Electric bills suck.

nda_roxybabe

Seriously, it has gone from about $90 a month in the winter to $170 this month. I can't handle that.
Yes, its hotter than hell here and we need the air on but there have got to be ways to cut back. I bought a fan for the living room but T still cranks the air down.
Any great ideas on lowering my consumption?

We try to keep all the lights off when we're not using them along with other electronics. I only have my computer on during the evening...

laurenclaire1386

I don't have any advice but I can commiserate. Mine's $238 this month. And I can't figure out how to get it down. Not running the AC isn't an option, and I'm home by myself most of the time, so the lights are only on in one room at most times. And never while I'm not there. Entergy (our electric company) is a complete fucking racket.

danieliza1127

Well, first, tell him to stop doing that!     Seriously though, if you can't afford it, then he needs to suck it up or you need to be constantly checking behind him and turning it back up if you notice the house is cool. 

We keep our air no lower than 74 when we're home and turn it up to 77 or 78 when we leave the house.  It also helps to set it to a timer if your thermostat has that, that way it's not up to you to remember to turn it up if you're leaving the house.

allisong23

I have the opposite problem with my gas bill. I go from $40/month in the summer to $300/month in the winter. For electricity, we go from $65/month in the winter to $120/month in the summer. I can't win in any season.

LD1970

We have fish tanks and we're constantly arguing - he turns the living room temp to 68 & I put it at 72-74.  I understand the sea life needs to be a certain temp, but not 68!  And there's a fan over the sump, for pete's sake, and a thermostat on the tank that beeps if it gets too hot.

That said, ALL bills suck.

nda_roxybabe

Yea, ideally he'd like it at 72 and I'd like it at 76ish. As a compromise we set it at 74. Sometimes when he gets hot he turns it down a bit then I turn it right back up. Literally everyday we have a silent war over the thermostat. Everytime we go to the bathroom (its by the bathroom) we check it. I wish it had a timer.
Maybe from now on when he leaves he needs to turn it way up.

ggmae

Make sure to unplug things that are off and not being used. Toaster, microwave, etc. They still eat up electricity even if they aren't on.

We got slammed with a $170 electric bill last summer and I cried. Then we started turning lights off and unplugging things we weren't using, and it went back down to $85 the next month.

allisong23

Do you have a lot of things that are always plugged in, even if you are not using them? Little things like having your phone charger always plugged in (even when you are not charging) add up, because they are always drawing power,

How about replacing your light bulbs with flourescent?

Catwoman708

Keep all your cabinet and closet doors shut, keep blinds and curtains shut to keep the sun/heat out, and if possible, add some widow film or insulating curtains to your windows.

Turn the A/C a couple of degrees warmer, and use a fan in the room you are in.  Avoid using the oven whenever possible.  Use an outdoor grill, the stovetop, toaster or microwave oven instead.  When you do cook, cook several meals/items at once while you already have the oven on.  Warm it up later in the microwave, it puts out less heat.

Keep your A/C filters clean, and snug fitting, don't block return/intake air vents, and make sure your outdoor condenser is clean, and not clogged with leaves, grass, or fuzzy stuff (we have cottonwood and mimosa trees in our area, they are awful).  If it looks dirty, you can gently brush the outdoor A/C fins with a wire brush, just be careful not to bend the fins.  If the metal fins look smushed over, like from hail damage, straighten them out gently with a butter knife.

hccpsu

OP, do you have APS or SRP as your electric company?

nda_roxybabe

Hmm, I don't have anything in the kitchen plugged in (well, except the kitchenaid- which I can easily unplug).
I would do something with the Tv but we leave it on all.the.time. because T is home during the day and likes to watch then when I get home in the evening I want to watch, then T can't sleep at night so he watches tv. I imagine it sucks up a bunch of electricity.

danieliza1127

Oh yeah Catwoman reminded me, if you have extra rooms, close the vents and close the doors.  We do that in winter because that's when our bill goes really high.  We have a 3 bedroom house - one room is the guest room and one is my sewing room - so we just close those vents and keep the doors closed unless we're using them.

nda_roxybabe

SRP

missy68

Ours has decreased by at least 25% - 35%. We got a new HVAC installed in March, and it has made a huge difference in our bills. Like, I'm floored difference. We did go up one size in the unit, but the installer said it was more the age of the unit - it was the one original to the house (built in 1969), and just wasn't efficient.
We do cover the vents in the 2 spare rooms that are a guest room and a storage room, and cover 1 vent in the kitchen and 1 in the living room so the A/C goes upstairs, then reverse that in the winter. We keep the house about 65 degrees all year long, and our bill (A/C running all the time) was $112. Split level house. Last year at this time, it would've been at minimum $180.

LesPaul

We don't have A/C.  We open the windows and sliding doors in the early morning to let in the cool air, then close them (along with the blinds) in the afternoon when the deck gets hot and radiates heat inside.  That, and ceiling fans running constantly.  Fortunately the basement is always 10* cooler than upstairs.

Labrnr

The first winter at our new house we paid $755 for one month of hydro in January, it sucked big time.  Ecspecially since it was right after Christmas.

allisong23

FI just had a guy come in and do an energy audit on our house. He was either through our gas company or eletric company. He went through the whole house, and gave recommendations on what to do to make the house more energy efficient. He told us what we could do to lower bills, and what we could expect to save by doing things like replacing our furnace, hot water heater or stove. At the end, he gave us a bunch of CFL bulbs, a bunch of federal rebate forms if we decide to make some changes, info on tax credits, and a ton of info. The whole thing was free.

nda_roxybabe

Cat- thats a great idea about closing vents. I think we have one in the closet which is just silly. I hate curtains but its probably a good idea...
I can't access any outdoor vents or anything.

We have a small 850 sq. ft. apartment but we're on the second floor so that doesn't help with keeping it cool.

MattsPenguin

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_electric-bills-suck?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:2cd50052-6bf0-427e-8c92-fa4ed512be33Post:efb9fad8-ae35-4a5c-a1d8-d1acad4b4298">Re: Electric bills suck.</a>:
[QUOTE]We are on the budget plan with our electric company.  We pay a set amount ($156) for 11 months of the year.  In the 12th cycle, we either get a credit if we overpaid or a final bill. It doesn't help the problem you are having with him messing with the AC controls, but it can help you budget since you know what you'll be paying. 
Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]

I was going to suggest this.  Our gas company does "balanced billing" to avoid $300 bills in the winter and $40 bills in the summer. 

Fortunately (or unfortunately) we don't have A/C, so this is not a problem we've faced.  We just have lots of fans.

Ceiling fans might help as well.

SarahPLiz

Ours is bad because we have an ancient air conditioner, but made the decision to have a wedding this year and pray that the AC makes it one more summer.

One thing I did was to put up blocking curtains on the side of the condo that gets the most sun. I got them on sale at BBB, with a coupon, and they have been great! They also help in the winter to keep the heat in, since we have really large windows on that side.

We leave the thermostat on 85 when we aren't home, and 80 when we are, and rarely turn on a light. I unplug lots of stuff too.

temerityjane

The switching back and forth is probably a lot of the problem. When you set the thermostat to a certain temperature, it monitors the house to maintain that temp. When you crank it up, it allows the house to warm up several desgrees, and him cranking it back down makes the AC have to kick on continously until the temp is back down. By leaving it at one temp, the AC will only kick on intermitently to ensure that the house stays at the selected temperature. It takes less energy to keep it at a (reasonable) temperature than it does to continually have to cool it back down several degrees when you switch back and forth.

nda_roxybabe

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_electric-bills-suck?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:2cd50052-6bf0-427e-8c92-fa4ed512be33Post:6c401b26-0b91-4cd1-97b5-aace30806e84">Re: Electric bills suck.</a>:
[QUOTE]We don't have A/C.  We open the windows and sliding doors in the early morning to let in the cool air, then close them (along with the blinds) in the afternoon when the deck gets hot and radiates heat inside.  That, and ceiling fans running constantly.  Fortunately the basement is always 10* cooler than upstairs.
Posted by LesPaul[/QUOTE]

Oh man, I wish we could do that. We do in the winter, we don't use anything which is nice but of course summer is more expensive here.

Labrnr

The only thing closing the vents will do is force the air to go out the other vents, it won't lessen the amount of electricity used.

You need to turn down your air conditioning, and the other suggestions of unplugging unused appliances.

Plus there are certain times of the day that are cheaper to do laundry, you should check that out on, there might be info on your hydro companies website.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Yeah, ours goes from about $50 to $150. Right now, they're burning through our deposit. Long story, but I had to make a $300 deposit when we moved in to get our electric turned on. After a year or so of on-time payments they start deducting from that. At the rate we're going, it will be gone next month. I assume our bill will be something like $120. And that's with CFL bulbs everywhere, 2 ceiling fans, and 2 window AC units.

We keep the AC on 76 and "energy saver" during the day. It turns off when the temp gets to 76, and bumps back on when needed. We run it at 72 when we're home. Also, we switch to "fan" at night and open the windows to draw in the cool air.

mandysmear

-Don't blow dry your hair.  Let it air dry.  Blow dryers are electricity pigs.
-If you don't have pets vacuum once a week, or even every two weeks. 
-Don't bake.  Use your crock pot instead.  Ovens apparently take a lot of electricity.  More than the stove.  (Someone told me that once, i dont' know if there is truth to it) 
-Turn the AC off at night and buy a fan and have that beside your bed.

We pay about $300 for water, power and gas in the winter.  It sucks.  Summer in the townhouse was pretty good, but it's our first summer with AC we'll see how it goes.  We try not to use it every day but it's been hot the last few days. 

I will start closing my vents though!  We already close the spare bedroom doors same with guest bath.

mandysmear

Oh yeah, I read not to run your dishwasher right after suppertime.  Apparently you should do it before bed or first thing in the morning.

nda_roxybabe

Mandy- I didn't even think about the hair dryer. I typically shower at night, wrap my hair in a bun and give it a little dry in the morning but I could cut that out.

I do have the dog but he doesn't shed so we only vacuum weekly.

I don't think turning off the AC at night is possible, its still well into the 80/90's at night and we get hot as it is.

Tj- thats a good point. I think we'll be having a thermostat talk when I get home.

nda_roxybabe

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_electric-bills-suck?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:2cd50052-6bf0-427e-8c92-fa4ed512be33Post:457486eb-6905-483e-8adf-0c5502fd0f9e">Re: Electric bills suck.</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>The only thing closing the vents will do is force the air to go out the other vents, it won't lessen the amount of electricity used.</strong> You need to turn down your air conditioning, and the other suggestions of unplugging unused appliances. Plus there are certain times of the day that are cheaper to do laundry, you should check that out on, there might be info on your hydro companies website.
Posted by Labrnr[/QUOTE]

Yes, I think we know that but it will just push the air to the places we really need it instead of wasting it in the closet or laundry room...

Labrnr

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_electric-bills-suck?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:2cd50052-6bf0-427e-8c92-fa4ed512be33Post:0eb1f073-5eaf-4e4b-b02f-c43dc53630fa">Re: Electric bills suck.</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Electric bills suck. : Yes, I think we know that but it will just push the air to the places we really need it instead of wasting it in the closet or laundry room...
Posted by nda_roxybabe[/QUOTE]

agreed.

hccpsu

I work with SRP so I'm familiar with their rates.  I hate to tell you but your bill in July and August will be even higher--those are "summer peak" months where they charge more than they are charging right now.

You've gotten good advice re: appliances, keeping a constant temperature, closing off rooms, etc.

SRP does offer two Time-of-Use rates, which is where you pay more for power during peak times of the day, but less in the evenings and on weekends.  They have details on their website (srpnet.com).  They have one plan where you pay more for electricity used between 3-6 PM M-F, but pay less the rest of the time, for example.  If you can cut back usage during those hours, you can save.  They also have another TOU rate where the hours are a little more complicated.

In my experience SRP has good customer service reps, so might want to give them a call and ask about those rates.  If you work regular business hours and use more energy in the evenings, you might have an option to save money.

nda_roxybabe

Nope, no fireplace. Its a pretty open living, dining kitchen area though