Central Florida Power Rates Are Simply Put... Outrageous!! (Orlando, Oviedo: insurance, house)

[marinecorpjason]

I moved to Oviedo almost 6 months ago and got my first electric bill for $650.00 I almost passed out. Granted, we did move into this big 3500' house due a family tragedy and had to take in 5 family members. It was still unbelieavable that $650 is even a possible. I found a new calling and it was a mission to reduce my electric bill. So far I've got it down to $350 and I'm not finished with all my retrofits. I took advantage of the rebates both state and government and waiting for some more incentives.

[chopchop0]

I've found power to be cheaper here than where I was in NY, previously.

» Why Are Electric Rates So High In New York? John Tedder's Random Notes

New york charges you both a supply and a delivery charge.

[llrain73]

Try living in CT....The higest Utility rates in the country until 2011. We just lowered our rates for 2011 so we arent anymore.
that 3500 sq ft could run you 900.00-1000.00 a month.
How do i know, I work for the utility.

[MovedfromFL]

Any tips on how you lowered it that much?

[totsuka]

I think FPL was cheaper for us when we lived in Stuart, FL. It does help to have good insulation in the attic. We bought some new Emerson high efficiency ceiling fans too. I set our a/c based on the humidity level, 48, temp 81, before it kicks on. I use a clothesline too and rarely use the dryer. I tried using cold water for the washer but the clothes seemed to smell a bit so went back to hot. If you have your hot water heater in the garage you might try those new more efficient hot water heaters from Rheem, GE. During the winter we used a space heater at night rather than the a/c heat strip.

It is only going to get more expensive with the current leadership in the White House. They make no bones about it. They want us to suffer because have lived too well in the past.

[keithwand]

For 3,300SF house ours last month was $280. for electric, water and trash.

Home built in 2004 with single pane windows and therm. set at 71 during the day and 63 at night.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by llrain73

Try living in CT....The higest Utility rates in the country until 2011. We just lowered our rates for 2011 so we arent anymore.
that 3500 sq ft could run you 900.00-1000.00 a month.
How do i know, I work for the utility.

Yes but the salaries are more than double in CT. Many people move to FL and don't figure in the cost of running the A/C most of the year.

There are lots of posts on here of sticker shock when they get their utility bill.

FL is not cheap. The COL keeps going up yet you have people making salaries that don't reflect or keep up with the COL.

I was talking to someone who works in an office job at hospital, she told me she is making what she did in the 1980s in another state.

When gas was hitting $4 a gallon, FL was one of the states where people were having the toughest time. As opposed to states that had a higher COL but had higher salaries and higher gas prices.

[Spring Hillian]

All you have to do to figure the actual cost of electricity is to get the rates from your company.
Just find out what it costs PER KILOWATT HOUR. That is the only way to compare rates.
I found Orlando's Orlando Utility Commission to have some really low rates compared to FPL and the others.

One expense you won't have here that you have up north is heating oil.
A homeowner firiend of mine told me he has a 275 gallon tank which costs him more than $800to fill. That was in 2008. With five to six fill ups per winter heating his small Long Island home
rans $4,000 -$5,000 for the winter. In 2009 he was paying $4 -$4.90a gallon or about $1200 to fill the tank once.

I don't care if the salaries are triple up there, after state, federal and city taxes, plus the increased heating costs, yes you also have to cool in the summer, higher insurance rates, higher utility rates, higher COL, the higher salary doesn't go as far as my lower salary here.

[Spring Hillian]

Outrageous? Not at all. Where did you move from???


Here is a sample of per KWH rates around the country....

Orlando: 6.75 cents per KWH (per OUC)

California: 14.21 cents/kWh

Vermont: 15.21 cents/kWh

New York: 17.45 cents/kWh

New Jersey: 15.89 cents/kWh

Connecticut: 20.43 cents/kWh – second highest in the country

Hawaii: 22.19 cents/kWh – highest in the country

The average cost per kilowatt hour in the United States for residential consumption of electricity was, as of April 2009, 11.59 cents/kWh.

So, it looks like FL is really cheaper compared to the rest of the country.
CT is the 2nd highest.


Electric Power Monthly - Average Retail Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State

Originally Posted by marinecorpjason

I moved to Oviedo almost 6 months ago and got my first electric bill for $650.00 I almost passed out. Granted, we did move into this big 3500' house due a family tragedy and had to take in 5 family members. It was still unbelieavable that $650 is even a possible. I found a new calling and it was a mission to reduce my electric bill. So far I've got it down to $350 and I'm not finished with all my retrofits. I took advantage of the rebates both state and government and waiting for some more incentives.

[Spring Hillian]

Was that $650 bill for usage only or did it have the connection charges and account set up fees on it???

Thats a big drop from $650 to $350, so you must be doing something right.

We had a cold December/early Jan and our bill got to 203 this month.
Last go round it was only 119. We did have the 'emergency heat' coming on because the heat pump cannot find enough warm in the cold night air so the resistance heating strips kick on.

Next month it will be back to the $100 area. However, we use a lot of electricity on non-essential things. Aquarium lights, decor lights around the house that come on and off on a schedule.

Originally Posted by marinecorpjason

I moved to Oviedo almost 6 months ago and got my first electric bill for $650.00 I almost passed out. Granted, we did move into this big 3500' house due a family tragedy and had to take in 5 family members. It was still unbelieavable that $650 is even a possible. I found a new calling and it was a mission to reduce my electric bill. So far I've got it down to $350 and I'm not finished with all my retrofits. I took advantage of the rebates both state and government and waiting for some more incentives.