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Actually, my utility bills are about the same as ER. Last month my electric was about $14 and my gas bill was about $9. That includes all monthly base fees and taxes. I am 1 person living in a small 1 BR apt in Orange County. I know some other people in the same situation that have the same utility bills as I do. I have all CFL lighting, a very small refrigerator and I hardly ever use heat or air conditioning. I can't remember the last time I used AC. Maybe a couple of days last September?
Ok, that's the only cheap thing I can think of about living in Southern Cal. Except one other thing, I bicycle commute every work day year round, so I have almost no gasoline expenses. Maybe one tank every 6 weeks or so to cover some weekend errands or excursions.
How small is your unit? Do you have a washer/dryer? Kitchen appliances that you use? Electronics? Etc. How small is a very small refrigerator? Are utilities (like hot water) included in your rent? Or do you have you own water heater?
What is the maximum temp you will allow your unit to get to before you turn on the A/C? Minimum before you turn on the heat? Robyn
If this were my mother - I wouldn't be proud. I'd be appalled. Robyn
My mother died two years ago, she was in her late 80s. She did not carry a medical alert device. I fail to see how her deciding to have or not to have one would be a topic of pride either way.
My father is in his late 80s, he does not have a medical alert. It is his decision. I am not going to second guess him. Perhaps he is too 'proud' to have one of those devices.
I am the chaplain for my VFW post. I know a lot of fairly elderly veterans. On average my post looses one vet each month, I preform most of their funerals. As far as I know, I honestly do not know if any of them have a medical alert device.
A couple years ago, the DOT replaced the bridge that leads to our township. I called our state DOT to discuss their work schedule. In that conversation I learned that they had each of those devices mapped and were very much concerned about public response time to each home. They had set into place a system of work-arounds so that response time was not effected much. At one time I was able to quote their projected response times, today, I forget. But at issue is that there are people who focus on this topic.
The reason for a medic-alert device isn't to prevent your death - but to prevent what this woman went through in terms of getting medical assistance. That old saw - I've fallen and I can't get up - isn't so much fun if you've been on the floor for 2 days with a broken hip and nothing to eat or drink.
I reckon there would be more outrage if a dog went through what this woman in the NYT article went through. Robyn
Actually, my utility bills are about the same as ER. Last month my electric was about $14 and my gas bill was about $9. That includes all monthly base fees and taxes. I am 1 person living in a small 1 BR apt in Orange County. I know some other people in the same situation that have the same utility bills as I do. I have all CFL lighting, a very small refrigerator and I hardly ever use heat or air conditioning. I can't remember the last time I used AC. Maybe a couple of days last September?
Ok, that's the only cheap thing I can think of about living in Southern Cal. Except one other thing, I bicycle commute every work day year round, so I have almost no gasoline expenses. Maybe one tank every 6 weeks or so to cover some weekend errands or excursions.
I have never heard of electrical or gas bills being that cheap and I lived in California most of life. You both must have a tiny teeny place. We lived in a 1700 sq. ft. house without air conditioning but with a new energy efficient heater which is needed during some of the winter in So. California. At the very least ceiling fans are needed during some of the summer even at the beach...inland the heat index can often be at 100 degrees or more.
To live being miserably cold or hot is not my idea of a good life. Average electrical bills for a medium size house like we had run at least $150 a month during the summer - gas bills can be nearly that high in the winter. This is just to maintain a comfortable level of temperature for living. Having children - babies and keeping the inside of your house at 100 degrees or more is dangerous as is keeping your house too cold.
I know that people can live very frugally and often live in tiny little apartments, but in no way is that the norm nor is it a comfortable way in which to live.
I have never heard of electrical or gas bills being that cheap and I lived in California most of life. You both must havea tiny teeny place. We lived in a 1700 sq. ft. house without air conditioning but with a new energy efficient heater which is needed during some of the winter in So. California. At the very least ceiling fans are needed during some of the summer even at the beach...inland the heat index can often be at 100 degrees or more.
To live being miserably cold or hot is not my idea of a good life. Average electrical bills for a medium size house like we had run at least $150 a month during the summer - gas bills can be nearly that high in the winter. This is just to maintain a comfortable level of temperature for living. Having children - babies and keeping the inside of your house at 100 degrees or more is dangerous as is keeping your house too cold.
I know that people can live very frugally and often live in tiny little apartments, but in no way is that the norm nor is it a comfortable way in which to live.
I guess you didn't read my post. I live in a two-bedroom plus loft, two and a half bath townhouse. The master bedroom is generous in size, but the guest bedroom is not. The living room/dining area is of reasonable size - not huge but not small either. I am certainly not miserably cold nor miserably hot, although I don't heat and cool to the extent that some people do; I heat and cool to the point where I am comfortable. My place is never 100 degrees inside. I cool to between 80 and 85, and I use techniques like opening the windows at night to reduce waste of electricity.
It doesn't matter what your bills were - I am explaining that different cities have different electric rates and I am telling you what I pay. You keep repeating that since you had bills of a certain amount, then everybody must either have the same bills or be miserable. Not so at all. Have you taken into account that I explained that I am divorced and live alone? I don't do a whole lot of cooking either. Please examine the reasons why you would post insults such as the one in your final paragraph above. Do you feel threatened by the information that utility rates can vary considerably even within the same state?
Orange County is one of the most expensive counties in California. I do remember quite clearly that there are numerous taxes - city, county, temporary, etc. that are listed on utility bills. I know how hot it gets in Orange County in the summer since I lived about 1 mile from the county line and have numerous friends who live in Orange County where the tax rates on almost everything are higher than Los Angeles County. There can be periods of extreme heat in the summer in Orange County...I have spent plenty of time at the beach and places like Tustin and Brea. I went to school in Fullerton - miserable during the Summer - air conditioning is a must in some of those inland areas of Orange County. I understand that you don't use your air conditioning but I am here to tell you that I know from living and working in Orange County for many years before I moved to Long Beach that living without air conditioning would be miserable. The multitude of taxes, general charges and various fees attached to any electrical bill in Orange County are going to be more than what you state that you pay. Perhaps you get a reduced rate for some reason - I don't know. My very frugal grandmother lived in Costa Mesa in a 1 bedroom apartment - she died 15 years ago and her electric and gas bills were more then than what you say you pay now - that just doesn't make sense to me. Something is missing from your explanation. I'm not trying to insult you - what you are stating doesn't make sense. The basic charges before the addition of electrical use is more than what you say you pay.
I live in the SF Bay Area and no one in my area had A/C until one invalid neighbor had it put in... so maybe 1 in 200 homes if that?
2400 square foot home... summer, gas and electric about $70... winter, about $150.
I knew early on that I cannot take the heat and will never willingly choose to live anywhere dependant on A/C and I maintain Hospital A/C systems that run 24/7.
Cost of utilities is a valid consideration when looking to relocate.
Cattknap, I have copied and pasted the information below from my web login from my latest SCE (Southern California Edison) bill for you. In the past month, I used 140 kilowatt hours of electricity. The outdoor temperature has not exceeded 90 degrees farenheit (32C) hardly at all so far this summer. I have not used any air conditioning yet. It has not gotten above 80 degrees farenheit in my apartment maybe because it is surrounded by other apartments that probably turn on their AC more than I do. It has been refreshingly cool every evening and every morning, so far this summer. Open windows and a small fan are fine.
Basic charge 30 days x $0.02200 $0.66
Energy-Summer
Tier 1 (within baseline) 140 kWh x $0.04655 $6.52
DWR bond charge 140 kWh x $0.00505 $0.71
Generation charges
DWR
Energy summer 31 kWh x $0.03952 $1.23
SCE
Energy-Summer
Tier 1 (within baseline) 109 kWh x $0.08205 $8.94
Subtotal of your new charges $18.06
State tax 140 kWh x $0.00029 $0.04
Your new charges $18.10
These are the standard rates for Tier one electric users (people who use less than 300 kwh per months). I could not make up the information I listed above even if I tried, and I was never an ace at math.
Couple of other things: I have electric cooking appliances, a washing machine, gas water heater, and dry clothes on the line or hangers (no clothes dryer). I don't use dishwashers, have all CFL lights, and shut off all electronics completely when they are not used. Fridge is about 12 cubic ft.
...Cost of utilities is a valid consideration when looking to relocate.
Agreed. But people have to consider what they do in their homes - and what's comfortable for them. I am a long time Florida resident - now in NE Florida - and keep the A/C at 76 in the summer. 80-85? Whether I'm doing laundry - cooking - or sitting at my computer doing financial work - forget about it. I'd be ready for a siesta at 11 am. And for my BIL who lives in Michigan - if it's over 72 - he sweats like a pig.
In the winter - we heat to about 70 - mostly because if I set the heat higher - I'd dry out like a prune (even though we run a couple of humidifiers in the winter).
Second largest component in our electric bill is our hot water heater. I wonder how many people who claim low electric costs here have their water heating bills paid by their landlords?
Note that our average electric bill (our house is all electric) is about $300/month - and our average water bill is about $125/month (we have about an acre of land under irrigation). Robyn
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