Okayfine... What's your power bill?

[Tallpine]

There's something not-quite-right about that chart if it says the average American is both heating and cooling his home with electricity in the same month...

That's quite possible or even likely in Montana.  I think we hold the record for fast temperature changes.

We might be having a fire in our wood stove one morning and a day or two later it is above 90 degrees outside.

[crt360]

According to the department of Energy, this is how the average American home uses its electric:



80% for cooling? Doesn't even come close.

What is that purple wedge called "Space Heating"?    34%    We use a heater maybe two or three days a year.  We hardly ever use the oven or stove.  The biggest TV is a little 20" that gets some use in the evenings.  Plenty of fluorescent lighting and sunlight (lots of windows).  Our water heaters are gas.  I'd still guess that close to 80% of our electricity usage is AC.  The old fridge probably uses the rest.

[K Frame]

There's something not-quite-right about that chart if it says the average American is both heating and cooling his home with electricity in the same month...

That's quite possible or even likely in Montana.  I think we hold the record for fast temperature changes.

We might be having a fire in our wood stove one morning and a day or two later it is above 90 degrees outside.

Last week the boiler kicked on at my Mother's house in central Pennsylvania. It dipped into the mid 40s several nights running.

Two days later it was pushing the 90s and we switched to AC.

[Gewehr98]

I've had the A/C and heat on in the same month up here, too.

Probably part of the whole globular worming thing. 

[Gewehr98]

Update came in the mail this afternoon.

I've got us slimmed down to 1149 kilowatt/hours as of the 27th of June.  That's 250 kilowatt/hours less than May's bill, and I'm tickled with that.  The June water sewer, and electricity total are down to $138.85 from May's $167.10 - not bad for four adults and two big dogs.

I still have to change both bathroom vanity lights and the stairwell lights to CFL, yet...

[Rudy Kohn]

My one-bedroom, one-bathroom in TX cost about $40 in electricity last month.

I've been keeping the consumption low by turning off the A/C when I'm not home--seems to cut consumption by about a factor of two (gee, I'm home about half a day...).
Last summer I saw bills in the $80 per month range, leaving the A/C on all the time.

The good thing about TX is that the bill drops to around $25 per month in the winter, since I like the "cold" (originally Michigander).  Only used heat for about two weeks.

[Tuco]

Gas in winter was up to 300 on occasion (since the woodstove, about 90) Gas includes furnace, hot water, stove, clothes dryer.
Summer gas is 20-30 bucks per month.

Electric runs pretty steady at 100/month - Including 2 saltwater aquariums with 24/7 pumps and 16/7 high output lights.
Central air on occasion in summer, but I guess less house lighting evens it out.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

My own apartment is a bit abnormal in its utility usage, so I asked Mom what her new condo uses.

Winter electric bills were $50.  June's bill was $150.  $20 of each bill was gobbled up by the delivery charge, so that means the actual electrical power usage was was $30 and $130 respectively.  The A/C therefore accounts for $100 out of $130 in electricity during the summer, or about 77%.  This is with a brand new whiz-bang super efficient central air conditioner.

Last months gas bill was $20.  January's was $180.  The delivery charge was (I think) $15.  Thus $5 of actual gas consumption in the summer vs $175 in the winter.  $170 out of $175 winter usage is used for heat.  The furnace wolfs down 97% of the home's natural gas when it's in use.

[LadySmith]

I once got a nasty letter from PG&E threatening to cut me off because I didn't use enough.

[w turner]

In North Alabama with a 1400 sq ft 1 1/2 story home, ours is heavily dependent on the time of year. 

December-February - $200 per month is about average

March-May - $100

June - August-$140

September - November - $100

This is electric and garbage pickup.  No gas in our area, but I have looked at a windmill to help.  We live on top of a hill and there is always a breeze. 

I would love to go to budget billing, but you have to pay a $150 fee just to start it.  This is not a deposit, but an actual fee.  So instead we budget $150 per month for electric and just pay it up through the summer so we don't have to pay an extra in the winter. 

W 

[charby]

In North Alabama with a 1400 sq ft 1 1/2 story home, ours is heavily dependent on the time of year. 

December-February - $200 per month is about average

March-May - $100

June - August-$140

September - November - $100

This is electric and garbage pickup.  No gas in our area, but I have looked at a windmill to help.  We live on top of a hill and there is always a breeze. 

I would love to go to budget billing, but you have to pay a $150 fee just to start it.  This is not a deposit, but an actual fee.  So instead we budget $150 per month for electric and just pay it up through the summer so we don't have to pay an extra in the winter. 

W 

Thats odd... charge you to go to budget billing. Power company must be owned by a bank.

[K Frame]

"but you have to pay a $150 fee just to start it"

Holy crap! That's insane.

[w turner]

Nah, it's an Electric "Cooperative" with board members "elected" every year, even though the same people that get elected, stay elected until they get tired of being on the board. 

Their billing customer service leaves a lot to be desired.  They also charge you to pay over the phone or to set it up as an automatic draft on your checking account. 

W

[glockfan.45]

Here in Southern Illinois we only have one option thats hold a monopoly over the whole state. They deregulated this year and my April power bill which averaged $140 in years past shot up to $380   . We have been getting raped by Ameren IP. They have been pushing for rate caps, but a report released last month by a local paper makes that look unlikely. It seems Ameren makes LARGE campaign donations to quite few of our scum bags.........um I mean politicians. FYI Sen Obama is also on their payroll. God bless America where enough $$$ can buy a corporation a seat in government huh?

[grislyatoms]

$60/month Spring and Fall

$70-$80/month Summer and Winter

[Fly320s]

Average $60/month elec.  Don't remember my oil bill for the winter, probably $600.  Water/sewer are billed quarterly, but it usually is around $50.

[Art Eatman]

Propane for cooking water heater and house heat.  I use maybe 200 gallons a year.  Call it $40 a month, roughly.

Electricity usage runs about $50 a month, which includes cooling in 100 to 110-degree summers.  It also includes pumping water to my cistern and then the pressure pump for the house.  There is a demand fee for each meter; total demand fee is $37 per month.

So, total utilities is about $130 a month, mas o menos.  The electric bill drops off some in winter.

1,400 sq-ft house, very good insulation.

Art 

[Jamisjockey]

I keep the haus between 72 and 74 24/7, kids like to play in the backyard with the sliding glass door open......and it tops out about $140 during the summer.