Electricity bill costs in Phoenix?

[viridianforest]

What insulation? The newer homes in some Phoenix suburbs I have been to were said to be "better insulated", but forget to turn on or leave the AC on before the sun comes up, you will feel like you are roasting. On a 120 degree day, I could touch the wall from the inside that the sun is shining on and it felt pretty warm. Electricity bills easily sky rocket. I can't recall the square footage of the place we rented, but electric bills were easily $120+ in the middle of summer. It was a 3BR/2BA.

Some ways to cut these costs will be helpful in more ways than one:

1. Look into the most cost effective savings plan and use your appliances between the hours where electricity is cheapest.

2. Get heavy, blackout curtains, they will keep the majority the heat out and the cool in. These will help keep the cold out in the winter, too.

3. Don't run the oven on super hot days when the sun is up. It will get roasting and easily heat up faster than your AC can cool the house down. Either grill outside (which may not be fun in the heat), make meals that don't require heat (salads, sandwiches, cold soups, etc), or make meals the night before and eat leftovers during the day.

4. It might sound crazy, but spray the roof with the garden hose. This can bring down the temperature inside down a little bit.

5. Keep ice packs and wrap a rag or towel around them to place near you if you feel too hot.

6. Don't leave blinds/curtains, windows, or doors open as it will let heat in.

7. You may want to crack the garage door a bit so air can circulate, but keep the door to the house closed.

8. Don't leave a lot of appliances on, they generate more heat than you think. Often times televisions, game consoles, and computers can make a room hot in no time. Mimimalize usage and if you aren't using it - it probably doesn't need to be on.

9. Try not to use hot water if your water heater is inside. It may add a little bit of heat to the house.

10. Keep your AC well maintained. I can't say how many times I've seen poorly maintained AC's and then they generate more electricity because it's struggling to cool. It may be well worth the investment to have it checked each year before the summer hits to be sure it has enough coolant and the parts are working efficiently. Maybe better than having it break on you in the middle of 120 degree weather. Thankfully, if it is 95 degrees outside and your AC is out, it is considered an "emergency", and companies are obligated by law to come out and fix it.

11. Make sure doors and windows have weather stripping to keep the cool in.

[trevo11]

Electricity shouldn't be a deterrent. With some.planning, your electrical bill should be very affordable. Our house is 2300 sf, single story built in 2009. We have two AC units, which is an overkill, we keep it at 76 degree, and we run the pool pump for 8 hours a day. Because we're on a 7-7 plan, our bill is the same all year around, $200/month.

[john from atlanta]

moving to Surprise AZ in Apartment what is the average electric bill

[john from atlanta]

1200 sq foot 3rd floor unit, is there a large difference between 3rd floor and 1st floor.

[kell490]

Depends on how you run it if your gone most of the day no pets leave it at 85F save lot of money. My neighbor he used to the heat, so he leaves his AC at 83 all the time. If it's an older apartment probably older AC unit, and not much insulation. I'm sure the 1st floor is less heat, but also easier for someone to break in when your not home. I would guess be around $150 a month this part of the year and $80 in the winter. I'm just guessing.

[yukon]

Originally Posted by john from atlanta

moving to Surprise AZ in Apartment what is the average electric bill

I'm in Mesa, power from SRP, I'm on the Mpower (prepaid) so it's the same rate at all times. I have about 1,000 sf with vaulted ceiling, upstairs. I'm on a corner with west, north and east facing walls. I also turn the water heater off most of the day, it's on for about an hour, maybe 1.5 hr during the day. Most summer cooking is via crock pot. I try to change the A/C filters monthly and blinds on the west facing patio window are closed during the summer. I work from home and have the computers/printers on most of the day. I keep the day temp at about 78-79 with fans running and night time I drop it to 67-68. My bill in the summer averages $150-$160 (max) and off-season it's $40-$60.

I was keeping the day temp at 82, but it was taking too long to cool down the apartment at night, and the power bill was pretty much the same both ways. If I was on a time of use plan, I'd precool the house in the a.m. and not use the A/C during the 3 peak afternoon hours.