're in a 3K sq ft house and just had a $200 bill averaging 74-76 degrees. Something is definitely wrong in your situation.

But, look at the bright side, at least it's not $1.3 million dollars.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow...165517099.html

[LonestarAlaskan]

I have a three bedroom apartment with 2 people living in it, and I pay approx $50 for electricity every other Friday when I run my A/C alot. Otherwise, the bill is considerably lower. What I've noticed by looking at my charges on a daily basis is that electronics hardly affect the price at all. I'd say 85% of my bill is A/C.

Luckily my apartment is fairly well insulated, and has a newer A/C unit. Otherwise I'd be in big trouble, because it gets super hot on the third floor.

If you are paying $200 for a one bedroom, you're either being charged for KW that are not yours, or your A/C Unit is old and inefficient. Or you have paper thin walls.