How much do you spend bimonthly on electricity?

[applegrove]

How big is your home? My home is a one bedroom apartment and I paid $268.

[Art_from_Ark]

1. It depends on the season

Spring/fall-- the equivalent of about 90-100 US dollars/month.
Summer-- about 110 dollars/month
Winter-- about 150 dollars/month

for an 800 sq.ft. house

[trof]

2. Bimonthly? About $300 on average.

2300 sq. ft. 3 br/3bth home in coastal Alabama.
Heat and air, lights, freezer, refrig, cooking runs about $150 a month on average.
All electric home.
Have supplemental solar heat for hot water.

[BlueJazz]

15. About the same.

[Broken_Hero]

3. We have a three bedroom

ranch style home, at 2k square feet, during the summer time our bill is 130$ average, during the winter/fall around 70$.

[RebelOne]

4. I live in a 2-bedroom mobile home

and only pay about $150 every 2 months.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

5. That's fucking ridiculous!

I was pissed that our four bed home with a pool in Tucson ate $450.00 per month this summer but I would be way more pissed off if I was you. Where the fuck do you live and/or, is your one bedroom a 3000 sf loft?

Oh wait, your bill is for two months? Sounds about right.

[applegrove]

7. I know it. It is a regular sized 1bdr.

I called the utility and they were not much help.

[Motown_Johnny]

6. My last bill was $37.00 for electric and $55.43 for gas for one month

Last edited Mon Nov 12, 2012, 09:35 PM - Edit history (1)

This was from September 12th to October 11th. so I wasn't running air conditioning or heat (for the most part). I don't have my new bill yet.

My average per day usage for electricity was 6.9 KWH on this bill. 193 total for the month.

For gas my average was 1.1 CCF per day. 32 total for the month.



I just have a small cape cod style home. Less than 1000 sq. ft.



edit because I had a credit on the account I didn't factor in for the total. The numbers are correct as stated.

[Texasgal]

8. 2100 SQ Feet

my highest bill this summer was in august 524.00

Otherwise I'd say 220-280 is normal.

We also have a new system plus a set thermostat.

I live in an old house... built in 1952.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

9. Jesus, that's a fucking Porsche payment!

[Texasgal]

10. It's horrible.

Price of living in Austin, TX.

We've been through a drought and it's been hotter than hell.

Sucks, trust me.

[kalli007]

13. I think a lot of it is the old age of the house, mine is

1435 sq ft, built in 1940 - right on the Texas coast. HOT AND HUMID!!! Elect bill during the summer is $300, and I keep it at 78.

My parents, OTOH, 2300 sq ft, built in 2008, keep their AC at 72 (!) highest bill in the summer is a little over $200.

I plan on doing some major insulation and probably a new AC.

[Texasgal]

14. We also pay much more in

utilities than other Texas Cities. It sucks, but it is where I am!

Looking forward to fall and cooler temps. I have natural gas so the bill will go down!

[kalli007]

17. My windows are open as we speak....

When I dont run the AC my bill is like $50 a month!

[Texasgal]

20. Windows open here tonight too

I feel like the my bill goes up more and more each year and I am careful,I keep it on 78 to 76 in the heat of the summer and turn it to 89 when I leave. Ofcouse we have dogs so I leave the ceiling fans going all day.

I am amazed at my electric bill compared to others! I sweat through the heat... and freeze in the winter! UGH!~

[kalli007]

21. The best advice I ever received regarding AC was in direct contradiction to all other advice -

Instead of jacking up the AC when you leave, and turning it down some when you get home - pick a temp and leave it there ALL summer. It made a $100 difference per month this summer.

I used to jack it up to 80, then 78 when I got home, then 74-76 at night. This year I left it at 78 the entire summer - bill averaged $100 less each month than the previous year, although rates had not gone down. It was much more comfortable too. The strain of allowing it to get really hot, then cool back down drains a LOT of energy, and therefore money.

[Texasgal]

22. Good advice.

I'd do anything to get my bill down. thank you!

[OffWithTheirHeads]

24. Speaking as someone who spent 43 years in HVAC, it is easier on your system

If you keep your house sort of comfortable during the day and get it where you want it when you get home, or even better, have a programmable thermostat do it for you before you get home than to try to bring your whole house to an acceptable temp when you walk in the door. It takes a lot more work to bring your house from 100 to 70 than it does to bring it from 85 to 70.

If you are usually gone during the day, a programmable thermostat will save you serious dollars. If you are not sure how to hook one up, pm me, I will walk you through it. If you think you can do it yourself but don't understand low voltage electrical systems, PM me when you have burned out your transformer. Even that is not the end of the world.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

23. It's time for us to get off the grid! I'm looking at every option

And solar is looking real good! Fuck! Buying a Porsche is looking real good! There has to be a way to fuck the power companies back!

[Kaleva]

11. $76 bi-monthly for a two bedroom, 900 square ft. home.

Electricty is expensive where i live as I pay about 19 cents per kilowatt/hour which is higher then the national average of 12 cents a kilowatt/hour.

[Incitatus]

12. about $250-300 per month , 2400 sq ft. nt

Last edited Wed Nov 14, 2012, 01:43 PM - Edit history (1)

[eyewall]

16. We're in the Northwest so summer is my low usage period

1800 sq ft and everything is electric except the stove which runs on propane. We have a well so there's a 240V water pump.

Our average summer bill is around $160 mo.

For the rest of this year I've budgeted $425 for Nov. and $500 for Dec.

I've had two energy audits and replaced the meter and bought a new furnace/blower with a programmable thermostat. My bill just keeps getting higher.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

18. That sounds like too much.

Maybe ask your neighbours what they pay, (the hydro company probably doesn't care about your concerns). In the Niagara area, I used to pay about $300+ bimonthly, but that was for a whole house including a hydro-guzzling company shop being run out of it.

[union_maid]

19. I'm on a budget plan

Which is about 200 a month. That's actually the whole bill for a two family house though. Since it's emptied out - only three of us left, it's gone down and my end of the year reconciliation bills appear to be lower rather than higher than the budget amount for the first time.

[Orrex]

25. Zero

I threw a length of copper wire over a nearby high-tension line, and now I get all the electricity I want for free.

It's perfectly safe, honest!

[applegrove]

26. Oh you lol!

[Orrex]

28. Actually, I remember reading about a guy who did exactly that

IIRC he'd stolen thousands of dollars worth of electricity by the time they figured it out. I'll need to find the story--it was on DU2 a while back.

I think that the general sentiment was "he's lucky that he didn't kill his dumbass self."

[Blue_In_AK]

27. About 2,000 square feet

Average about $150 per month over the course of the year. Much less in the summer when it's light all the time.

[southerncrone]

29. Monthly.

Summer--145 avg (unless we have heat waves like last 2 yrs, then 170)
Winter, Spring & Fall--about 90. We heat w/propane & electric.

1800 sq ft 2-story built in '86.

[csziggy]

30. Average about $150 a month

"Bimonthly" can mean twice a month or every two months, by the way. So I'm avoiding the use of it.

Our house is just under 2800 square feet with ICF (insulated concrete form) walls, great insulation and very tight windows and doors. We have solar hot water but our other appliances and our heat pump while decent are not super high efficiency.

During the summer we keep the thermostat set at 76 which means some of the rooms are at 78 while the hall where the thermostat is stays at a constant 76. During the winter it's set at 73. If we let the house cool off or heat up too much it takes forever to get the thermal mass of the concrete walls and floor to get back to a comfortable temperature. It's more efficient to simply maintain the temperature at a constant level.

Last week when it got chilly at night, I had the windows open during the day and forgot to turn the thermostat on when I closed them. Even though it got into the forties, I didn't notice the heat never came on until I opened the windows the next day and went to turn it off. The house was a mite cool in the morning but not uncomfortable.

[Kaleva]

37. Bi-weekly would mean twice a month. Once every two weeks.

[csziggy]

41. Yes, but the OP said bimonthly which is ambiguous

And can mean twice a month or every two months:

bi·month·ly
adjective \(ˌ bī-ˈmən(t)th-lē\
Definition of BIMONTHLY
1: occurring every two months
2: occurring twice a month : semimonthly
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bimonthly

[siligut]

31. We cut way down on vampire power

Many devices use some electricity even when they are not turned on. This is called vampire power or phantom power and is electricity used just because the unit is plugged in.

We get a rating each month that tells us what our usage is relative to our neighbors. We had drifted into the wasteful slob zone a few months back, so I got serious.

For our computers, I bought surge protectors that only allow electricity to accessories, like the desk light and printer, when the computer itself is turned on. For the cell phone chargers, we use small plugs that have timers on them, my I Phone charges to 98% in three hours if I let it get real low. So I set the little plug for three hours, it has a choice of 1/2, 3 or 6.

For the coffee maker and water pot, we have another plug that just switches off and on. In rooms that we don't use often, TVs/DVRs are unplugged unless in use. For the entertainment center like area, only the TV and cable box get constant power. The stereo and DVR are on the same surge protector, but they have a separate switch which I need to press manually.

Lots of little things can make a big difference

[applegrove]

32. I've started to unplug my dvd player and power down my computer.

I'll know in a month if it has made the difference. Those are the only two new appliances I have got since the bills started to increase in the spring.

[DaniDubois]

33. Phoenix, 2400 sq foot, pool, 82 degrees in house all summer

400 per month winter about 130 to 200 depending on if we use the heater.

[Populist_Prole]

34. "bi-monthly"? Never heard of such billing. Anyway....

1500 square foot house, southeastern US.

About $90.00 a month during the summer ( I love my air conditioning )

About $30.00 a month during the winter.

I have gas heat and hot water, and its usage is inverse to electric. About 18-20 bucks/month during summer and 75-80 during winter.

[BainsBane]

35. Woah

2 bedroom, 100 year old duplex, I never paid more than $90 a month in the summer, and I pay far less in the winter, around $30. I have gas heat.

Are you in WA state by chance? I lived there for a year and paid a fortune in electricity.

[IrishEyes]

36. 45 or so a month during the winter time.

120 or so a month during the summertime.

I have a two bedroom apartment with an office, kitchen, bathroom, storage room, game room and living room.

[Kaleva]

38. If you could tell us how many kilowatt/hours you use a month...

and what you pay for a kilowatt/hour, we may be able to give you more detailed advice. The former ought to be on your bill and the latter may or not be. I had to call my electric company to find out what I paid for a kilowatt/hour as that info wasn't on my monthly bill.

[Shagbark Hickory]

39. Bimonthly? Sorry I don't think I can crunch the numbers in my head.

[aikoaiko]

40. Much variation

In the summer it take about $350/month to run and cool my 1500 sqft. My wife, who is home all day, likes it a chilly 67 degrees inside.

In the winter my electricity bill goes down to $100 in December and January.

So bimonthly, that a range of $200 - $700.

[MissB]

42. About $140 ($70/mo) for 2300 sq ft of a 1920s home.

We don't heat with it. Gas heat, hot water and stove top. Rest is electric.

Western Oregon is relatively mild. We do have central air but it doesn't kick on much in the summer. We use energy efficient light bulbs.

In our recent bathroom remodel, we used two of these fixtures: http://www.destinationlighting.com/storeitem.jhtml?iid=386410

They use 15 watts, look like recessed lights, and have an approximately 20 year bulb. (and we paid way less than the price at the link).

[av8rdave]

43. Maybe $40 biweekly in the winter, $70 to $80 in the summer

We don't use all that much electricity. We heat the house and our water with propane. We do run the a/c some during the day in the summer.

And of course the TV is on some during college football and basketball seasons.

[sharp_stick]

44. 1800 sq foot house

in Connecticut, oil heat.

We spend about $125/month in the summer with A/C and average about $100/month in the winter.

[erinlough]

45. 1500 sq feet in Michigan

I'm on a savings plan (lower rates between 9pm and 7am) and we installed a geothermal system. We keep the house at 69 in the winter and 72 in the summer. We pay $131 monthly year round.

[Kaleva]

47. How much did your geothermal system cost to install if I may ask?

[greendog]

46. $35.00 a month for electric. Gas bill ranges from $12.00 to $115.00 depending on the season.

400 sq. ft. converted chicken coop in Montana.