Average electric bills in the Phoenix area?

[paradiseca]

There are a lot of variables involved on figuring heating and cooling costs. Natural gas wasn't even mentioned and yet most homes will be heated with gas in Phoenix and Tucson. After the gas variable the age of the home and type of construction will have a lot to do with cost. Some of the newer homes were built with a lot of insulation. The older masonry homes have less than an r-2 value in the walls and maybe 6 inches of ceiling insulation if you are lucky. Finally a 1999 home built with a heat pump with a SEER-9 rating will probably cost more to heat and cool than a newer home with a 16-Seer heat pump.

[HX_Guy]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

I have not had the heat on for more than 10 minutes since December. (that 10 minutes was one morning when I woke up to 54 degrees in the house). Place stays at a constant 63-69 degrees and it feels fine. And I still sleep with a fan blowing on me!

In the summer I usually leave the temp at 84 during the day when I am gone, 78-80 when I am home.

Wow you have a pretty wide tolerance...how can both 63-69 and 78-80 be ok?

We keep the AC at 76-77 during the summer and the heat at 75-76 during the winter. I mean it makes sense, doesn't it? But we don't make any other adjustments...same bed cover in the winter and summer, same pjs...or lack thereof.

Speaking of which...the AC just turned on! It's set at 77 in the home office and it got up to 78, so it turned on.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

Wow you have a pretty wide tolerance...how can both 63-69 and 78-80 be ok?

We keep the AC at 76-77 during the summer and the heat at 75-76 during the winter. I mean it makes sense, doesn't it? But we don't make any other adjustments...same bed cover in the winter and summer, same pjs...or lack thereof.

Speaking of which...the AC just turned on! It's set at 77 in the home office and it got up to 78, so it turned on.

I just go by how it feels. Even though it SAYS it is 65 in then house, it feels okay! I just wear slippers and fleece PJ pants and a robe in the evenings if I get cold.

In the summer I'm just too cheap to run the AC much, and 80 feels cool compared to 110 outside

Back in the Midwest I could tolerate quite a bit of heat and humidity before turning on the AC, to the point that I put up with the carpet feeling soggy and anything made of paper feeling limp and wet. I'd let the temp get to the low 80s inside then before turning on the AC. The winters there I would try to keep the heat at 68, again, too cheap to run the (gas) furnace. I'd just bundle up and snuggle with my dogs/cats to stay warm.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by paradiseca

There are a lot of variables involved on figuring heating and cooling costs. Natural gas wasn't even mentioned and yet most homes will be heated with gas in Phoenix and Tucson. After the gas variable the age of the home and type of construction will have a lot to do with cost. Some of the newer homes were built with a lot of insulation. The older masonry homes have less than an r-2 value in the walls and maybe 6 inches of ceiling insulation if you are lucky. Finally a 1999 home built with a heat pump with a SEER-9 rating will probably cost more to heat and cool than a newer home with a 16-Seer heat pump.

True enough, but if someone looking at a 3br of the size OP is considering budgets $200 per month, that is a pretty reasonable ball park figure to work with. My rule of thumb is monthly average cost will be equal to 1/10 the square feet in dollars, of course. So 1800 sf will be around $180. As others have said, summers could be double and winters could be half. You can get a budget plan that makes the payments the same year round, but you have to have history before they will offer that.

[Java Jolt]

Older homes will usually have higher utility costs because the insulation isn't as good and there are repair issues like cracking that allow inside air to escape.

Unless the older home has been remodeled and retrofitted with a modern energy efficient system.

Newer homes have to adhere to current building codes and are much more energy efficient.

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

You won't keep it at 68-70, trust me.

Agreed, most people keep it closer to 80!

OP if you keep it at 68, it'll be like burning money - you may as well just throw it in a fire.

[kell490]

I'm in APS my year around avg is $250 have 1 ac, pool, and hot tub everything is electric no gas. Summer rates go up to $380 winter drops below $200 depends on how cold this year hardly used my heat maybe a week.