How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

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notmyhand
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How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by notmyhand »

I am currently paying about $400 a month for electricity in Pennsylvania. No natural gas is available at my location so heating/cooling is included.

I am currently using about 3300 kWh per month which is three times the national average. Average price is $0.106 per kwh.

Our furnace/ac system is brand new.
Our washer/dryer is about three years old.
Our fridge/microwave/oven are at least ten years old. (MFR date on the fridge says 11-89)
Our dishwasher is 5-7 years old.
We use one 42" 10 year old plasma tv and one 32" ten year old LCD.
We only use LEDs, all bulbs and outdoor lighting.

The house is not built for energy. Built in 1980 but we are an A-frame so lots of heat goes out through the glass. Plus we are 2800 sq ft in a ranch so we lose a lot to heat rising.

If you have no natural gas, please tell me what your average electricity bill, what you are paying and how big the house is. I am trying to figure out what to do to fix my energy usage and trying to get a gauge as to how low I can get it.

Thank you!
LakesandRivers
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by LakesandRivers »

I'd suggest a home energy audit if you're looking to reduce electricity usage. It will identify the areas of greatest energy usage/loss and help you prioritize and calculate payback on any improvements.
123
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by 123 »

If you have a digital electric meter (rotating numeric displays) instead of the older meter which displays dials you can learn a lot by just looking at the meter displays. If you have a digital electric meter your utility may also have some online displays for your account showing usage by hour. Your utility may have a lot of online info about using the meter to monitor your usage.

The biggest problem I'v had in reducing our usage is getting the background usage down. Background usage is when "everything" is turned off but there is still electricity usage by background purposes such as refrigerator, standby mode in things like cable boxes and TVs, and wall warts, etc. Since background usage is 24 hours a day it is often the biggest impact to your bill.

I found that our plasma TV used a lot of juice since my spouse watched it a lot. I was happy when it failed and I could get a new 4K LED set.
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jebmke
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by jebmke »

davehica wrote:I'd suggest a home energy audit if you're looking to reduce electricity usage. It will identify the areas of greatest energy usage/loss and help you prioritize and calculate payback on any improvements.
Agree. That is a lot of power for that size. We have ~2,500sf ranch in MD; all electric (heat pump). I don't have averages but eyeballing some bills it ranges from 1,000-1,500 on various months I checked.
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White Coat Investor
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by White Coat Investor »

I don't think my data is going to help you. Focus on what you can control. The audit is a great place to start.

That said, my 4400 sq ft house costs about $300 a month in the summer (A/C mostly) and $40 a month in the winter (heating is gas.) May is always a really great month utility wise- no longer doing much heating and the A/C hasn't been turned on yet.

If you want to save money on electricity, it's all about the A/C. Everything else pales in comparison. Turn it up one degree a day until you've gone too far, then turn it back down two degrees. You might be surprised just how hot you can keep the house in the summer without being uncomfortable.
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tomd37
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by tomd37 »

We (2 of us) live in Middle Tennessee and electricity for the entire region comes via TVA at a basic charge of $11.83 per month and an energy charge of $0.10506 per kwh as per the last billing. We have a two-story 2200 sq ft home with 18 foot ceilings on one-third of the home. We have natural gas for heating, cooking, and hot water. Our average monthly natural gas bill for 2016 was $93 and $90 for electricity. I have summary gas, water, and electric data for every year since moving here in 1995. Water is our highest utility bill on average at $110 per month because of the irrigation system we use to maintain a green landscape on our one-third acre lot.

Addressing the weather, just two days ago I researched August 2007 temps where only 1 of 31 days was below 90 degrees (89 to be exact), 16 days were between 90 and 99, and 14 days were between 100 and 106 degrees. We had just over one inch of rain for the entire month at the beginning of the month. Fortunately we were traveling in the Rockies for 11 days that month, but when we returned our lawn was totally burned out. Needless to say we invested in an irrigation system in October before aeration and over seeding. :idea:
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iamlucky13
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by iamlucky13 »

The national average includes the 56% of households using natural gas for heat, and quite a few in more temperate locations than Pennsylvania.

I just checked our last 12 months bills, which were colder than normal - 1360 kWh/month average. Currently 10.2 cents/kWh.

- 1800 sq. ft. 1-1/2 story
- 1983 vintage, relatively low end construction, but new windows and a modest increase in attic insulation 5 years ago.
- Space heating is via heat pump, with occasional wood burning on the colder days. Thermostat at 68.
- A/C is seldom used. Open windows in morning and evening work well in our climate.
- Water heating is electric.
- Fridge is from 2005. Freezer in garage is 2012 and measured as using ~25 kWh/month in the summer
- Desktop computer is on most of the day. TV seldomly.

Our heat pump had a problem and was offline for nearly a month in the early winter this year before I could get it fixed. That meant using the electric heat and wood stove more instead. I think that cost us an extra 500-1000 kWh that month.

The most significant place you could have saved energy would have been getting a heat pump instead of just an AC unit when you replaced yours, but that decision point has passed, so it's a thought for next time. You might still consider a heat pump water heater for the next time the water heater needs replacing, especially if you use the AC a lot.

The average fridge on the market now uses a little over half the energy of those available in 1989. That should be somewhere around 30-50 kWh per month potential savings, but one of the tradeoffs is it might not last as long, as construction quality seems to have declined.

A new dishwasher probably will save little to nothing. A new microwave won't save anything.
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

Eastern Massachusetts. Including all fees, taxes, fees on taxes, taxes on fees, graft and corruption charges, 0.195 / kWHr. 2200 kWHr during the summer using central air and one window unit in an addition bedroom. So about $400. 2800 square foot cape with cathedral ceiling entire upstairs shed dormer.

Winter, $100 a month (oil and wood heat).
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by minesweep »

Like me you live in the deregulated retail energy supply market of PA. Have you tried shopping for a lower cost energy generation supplier? My current generation and transmission charge is .0675 kWh (until the end of my contract term). My (regulated) distribution charge with my local electric utiltiy is 4.453 cents per kWh.
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Katietsu
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Katietsu »

The energy audit is a great idea. But you could start just by looking at the usage by month. How does February compare to May or October? Similarly how does July compare to May and October? I am managing an all electric ranch house in a similar climate, though with less square feet. The bill for just the water pump, refrigerator, hot water and minimal lighting and elctronics is about $40 a month. More activity, TV's etc, only adds about $20. The winter weather though adds $200 - $300 for heat for a well insulated house designed with energy efficiency in mind. So, in my case, it seems that only things that affect heating costs are really going to make enough of a difference to matter.
Topic Author
notmyhand
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by notmyhand »

minesweep wrote:Like me you live in the deregulated retail energy supply market of PA. Have you tried shopping for a lower cost energy generation supplier? My current generation and transmission charge is .0675 kWh (until the end of my contract term). My (regulated) distribution charge with my local electric utiltiy is 4.453 cents per kWh.
Yes, generation/transmission - 0.6170/kwh, distribution - 0.40370/kwh, service charge - .00371/kwh.
Topic Author
notmyhand
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by notmyhand »

Katietsu wrote:The energy audit is a great idea. But you could start just by looking at the usage by month. How does February compare to May or October? Similarly how does July compare to May and October? I am managing an all electric ranch house in a similar climate, though with less square feet. The bill for just the water pump, refrigerator, hot water and minimal lighting and elctronics is about $40 a month. More activity, TV's etc, only adds about $20. The winter weather though adds $200 - $300 for heat for a well insulated house designed with energy efficiency in mind. So, in my case, it seems that only things that affect heating costs are really going to make enough of a difference to matter.
Hm, good idea.
June - 1946 kwh (actual reading)
June - 1763 kwh (prorated reading?)
May - 1193 kwh (actual reading)
April - 5887 kwh (estimated reading)
March - 5887 kwh (estimated reading)
February - 630 kwh (estimated reading)
January - 5888 kwh (estimated reading)
December - 10998 (actual reading, this is where the heater went out so emergency heat via the heat pump had to be used)
November - 2665 (estimated reading)
October - 2663 (actual reading)
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Sheepdog
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Sheepdog »

An energy audit has already been suggested to you. I wish to add on that some electric utilities offer the service. Duke Energy offers free in home energy audits. Check with yours
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FraggleRock
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cool air is just electrity

Post by FraggleRock »

White Coat Investor wrote: Focus on what you can control....to save money on electricity, it's all about the A/C.
Bingo.
We just changed our A/C habit after 5 years and our costs went up by $60/month. But, wife is happy.
That is a 30% increase in electricity usage.
Last edited by FraggleRock on Sat Jul 22, 2017 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
meebers
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by meebers »

Central Florida, all Electric, heat/cool with Heat Pump. Hot Water is by natural gas about $15 + tax and crap fees = $30/month. 2400SF, 4BDR. Bills are for total electric for the house, lights, TV, Hot Tub, Electric Wash/Dryr etc. We average about 800-1100KW per month depending on the season. The current month, July, has been ~95 just about every day :annoyed for this month. Some samples below. If I could figure out "IMG" could post the whole year.
7/17 = 141.70
6/17 = 138.32
3/17 = 124.70
12/16 = 107.73
squirm
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by squirm »

Every month we pay zero, except a ten dollar connection fee.

3000kwh is a lot, we is about 1000kwh on a heavy usage month.
meebers
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by meebers »

squirm wrote:Every month we pay zero, except a ten dollar connection fee.

3000kwh is a lot, we is about 1000kwh on a heavy usage month.
Are you solar/wind or??
twins2012
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by twins2012 »

Its all about the AC. Our house is 2900 sf and average electricity bill is $120 no gas service.
Last edited by twins2012 on Sat Jul 22, 2017 11:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
squirm
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by squirm »

meebers wrote:
squirm wrote:Every month we pay zero, except a ten dollar connection fee.

3000kwh is a lot, we is about 1000kwh on a heavy usage month.
Are you solar/wind or??
Solar in California. Our electricity is expensive.

10c/kwh is cheap and solar probably won't pay for itself.
squirm
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by squirm »

Install a whole house fan and insulate some more.
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tennisplyr
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by tennisplyr »

We live in Florida and have an all electric house....around $100/month. You may want to look into a "Nest" thermostat if that helps in your area/type of house.
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chuckb84
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by chuckb84 »

3400 sq ft house, and we use about 700 kwh/month, paying about $60-80/month. We live at 7200 feet, and don't have or need AC, as the fans work fine even when it's warm because of the low humidity. Water, on the other hand is expensive, but that combined water/sewer/trash bill is still typically only $90/month.

In a prior life, in a humid city on the east coast, I was paying $450/month in the summer to run AC constantly in a 2400 sq ft house.
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Geneyus
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Geneyus »

For June, we used 1,240 kwh @ $123.00... so I guess $0.10/kwh. Ours is mostly two A/C units running when it's 80-90 degrees.

I replaced all of the light bulbs in my house with 8w LED bulbs from Lowe's. They're about $10 for 3 bulbs. I have noticed a difference in my bills being a little lower compared to the last two years. My wife likes to leave 2 or 3 lamps on all day for the dog and other reasons.
Last edited by Geneyus on Sat Jul 22, 2017 7:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ny_knicks
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by ny_knicks »

Small apartment we used 602 kWh this past month for a total bill of $152. Past month we were gone for 2 weeks w/ only the refrigerator running. Otherwise we have a few lights and a window AC running throughout the day. Bill would be around $250-$300 if we weren't gone.

Breaks down to a supply charge of 8.31 cents, delivery charge of 11.43 cents and a bunch of taxes/fees for a total cost of about 26 cents per kWh.

Should drop substantially in winter when AC is off and using gas for heat.
furikake
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by furikake »

We can choose our own electric company here, we're in the Dallas area. About 5,000 sqft, single story, heat, water heater, and stovetop are gas, everything else is electric. We use about 1500-2000 kwh in the summer months, and 700-1000 kwh in the other months, paying about 7.5 cents/kwh. I think our highest bill (not this year) was about $150. We have ceiling fans in all rooms, and we're home all day long everyday.
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dwickenh
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by dwickenh »

Spread sheet shows average monthly for this year is 116.45. I have 1760 sq ft ranch with same square footage in basement. All electric with Geo Thermal. Not complaining as it has been 100 plus here for most of 2 weeks now.
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Random Poster
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Random Poster »

I can't believe how high some of the electric bills are.

I live in an 835 square foot all-electric apartment, and our electric bill has never exceeded $55, all-in. Our kWh usage has never exceeded 811 in any month, whether the average monthly outside temp is 100 or 15. We do keep the a/c at 74 during the day, and 71 at night during the summer though.
iamlucky13
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by iamlucky13 »

notmyhand wrote:Hm, good idea.
June - 1946 kwh (actual reading)
June - 1763 kwh (prorated reading?)
May - 1193 kwh (actual reading)
April - 5887 kwh (estimated reading)
March - 5887 kwh (estimated reading)
February - 630 kwh (estimated reading)
January - 5888 kwh (estimated reading)
December - 10998 (actual reading, this is where the heater went out so emergency heat via the heat pump had to be used)
November - 2665 (estimated reading)
October - 2663 (actual reading)
Is there a digit missing from February, or why is that number so much lower?

Can you clarify what your main heat source is? You indicated electric furnace before (as in electric resistance coils), but now you're talking about a heat pump, which should be much more efficient (1/3 to 1/2 the energy consumption). Your winter bills are in the very rough ballpark I'd expect for a large house with not-so-great thermal performance on electric heat, but sounds high for a heat pump. What temperature do you heat your house to? Do you turn the temperature down at night and when you're away, and if you have a heat pump, does your thermostat have smart recovery?

Anyways, comparing your lowest month to the rest, you definitely do have a lot of cooling energy usage, and even more heating energy usage. That's going to definitely be the place to save the most energy.

You might consider, and I suspect your energy audit will suggest the same, replacing your windows with newer, more efficient models. It will be a fairly large expense, but I think the odds are good for payback, as it will help in both seasons. Ceiling insulation is another place where you may be able to achieve some savings, and attic ventilation might help in the summer specifically.
iamlucky13
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by iamlucky13 »

Random Poster wrote:I can't believe how high some of the electric bills are.

I live in an 835 square foot all-electric apartment, and our electric bill has never exceeded $55, all-in. Our kWh usage has never exceeded 811 in any month, whether the average monthly outside temp is 100 or 15. We do keep the a/c at 74 during the day, and 71 at night during the summer though.
Shared walls in apartments help reduce your heating and cooling needs significantly. I'm guessing you also don't have a large family to use lots of hot water. Back when I lived in an apartment, I was surprised even in an upper story apartment with electric heat just how modest our winter electric bills were.
Nowizard
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Nowizard »

5,000 s.f. house. Electric for lights and AC, along with other items such as television and fridge. Bill received today was $283.70 for 2,930 KWH. Daily average of 101KWH and daily average cost of $9.78. That is about 9.68 cents a KWH.

Tim
MathWizard
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by MathWizard »

Averaged over the year, we pay about $90 a month each for electricity and for nat gas.
nat gas is much cheaper heating option than anything other than heat pumps or passive solar.
Our house is a split foyer, 1200 sq ft per floor, with an unheated attached garage.

We also have deciduous trees on the south side which helps with keep the house cool in the
summer, but does not block the sun in he winter.

If you are currently using electric heating, I would look into a heat pump. That should be much better
for heating at least for temps above 20 degrees. If you had some heat which did not use electricity, you
may be able to sign up for interruptible electric, which gives you a break on the price.
Valuethinker
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Valuethinker »

iamlucky13 wrote:The national average includes the 56% of households using natural gas for heat, and quite a few in more temperate locations than Pennsylvania.

I just checked our last 12 months bills, which were colder than normal - 1360 kWh/month average. Currently 10.2 cents/kWh.


- 1800 sq. ft. 1-1/2 story
- 1983 vintage, relatively low end construction, but new windows and a modest increase in attic insulation 5 years ago.
- Space heating is via heat pump, with occasional wood burning on the colder days. Thermostat at 68.
- A/C is seldom used. Open windows in morning and evening work well in our climate.
- Water heating is electric.
- Fridge is from 2005. Freezer in garage is 2012 and measured as using ~25 kWh/month in the summer
- Desktop computer is on most of the day. TV seldomly.

Our heat pump had a problem and was offline for nearly a month in the early winter this year before I could get it fixed. That meant using the electric heat and wood stove more instead. I think that cost us an extra 500-1000 kWh that month.
Whereabouts do you live? Any idea of heating and cooling degree days?
The most significant place you could have saved energy would have been getting a heat pump instead of just an AC unit when you replaced yours, but that decision point has passed, so it's a thought for next time. You might still consider a heat pump water heater for the next time the water heater needs replacing, especially if you use the AC a lot.

The average fridge on the market now uses a little over half the energy of those available in 1989. That should be somewhere around 30-50 kWh per month potential savings, but one of the tradeoffs is it might not last as long, as construction quality seems to have declined.
It looks like you have researched this quite a bit.

I have seen numbers that it was more like 1/4? The numbers I saw were a 1986 fridge used c. 2000 kwhr pa, and a modern one something like 550 kwhr pa? I believe 1992 was when national standards came in?
A new dishwasher probably will save little to nothing. A new microwave won't save anything.
Re dishwasher there are some people who wash dishes like a restaurant! But yes, it's trivial. & to reemphasize the point on microwave oven.
Valuethinker
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Valuethinker »

Random Poster wrote:I can't believe how high some of the electric bills are.

I live in an 835 square foot all-electric apartment, and our electric bill has never exceeded $55, all-in. Our kWh usage has never exceeded 811 in any month, whether the average monthly outside temp is 100 or 15. We do keep the a/c at 74 during the day, and 71 at night during the summer though.
Climate matters a lot. So does square footage, and actually area of outside walls (and insulation on walls and roof).

Whether they are at 71 and 68 rather than 74 and 71 probably has little impact compared to that.

Where do you live?
Digital Dave
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Digital Dave »

In my 700 sq ft house in western New York State, living alone, I consume about 175kWh per month. I have gas boiler, water heater, stove and dryer. My a/c hasn't been plugged in for 4 years. I started changing out my CFL bulbs to LED starting in 2011, and I've been fully LED for several years now.

In 2009, I was using about 250kWh per month. I replaced my 27 year old energy efficient then fridge with a new one. I also replaced my 250w tv set with a LCD at about 50 watts. I also built a new computer, lowering the consumption from 125w to about 35w. I changed monitors ,lowering consumption down to about 35w. The computer and monitor are on while I am awake and the old tv wasn't used very much.

Since 2009, I've saved around $120 a year in electricity costs. This has given me so far my fridge and part of my computer for free.

Even the little things count.

Dave
Investing in Mutual Funds, ETF's, Forever Stamps and Bittulips.
Valuethinker
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by Valuethinker »

Just for academic interest/ completeness.

About 300 kwhr pcm (UK average) and cost is about USD 0.23 per kwhr. It's just gone up c. 15% (lower UK pound post Brexit vote means higher prices for natural gas imports, which impacts power market). London, England- row house.

Natural gas is reasonably horrifying. 30,000 kwhr = 1022 therms = 102 m BTU according to Google. Victorian house. That costs me around USD 2200 pa.
westie
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by westie »

electric bill was $487 last month.
tidelandp
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by tidelandp »

notmyhand wrote:I am currently paying about $400 a month for electricity in Pennsylvania. No natural gas is available at my location so heating/cooling is included.
You did not mention which part of PA. If you’re covered by PECO, they offer a discounted rate for energy audits ($99), https://www.peco.com/WaysToSave/ForYour ... eCall.aspx.
If you have electric heat, you qualify for a comprehensive In-Home Energy Audit. The audit typically takes two to four hours, depending on the size of your home, and qualifies you for additional rebates. A specially trained PECO energy advisor will inspect your home, perform diagnostic tests and identify energy-saving opportunities.
Plus, you’ll get these energy-saving items installed at no additional cost:
Check with your utility, if it's not PECO.
student
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by student »

I use gas for heat and electricity for everything else. I used 277kwh last month and the total cost is $50. Last month it was nice enough that I do not need air conditioning. I only turn on the air conditioning when it is above 80. I live on the second floor in a condo unit.
BanquetBeer
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by BanquetBeer »

$80-200 (only go above $150 maybe 3x/yr)

3300sq ft (500 is an add on we don't run AC to - blocked in with a closed interior door) built in 1978 ranch.

$20 (min charge for gas) but we live in the south so doesn't matter much. Winter when elec is is low, gas is maybe $45.

We have about 75% double pane windows 25% single. I did add some additional insulation in the attic 3-4 bags, when we moved in. Keep AC on 77-75F in the summer (~95F out)

We do turn the AC up to 80 if we go out for an hour or more. CFL lights being replaced with LED as they burn out. For electronics we have 3 small computers always plugged in (maybe 30w when not being used), 3 fridges, and I turn out lights for everyone and we don't watch much TV.

Elec is 6.6 cents/kWh

Edit: also closed AC to master bathroom - 'too cold after taking a shower with the AC on' so we just run the vent fan until it is dry. In winter we have a space heater and can open the door to try and equalize the temps before we shower.
emoore
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Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by emoore »

Just received my electric bill. $265 for 2000 KWhr in Denver. This is usually the highest electricity usage in the year because of the AC. I have a reef aquarium that uses about 400 KWhr every month so that limits how low of a bill I can have.
runner3081
Posts: 5978
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 3:22 pm

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by runner3081 »

We are in a 1,900 square foot house (2-story) in the Phoenix area and have included our usage below. When you average the cost out over the year, it comes out to $175 per month.

We did replace the AC in 12/2016, thus the decrease in use for the summer so far. The savings from June of last year was about $65 with the same settings and similarly warm weather (we run 84 day and 81 night on the AC).

We also have a pool (not heated), stove, dryer and a hot tub running included with these. Heating and water heater are gas.

Cheap, original crappy windows are still on the house.

bill date total usage (kWh) - Cost
7/7/2017 - 1639 - $232.50
6/6/2017 - 1005 - $141.42
5/5/2017 - 642 -
4/6/2017 - 744
3/8/2017 - 610
2/6/2017 - 704
1/9/2017 - 732
12/7/2016 - 839
11/4/2016 - 1053
10/10/2016 - 1297
9/7/2016 - 2231
8/5/2016 - 2352
7/7/2016 - 2020
6/7/2016 - 1376
5/6/2016 - 531
4/7/2016 - 555
3/9/2016 - 513
2/9/2016 - 587
1/11/2016 - 640

We are on their time based plan. Cheaper electricity from 7pm to 12pm. Looks like the actual electricity charge per kWh is:
On Peak - $.209
Off Peak - $.026

Of course, they add another 14! fees to the bill!

Customer account charge $7.38
Delivery service charge $44.25
Environmental benefits surcharge $6.76
Federal environmental improvement surcharge $0.26
System benefits adjustment -$0.84
System benefits charge $4.87
Power supply adjustment* -$2.21
Metering* $5.77
Meter reading* $1.92
Billing* $2.17
Generation of electricity on-peak* $79.23
Generation of electricity off-peak* $32.80
Federal transmission and ancillary services* $8.52
Federal transmission cost adjustment* $14.81
Four-Corners adjustment $3.79
LFCR adjustor $4.82
Cost of electricity you used $214.30
Topic Author
notmyhand
Posts: 496
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:43 pm

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by notmyhand »

tidelandp wrote:
notmyhand wrote:I am currently paying about $400 a month for electricity in Pennsylvania. No natural gas is available at my location so heating/cooling is included.
You did not mention which part of PA. If you’re covered by PECO, they offer a discounted rate for energy audits ($99), https://www.peco.com/WaysToSave/ForYour ... eCall.aspx.
If you have electric heat, you qualify for a comprehensive In-Home Energy Audit. The audit typically takes two to four hours, depending on the size of your home, and qualifies you for additional rebates. A specially trained PECO energy advisor will inspect your home, perform diagnostic tests and identify energy-saving opportunities.
Plus, you’ll get these energy-saving items installed at no additional cost:
Check with your utility, if it's not PECO.
I checked with my utility and we make too much to qualify for a free audit but they will reimburse us $100 if we get our kwh usage down 1000kwh in the year so I have emailed their preferred auditors to inquire about the cost.

Looking into it further, it looks like we have split ac/heat pump instead of a furnace. I had assumed the giant thing taking up space in our bathroom closet was a furnace. The system was just installed last summer right before we bought the house.
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by stoptothink »

White Coat Investor wrote:I don't think my data is going to help you. Focus on what you can control. The audit is a great place to start.

That said, my 4400 sq ft house costs about $300 a month in the summer (A/C mostly) and $40 a month in the winter (heating is gas.) May is always a really great month utility wise- no longer doing much heating and the A/C hasn't been turned on yet.

If you want to save money on electricity, it's all about the A/C. Everything else pales in comparison. Turn it up one degree a day until you've gone too far, then turn it back down two degrees. You might be surprised just how hot you can keep the house in the summer without being uncomfortable.
This. It is all about the AC. Our electricity bill is <$20/month October-May, June through September it is $150+ in a 1500 sq. ft. home. We spend the large majority of our time outdoors; we have mastered clothes washing efficiency and 95% are hang-dried, usage of lights, TV, etc. is very minimal. Wife doesn't care what it costs or that there is more cost effective ways to stay cool, she refuses to be inside a home that is over 76. This is the first home I have ever lived in with central AC, it doesn't get warm enough here ever to bother me, but I lose this battle every time.
Last edited by stoptothink on Sun Jul 23, 2017 9:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
H-Town
Posts: 5876
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2017 1:08 pm

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by H-Town »

notmyhand wrote:I am currently paying about $400 a month for electricity in Pennsylvania. No natural gas is available at my location so heating/cooling is included.

I am currently using about 3300 kWh per month which is three times the national average. Average price is $0.106 per kwh.

Our furnace/ac system is brand new.
Our washer/dryer is about three years old.
Our fridge/microwave/oven are at least ten years old. (MFR date on the fridge says 11-89)
Our dishwasher is 5-7 years old.
We use one 42" 10 year old plasma tv and one 32" ten year old LCD.
We only use LEDs, all bulbs and outdoor lighting.

The house is not built for energy. Built in 1980 but we are an A-frame so lots of heat goes out through the glass. Plus we are 2800 sq ft in a ranch so we lose a lot to heat rising.

If you have no natural gas, please tell me what your average electricity bill, what you are paying and how big the house is. I am trying to figure out what to do to fix my energy usage and trying to get a gauge as to how low I can get it.

Thank you!
I live in Texas. During Jun-Sep, my household uses 2800-3800 kwh per month with average cost from $180-$280. It's a single story, 3,100 sq ft house., built in 2004.

I suggest you shop around for the best rate and sign new contract every year.
Time is the ultimate currency.
wstrdg
Posts: 122
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 10:43 am

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by wstrdg »

We use power strips for everything except the refrigerator/freezer. This eliminates the "background" usage of zombie appliances, like your TV. And we're on a tiered rate plan, so we try not to use much power during peak rate periods. Our rates are off-peak .15/kwh, semi-peak .23/kwh, peak .34/kwh. Your rate is cheap!

Agree that you should ask your utility company for an energy audit. It may be free.
Topic Author
notmyhand
Posts: 496
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:43 pm

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by notmyhand »

stoptothink wrote:
White Coat Investor wrote:I don't think my data is going to help you. Focus on what you can control. The audit is a great place to start.

That said, my 4400 sq ft house costs about $300 a month in the summer (A/C mostly) and $40 a month in the winter (heating is gas.) May is always a really great month utility wise- no longer doing much heating and the A/C hasn't been turned on yet.

If you want to save money on electricity, it's all about the A/C. Everything else pales in comparison. Turn it up one degree a day until you've gone too far, then turn it back down two degrees. You might be surprised just how hot you can keep the house in the summer without being uncomfortable.
This. It is all about the AC. Our electricity bill is <$20/month October-May, June through September it is $150+ in a 1500 sq. ft. home. We spend the large majority of our time outdoors; we have mastered clothes washing efficiency and 95% are hang-dried, usage of lights, TV, etc. is very minimal. Wife doesn't care what it costs or that there is more cost effective ways to stay cool, she refuses to be inside a home that is over 76. This is the first home I have ever lived in with central AC, it doesn't get warm enough here ever to bother me, but I lose this battle every time.
Ours is actually much higher in the winter due to the amount of heating we have to do.
LuigiLikesPizza
Posts: 512
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2016 6:54 am

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by LuigiLikesPizza »

Northern VA, can't recall how many kw used by month, but usage is even year round - use electricity for everything - no gas here.

1200 square feet - $55 - $65/month year round.
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by stoptothink »

notmyhand wrote:
stoptothink wrote:
White Coat Investor wrote:I don't think my data is going to help you. Focus on what you can control. The audit is a great place to start.

That said, my 4400 sq ft house costs about $300 a month in the summer (A/C mostly) and $40 a month in the winter (heating is gas.) May is always a really great month utility wise- no longer doing much heating and the A/C hasn't been turned on yet.

If you want to save money on electricity, it's all about the A/C. Everything else pales in comparison. Turn it up one degree a day until you've gone too far, then turn it back down two degrees. You might be surprised just how hot you can keep the house in the summer without being uncomfortable.
This. It is all about the AC. Our electricity bill is <$20/month October-May, June through September it is $150+ in a 1500 sq. ft. home. We spend the large majority of our time outdoors; we have mastered clothes washing efficiency and 95% are hang-dried, usage of lights, TV, etc. is very minimal. Wife doesn't care what it costs or that there is more cost effective ways to stay cool, she refuses to be inside a home that is over 76. This is the first home I have ever lived in with central AC, it doesn't get warm enough here ever to bother me, but I lose this battle every time.
Ours is actually much higher in the winter due to the amount of heating we have to do.
Like White Coast Investor, our heating is also gas. Same thing. Our gas bill is generally <$10/month, but October-April it is over $100. Wife is understanding of my simple/frugal ways, but ambient temperature is the one thing she refuses to compromise on; anywhere outside the range of 74-76 and she is either going into hypothermia or heat stroke :x .
tibbitts
Posts: 23589
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:50 pm

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by tibbitts »

notmyhand wrote:I am currently paying about $400 a month for electricity in Pennsylvania. No natural gas is available at my location so heating/cooling is included.

I am currently using about 3300 kWh per month which is three times the national average. Average price is $0.106 per kwh.

Our furnace/ac system is brand new.
Our washer/dryer is about three years old.
Our fridge/microwave/oven are at least ten years old. (MFR date on the fridge says 11-89)
Our dishwasher is 5-7 years old.
We use one 42" 10 year old plasma tv and one 32" ten year old LCD.
We only use LEDs, all bulbs and outdoor lighting.

The house is not built for energy. Built in 1980 but we are an A-frame so lots of heat goes out through the glass. Plus we are 2800 sq ft in a ranch so we lose a lot to heat rising.

If you have no natural gas, please tell me what your average electricity bill, what you are paying and how big the house is. I am trying to figure out what to do to fix my energy usage and trying to get a gauge as to how low I can get it.

Thank you!
Asking for this information will be of zero use to you. You need to compare to a very similar house in the same location with similar usage patterns. You can pay to have an energy audit (we don't get them free here, at least) or just do obvious things to improve, but honestly things you might think would be big wins might not be. In any case try not to get distracted by factors like the age of your microwave or dishwasher. If your fridge is from '89 you probably need a new one (which won't last as long), but that's not going to be a significant factor unless it's the size of a two-car garage. I'm guessing hvac is by far the biggest issue, but if your unit is new, this might be close to as good as you can do without changing technology (geothermal for example.)
DetroitRick
Posts: 1479
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:28 am
Location: SE Michigan

Re: How much electricity are you using and how expensive it is?

Post by DetroitRick »

Here's how our numbers break down (Southeast Michigan, so similar weather), monthly averages:
heavy heating months (but we have natural gas heat): around 680 KWH per month (just over 900 at its worst)
heavy a/c months: around 850 KWH per month (around 1100 at its worst)
other months: just under 600 KWH per month

1,450 sq ft ranch built 1991, all pretty new and efficient appliances (except 10-yr-old fridge) - including electric range, gas water heater, gas dryer and all the other stuff. A/C unit new in 2011. Same with gas furnace (which has d/c blower motor). Mainly old incandescent lights, but a fair amount of electronics.

Current rate (we have a 2-tiered system, with a 20% premium on the second high usage tier): 13.5 to 15 cents per kilowatt hour
Our bottom line - it's the A/C for us that drives cost. Then fridge, then electric range.

For the latest gov't stats on electricity cost by state, see this (first column, residential usage for April 2017):
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly ... epmt_5_6_a

A lot of folks have mentioned energy audit, which is probably a great idea for you. I've been sort of doing our own via a test program offered by our utility - a device that pulls real-time usage data from our smart meter (linking to an Android or ios app). This type of service will become popular as smart meters are adopted. In the month I've had it, it's been a great learning tool. Here's a write-up on it from a local newspaper:
http://www.freep.com/story/money/busine ... /73932382/
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