how high is your summer electric bills?...

[Dancing Fire]

with this heat wave we been getting (100+*) i think my next electric bill will be between 280-300 bucks.

 

[Lorelei]

Mine tend to drop American BF, as I use far less electricity in summer as I don''t need to use the clothes dryer, lights etc so much. We don''t as a rule have AC here, but I think today as the temp is set to skyrocket it would be most useful

My electric bill is normally about $600 anyway, the prices of gas and electricity are outrageous here....

 

[mingagreen]

Wow Lorelei, that is insane! Our electric bill was $85 this month, but we don''t have AC. This is normal for us.. I am not sure what it would be if we did have AC but I am so ready to find out. This heat is too much, I''m not liking it.

 

[Lorelei]

It is ridiculous, many of us here are company hopping to try to find the best deals with other energy providers, as it is now so expensive. For a winter's quarterly bill, our electric can be easily $600 to $700 plus, same with gas. I try to be as economical as possible with both, but it is so difficult when they prices are so high to save anything. It really hacks me off as it is not necessary for these utilities to cost so much. I don't know how people on low incomes manage...

 

[mingagreen]

well i guess being able to chose your electric provider is helpful. Here in Pennsylavania you are stuck with what you have. There is expensive and there is a more reasonable provider just depends on the area, fortunately we have the reasonable company.

 

[larussel03]

I pay about 40-50 in the summer (60 at max if all the fans are going most of the day) for my one bedroom apartment in Boston. In the winter, it''s usually around 35/month.

 

[Lorelei]

It has got to the stage where I dread the bills arriving. Not that we can''t pay them, it is just so sickening the extra we have to pay for the same service.....

 

[Ann]

I am in the sweltering sweat box of Houston. Oh, it''s so nice living in the swamps!

My electric bill was $733.00 this past month, before $520.00

5600 sq ft home, 3 air conditioner systems

a 19 yr. old home from college who thinks the upatairs should be frigid cold.

I am forever turning off lights, being careful, etc...

Yes, these high prices are within normal range. Crazy huh?

I''m on PS all day, does that burn up much elec.!!?????

 

[lilmaria]

We had friends staying with us for 2 weeks while they waited to move into their apartment..last year''s bill for june was 130 w/2 adults and 1 child....this year 220. We live in FL so we NEED central AC, even though we only put it on to get the house to 80 degrees (save money). I guess it was all of the cooking, laundry and more people going in and out constantly that raised the rates...not very happy, but oh well, got to help a friend out..my good deed for the year

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Hi! My electric bills range from the mid-$90 range to the mid-$140 range. I have central AC and I grow a lot of African Violets under flourescent lights.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/19/2006 9:38:44 AM
Author: Madam Bijoux
Hi! My electric bills range from the mid-$90 range to the mid-$140 range. I have central AC and I grow a lot of African Violets under flourescent lights.

Would you like to swap bills Madam B

? Do you have any saving tips to share pretty please?

 

[AmantdeChat]

Wow! Some of your electric bills are out of control!

Ours was $90 last month and I was ecstatic! (4 bedroom, 2 story house). Our heating bill is the one that is out of control, with it averaging between $250 - $300 for the winter months. Now that I see how bad electric bills can be, I am not going to crab as much about my heating bills!

 

[Lorelei]

 

[Ann]

I think I have read that here in Texas, we do have some of the highest rates in the nation. I have a lot of windows that allow tons of heat in. I also have a large swimming pool, the pumps have to run lots of hours in the summer.

I did my research last summer and switched elec. provider company, and it has helped some. We honestly try to keep lights off and my downstairs air is always set around 78, so it''s not like I''m living in a refrigerator.

My heating bills, (gas) in the winter have been creeping up every year. Last winter it was around 300.00. But natural gas prices have skyrocketed.

We drilled a well to avoid city of Houston water bills. We use their water for the house, but use the well for the pool and irrigation (almost 1 acre lot) If we didn''t have the well, our water bills would be around 300.00. Horrors!

 

[ammayernyc]

Our bills are crazy! It was about $250 last month -- and that was before the heat wave. All for an approx. 1200 square foot apartment...

 

[aquarius4u]

mine is $370+ for a 2400 sq ft home and i dont like it cold ...for such a tiny frame body can''t tolerate! and guess what my WATER /SEWER BILL IS $380+for this month and we have a puny yard! now , i''m trying to take a shower take shower just once every 3 days..LOL!

 

[FireGoddess]

My summer bills are never more than $50-60 for the condo. But we don''t have central AC, or it would be a helluva lot higher.

In the winter....$30.

 

[Mara]

our are typically about $120 for our 1850 sq ft, but we don't typically run the A/C as much as we have been lately, so i figure about $160 or so. in the winter is when we really get hit for running the heater all the time, they are about $150-200 in dec, jan and feb. and we only live in CA! we're such weather wussies!

 

[Mara]

ann, is that kind of the going rate for all of TX for electric bills ? we have been toying around with the idea of moving elsewhere and austin is on our list to check into...we were wondering the other day out loud how much the average electric bills are for summer out there since it seems like A/C must be run all the time!!

 

[MINE!!]

We have a 3 Bd. About 1600 Sq Ft. 2 kids and I HATE being hot. Our electrice bill includes water and sewage, trash and electric. We keep the thermostat on 78 and use our fans. Our summer bills rum about 160.00 total

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Hi, Lorelei. I don't have any special savings tips other than to keep the shades closed on the sides of the house that the sun hits. I have about 20 shade trees close to the house, and they help keep it cool. I'm at work most of the day and don't use a lot of electric appliances. I always leave the air conditioner thermostat at 78 degrees, which keeps the house comfortable and is easier on the compressor. I have motion sensor lights outdoors, so I don't have to leave any outdoor lights on all night. I guess that saves a little bit of money.

 

[honeybee]

We just got solar on our house, so last month our electric bill was negative $67.

pretty cool eh? To give you an idea, this is a 2900 sq ft 2 story that we consistently keep around 77 degrees. All of our lights are flourescent, and we're on a time of use meter, which charges (&credits) a higher rate from 12pm-6pm (when no one is home), so for the most part we only do laundry, dishwasher, etc. in the morning or at night.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/19/2006 9:10:23 AM
Author: Ann
I am in the sweltering sweat box of Houston. Oh, it''s so nice living in the swamps!

My electric bill was $733.00 this past month, before $520.00

5600 sq ft home, 3 air conditioner systems

a 19 yr. old home from college who thinks the upatairs should be frigid cold.

I am forever turning off lights, being careful, etc...

Yes, these high prices are within normal range. Crazy huh?

I''m on PS all day, does that burn up much elec.!!?????

but..you live in a manson. 5600 sq ft

same here, a 19 yr old home from college.the 2 kids turn the lights on i follow behind and turn the lights off.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/19/2006 7:15:25 AM
Author: Lorelei
It is ridiculous, many of us here are company hopping to try to find the best deals with other energy providers, as it is now so expensive. For a winter''s quarterly bill, our electric can be easily $600 to $700 plus, same with gas. I try to be as economical as possible with both, but it is so difficult when they prices are so high to save anything. It really hacks me off as it is not necessary for these utilities to cost so much. I don''t know how people on low incomes manage...

Brit GF
$600 per quarter don''t sound that bad but,another $700 for gas?? use that much natural gas?

our gas bill is about $70 per month.

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks Madam B , I will try the curtain trick at the back of the house.

DF, the house is heated with gas, so I only have the heating on twice a day in the winter, plus we have an open fireplace and it is still terribly expensive, even though I try to be economical. I can think of far better things to spend the money on!

 

[blodthecat]

Date: 7/19/2006 1:25:00 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 7/19/2006 7:15:25 AM
Author: Lorelei
It is ridiculous, many of us here are company hopping to try to find the best deals with other energy providers, as it is now so expensive. For a winter''s quarterly bill, our electric can be easily $600 to $700 plus, same with gas. I try to be as economical as possible with both, but it is so difficult when they prices are so high to save anything. It really hacks me off as it is not necessary for these utilities to cost so much. I don''t know how people on low incomes manage...

Brit GF
$600 per quarter don''t sound that bad but,another $700 for gas?? use that much natural gas?

our gas bill is about $70 per month.

Hi DF,

You have to remember that in the UK our central heating systems are run on gas. Don''t forget, we have serious winters here. It gets bitterly cold and very damp too!

I think the world of you DF, but sadly you''re only a man. I fear you wouldn''t survive a winter in the UK

Blod

 

[firebirdgold]

I too feel a bit better about my winter time bills!! My electricty and heating run well over $600 in the winter even though I do all my wash in cold water, don''t heat the upstairs, and keep the thermostat at 64. No competition around here.

In the summer it''s far more reasonable since we have no airconditioning and I don''t use the lights as much. (fans though) Although I surely wish I had airconditioning for the upstairs! I''m adobe downstairs with uv-blocking shades which really helps. If I open my windows at night and close them before 7am my downstairs stays nice and coolish. It''s been in the low to mid 90''s and my house doesn''t go much over 80 during the day even when I leave the windows open. Truthfully, Even if I had airconditioning I wouldn''t keep the house below 75. It always baffles me that buildings on the east coast always seem to be set at 65! I don''t mean your homes, but office buildings, stores, and hotels. Don''t you guys get sick all the time?

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/19/2006 1:42:40 PM
Author: blodthecat


Hi DF,

You have to remember that in the UK our central heating systems are run on gas. Don't forget, we have serious winters here. It gets bitterly cold and very damp too!

I think the world of you DF, but sadly you're only a man. I fear you wouldn't survive a winter in the UK

Blod

blod my other brit GF

our central AC/heating system runs on electric but there're many homes in the US also run gas central heating system. a lot of homes back east runs on heating oil.

well....our winter temp gets into the low 30's. you don't think i can survive in the UK?

 

[Girlrocks]

I am new here (have been a "lurker" for a few months, never knew there were so many jewelry-crazed people out there like me, my friends all think I''m nuts!). Anyway, I live in Maryland where the summers are hot and humid. I live in a 3800 sq. ft. house, 3 kids all under age 6 and we have budget billing at $240 per month. We keep our central AC set at 72 (the 2nd floor seems to be about 8 degrees hotter than the first floor) so we are freezing downstairs in order to have the bedrooms comfortable. I thought mine was bad until I read some of the others!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 7/19/2006 2:49:45 PM
Author: Girlrocks
I am new here (have been a ''lurker'' for a few months, never knew there were so many jewelry-crazed people out there like me, my friends all think I''m nuts!). Anyway, I live in Maryland where the summers are hot and humid. I live in a 3800 sq. ft. house, 3 kids all under age 6 and we have budget billing at $240 per month. We keep our central AC set at 72 (the 2nd floor seems to be about 8 degrees hotter than the first floor) so we are freezing downstairs in order to have the bedrooms comfortable. I thought mine was bad until I read some of the others!

Welcome to PS Girlrocks!!!

Our house is the same, and it''s just freezing downstairs. Brrr.