Electric bills in Portland (apartment, rentals, appliances)

[lookinforhorseparadise]

In my extensive search, I have now come across several apartment buildings that told me electric alone would run from $100 to $150 a month for one person in a one bedroom...this is without any method of air conditioning and NO washer and dryer in the unit. These are somewhat older buildings, but certainly not the oldest by far. Both also told me if I wanted a/c then I could buy it and of course then the bill would really shoot up. I find it odd for a downtown high rise to be making people buy their own a/c units, especially since improper units could be dangerous if they fall out windows, etc But my point is that when you add in the high electric these places are really no bargain. On the other hand, the "green" buildings almost all come with a washer and dryer and do have a/c and they claim the electric bills stay $50 or less.
Here is one of the buildings with high electric bills:
2020 BUILDING Apartment Rentals

[oldtintype]

I find that amount difficult to believe. Are they saying electric or utilities? They may be adding water, gas and electricity all together. Otherwise I can't see how one person in a one bedroom apartment could possibly run things up that high. We had three people in a non-energy efficient building and I think the highest it ever was was $95 in the winter. Even $150 for water/gas/electric is high for a single person in a small unit.

[Haley James]

I find that to be high as well. I live in a renovated vintage building in Northwest with a washer, dryer and dishwasher in the unit and my electric bill runs between $25.00-$45.00 depending on the month.

[classicanne]

Yes, that does seem high, though it will vary according to the season. My daughter and I live in a 1000 sq ft townhouse, no washer or dryer, but my portable AC unit, as I've mentioned. I have electric heat and stove. My electric bill, running the AC as I need it, in summer is about $45. In the coldest months when having to use the heat the bill is sometimes in the $90 range. This complex was built in 1969 and is not energy efficient, by any means. I think I'd keep looking, if I were you.

[karlsch]

Looking at the pictures I see flimsy aluminum windows that probably have no insulating qualities.

I also see electric baseboard heaters that can cost maybe $1.50 per 10 hours of use. In a month, this can add up.

[oldtintype]

I had those in my last apartment and still never got that high! I wonder if they are billed thru their own accounts or if the building bills people directly. Seems fishy.

[psichick]

Most places I looked at (not near downtown) all say you can have an a/c unit that you supply. It's just a normal thing here, IMHO.

If you want to know how much it really will be, call PGE. No matter what everyone says, that'll give you more of a realistic view since it is the last tenants usage. Many people said my bill should be pretty low. When I called to start up my service, they told me the average for the warm season ranged from $50-150. And for the colder season, $100-250. That is per month. So what, average is $75-200/month year-round. That's not "low" to me.

Maybe you can call PGE and find out. Good luck. I'm hoping my bill won't be as high as the previous tenant.

[oldtintype]

Do these people run their heaters 24 hours per day? It just amazes me that they could be that high.

[psichick]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Do these people run their heaters 24 hours per day? It just amazes me that they could be that high.

I agree. In my case, I guess we'll see when I get my electric bill if the guy that lived here before me was from the sun.

[skiffrace]

You can estimate your bill in advance. It takes a bit of arithmetic, but not too much.

1. Get the rate per kWh (kilo watt per hour)
PGE has several different plans, here is a link to 'time of day pricing'
Time Of Use: Pricing | PGE

I believe that the 'fixed rate' is ~7¢/kWh. I don't have my PGE bill in front of me, so can't say the exact figures.

2. Add-up the various appliances you have in your apartment.
Ex. typical LED bulb uses about 10W (1 kW= 100W) So that bulb run for an hour will use 10Wh, which will amount to $0.07*0.1 = $0.007
Electric heaters use typically 1500W, so when you run one for 1 hour, the numbers will be $0.07*15 = $1.05
It's a dramatic difference in cost compared with the light bulb - that's why the electric heat costs so much.

3. The trick is to estimate how much each energy source will be used (ex. 4 bulbs for 8h per day each etc.)
PGE also has a flat 'service charge' that is added to the usage, and remains the same regardless of how much you use.