CHAT Got my new electric bill

[nomifyle]

and its $100 more than last month. I've not turned on the central air at all, I've hardly used my clothes dryer and I've used cold water instead of hot water to wash with.

I just spent and hour on the phone with the electric company, nice man, but they are full of shit. Telling me these are the summer rates and last month was spring rates. I did not go away comforted.

Its 11.30 at night and it 86 degrees where I'm sitting at my computer and I'm sweating. I'm not a happy camper.

 

[Intestinal Fortitude]

It will get worse - Soviet/Third World style is what they want to do

 

[Kris Gandillon]

April bill was $76. $96 electric bill for May. 2,500 sq ft ranch home. AC set to 72. Normal amount of electric clothes drying. Three of us working from home with computers and dual monitors. Charged the Bolt and drove a bit over 400 miles at a cost of 2.3 cents of electricity per mile.

 

[hd5574]

There are some very inexpensive personal...usb rechargeable personal fans that go around your neck. .they are in the $20.00 +or- range. I got one for DH and myself..they seem to work ok..they really help...if we have black outs ..well they may be the saving grace..also they have rechargeable table fans. I found them on amazon

We have dual zone central air that we have not turned on in about 20 years..very old farm house 2 story..we do have shade trees.. we have one window unit ...5,000 down stairs and three up stairs...each is 5,000...we get very hot and humid here...we have already had a heat index over 100....we use a bunch of fans..to help move the cool air around the house...my last bill was $78...and we had several days in the 90's with high humidity and our window units were blasting...DH works in a shop in the heat all day..and sometimes on the road fixing equipment in the sun in a field. ..so I have the house cool for him when he gets home...we find that as the sun moves we can turn window units off and on ...at times some are at least on low and not at full cool. We also have the well pump which is 220.

We have the CFL light bulbs...the newer ones hurt my eyes...but they save a lot on electricity.
I do have an old fashioned non electric propane cooking stove.

Just a few ways we have found to save on the electric bill.

 

[Melodi]

Our bill was a good surprise but I don't expect it to last. It was almost the same as this time last year despite the rate raises.

I think it is because not only are we two people now instead of a household of three but also because both of us have gotten careful about doing things like washing and drying at night. It helps that she gets up at 5 am every day (by choice) and can put things in the dryer. Our climate means there can be several weeks at a time when hanging clothing out to dry is a hit-or-miss operation, so that isn't always an option. We also bought two of those heated stand-up cloths "horses" that are much cheaper than a dryer to use and I've discovered that wool items do OK on them.

Also, because everything had kind of died at once and I was lucky enough to secure funding, we replaced almost all our major appliances with new ones that are much more energy-efficient. Now, sometimes that's a pain, I didn't realize how small the new oven was until I got it home because ALL the ovens in the shop were that same size. But the flip side is they use a lot less power. I think our bill was so much lower this month than last month because we replaced the old freezer that was probably sucking power out of the wall while it was busy dying.

I expect things to go way up again in Fall/Winter when we have to use some space heaters and the power gets ever higher at price. Thank goodness our 200-year-old house has fireplaces and stoves!

 

[mecoastie]

SO did you use more, less or the same amount of electricity?

 

[WalknTrot]

Rural power can get expensive...covering many more miles for many fewer customers. If the electric companies had their way, they'd only power the efficient and cheaper runs of urban areas where the houses are all on top of each other.

My co-op may not be the cheapest rates in the world, but without them, it's 1880 all over again. One of the prices we pay for living "out".

 

[Melodi]

SO did you use more, less or the same amount of electricity?

That is a good question, I will see if I can figure that one out, I'm guessing we must have used less to have it cost the same as last year (almost to the penny) for the same month, and yet the rates have skyrocketed with it being one of the largest news stories in Ireland.

The government is becoming frantic trying to figure out how they will help the poorest people (including the elderly) keep their lights and the heating on this Winter.

In the UK, the Small Business organization there said up to 500,000 small businesses may fold before Winter, and this is a major cause. The mentioned one B and B/Hotel that scattered to tourists and employed a number of people had their electrical costs go up to FIVE TIMES last year's bill. He said that wasn't sustainable and the business closed rather than fade into bankruptcy, leaving about a dozen people unemployed.

Those are Business Rates in the UK which are different from personal rates, but people are seeing rate increases that wouldn't have been believed even a year ago.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Our power comes out of TVA, and thusfar, that has been good for my family.

Who knows about the future, with all that is happening of late.

 

[mecoastie]

Rural power can get expensive...covering many more miles for many fewer customers. If the electric companies had their way, they'd only power the efficient and cheaper runs of urban areas where the houses are all on top of each other.

My co-op may not be the cheapest rates in the world, but without them, it's 1880 all over again. One of the prices we pay for living "out".

We will probably lget back there is a few years. Problem is now with the whole green energy and NIMBY more of the power generation is rural.

 

[WalknTrot]

We will probably lget back there is a few years. Problem is now with the whole green energy and NIMBY more of the power generation is rural.

Yup. Power at the source is getting more expensive for all of the providers with the overwhelming political/gov't pressure toward this "Green" BS.

Windmills and solar are a pathetic joke of a moneypit and inefficiency on a commercial scale. When will anybody come to their senses? Never. So...each individual is going to have to do it on their own. Economize, find alternatives, etc.

 

[lanningro]

Grid tie came online this spring

 

[Cardinal]

and its $100 more than last month. I've not turned on the central air at all, I've hardly used my clothes dryer and I've used cold water instead of hot water to wash with.

I just spent and hour on the phone with the electric company, nice man, but they are full of shit. Telling me these are the summer rates and last month was spring rates. I did not go away comforted.

Its 11.30 at night and it 86 degrees where I'm sitting at my computer and I'm sweating. I'm not a happy camper.

Kind of like when you go to the hospital, you are paying for everyone else.

 

[Homestyle]

If you have old appliances especially an older self defrosting fridge, they will eat up electricity. Also remove the grid, usually under the door and check how clean it is under the fridge. Build up of dust will have the fridge run inefficiently.

 

[raven]

It is difficult to make any kind of determination when you simply say "my bill went up". I could say the same thing except it would not be exactly accurate.
1. Last year during this period my bill was $73. This year it was $85. So my bill went up.
2. Last month my bill was $113 and this month it was 85. So it went down.
3. Last year during this period I used 500KwH. This month I used 650KwH. Last month I used 990KwH.

In reality, we used more electricity this month over last year because we started using the A/C earlier this year.
It is important to watch the KwH used rather than simply the dollars used. Among other things substantial increases in KwH usage can indicate infrastructure problems like motors going out.

The rate has not changed - a little over 8 cents per KwH. BTW, they have to publish rates and you can find them online.

Another aspect is the "other" charges. My bill for this month was $85. Of the 85, only 53 was electric. $30 is the recurring customer fee that you pay regardless of your electric use.
Last year, I was expecting a $125 bill in November. But the they gave me an unexpected 42 rebate. That was 1/3 of my bill.


I keep expecting to see a "cost of fuel" adjustment added.

 

[mecoastie]

Grid tie came online this spring

How much did your set up cost you? Whats your pay back time? How much did you get back in rebates?

 

[lanningro]

FOAF. $25,712 cash deal 9600 watts installed 12/2021. $2000 roof improvment to barn to support panels. Didn't want panels on house and barn has a metal roof that is at the optimal solar angle. Am generating 40 to 50 KWH average per day.

26% of cost tax credit that I used on 2021 taxes to help offset capital gains as Uncle Sugar never forgets.

 

[Troke]

Rural power can get expensive...covering many more miles for many fewer customers. If the electric companies had their way, they'd only power the efficient and cheaper runs of urban areas where the houses are all on top of each other.

My co-op may not be the cheapest rates in the world, but without them, it's 1880 all over again. One of the prices we pay for living "out".

South from my ancestral family farm, one electric tap in seven miles. And that is not an operating farm site There used to be two per mile. One bad storm and the COOP is going to say they can't afford the repair.

 

[Blue 5]

FOAF. $25,712 cash deal 9600 watts installed 12/2021. $2000 roof improvment to barn to support panels. Didn't want panels on house and barn has a metal roof that is at the optimal solar angle. Am generating 40 to 50 KWH average per day.

This is about the size of system that I would need to completely power my home, but I can't justify spending that much on it now. We're planning a move back home to Florida in a few years, and I'll probably do solar once we get there. My folks had a passive solar hot water heater when I was growing up, and it was amazing how low their electric bills were (about half that of their neighbors). That system also had a 120gal tank, and would easily heat water to 180F!

 

[SouthernBreeze]

It has been my mom's experience, when trying to save money on her electric bill, to use several electric fans instead of her ac. When she would get her electric bill, it was just as high as if she had been using her ac. Sometimes, using electric fans use just as much electricity, especially, if you are using more than one. The fans run continually where as the ac cuts on and off as the house heats and cools.

 

[Bubble Head]

FOAF. $25,712 cash deal 9600 watts installed 12/2021. $2000 roof improvment to barn to support panels. Didn't want panels on house and barn has a metal roof that is at the optimal solar angle. Am generating 40 to 50 KWH average per day.

26% of cost tax credit that I used on 2021 taxes to help offset capital gains as Uncle Sugar never forgets.

You got a good deal. Did it include batteries I am using Discover Lithium. Made in Canada.

 

[SmithJ]

and its $100 more than last month. I've not turned on the central air at all, I've hardly used my clothes dryer and I've used cold water instead of hot water to wash with.

I just spent and hour on the phone with the electric company, nice man, but they are full of shit. Telling me these are the summer rates and last month was spring rates. I did not go away comforted.

Its 11.30 at night and it 86 degrees where I'm sitting at my computer and I'm sweating. I'm not a happy camper.

Didn't you post a few months ago that you canceled your "average billing"?

If so, your bill will escalate as it gets warmer. You need to track the kilowatts used and rate per kilowatt hour.

 

[MaisieD]

Our electric bill runs around $135 a month, it goes down some in the winter. We're on budget billing so there are no surprises each month. It's hot in Florida, I can't take the heat anymore especially when I'm so blessed with hot flashes and I feel like I'm going to melt. If we could afford it I would love to get solar.

 

[WalknTrot]

South from my ancestral family farm, one electric tap in seven miles. And that is not an operating farm site There used to be two per mile. One bad storm and the COOP is going to say they can't afford the repair.

Yup. That's the sort of thing that people on rural co-ops "collectively" pay for. When my grandma and grandpa finally wanted to get electricity on their farm back in the late 50's, my mom had to sign on to one of the forties as a new customer so there were enough per mile to run the lines. NO for-profit provider is ever going to serve some of these remote areas, and that's exactly why REA (Rural Electrification Administration) was born in the 1930's.

The power is rickety, and expensive, but it's there. Most of the time, anyway. Haha...most people (even in my own family as I found out last week!) don't remember their history, and how it all happened and still exists in some of the more remote places - like mine.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Our electric bill runs around $135 a month, it goes down some in the winter. We're on budget billing so there are no surprises each month. It's hot in Florida, I can't take the heat anymore especially when I'm so blessed with hot flashes and I feel like I'm going to melt. If we could afford it I would love to get solar.

We can't afford solar, either. We've adopted some of the 1800's living models. Our electric bill runs around $100/month in the summer, and goes down to around $50 or less/month during the winter. We don't use very much electricity. Even less during the winter. We use one electric fan to keep our house cool, but when the humidity gets too high, we do turn on the ac for a little while.

 

[Ambros]

My electric bill last month was $-6. I have a 12kw solar array and it's paying off in droves... I priced/built the system to offset my usage without changing my living habits. I like my 70* house and I have too many computers/file servers running to have a 'cheap' electric bill. I've done the math and the system will pay itself off in 8 years at 2020 energy prices, and as they go up it will break even/pay off even sooner

 

[Homestyle]

My grandson in law installs solar for business, plants and all industry. He does not have solar in his home or even talks about it to others to get it for a home.

 

[nomifyle]

The meter reading was more usage. We have an older mobile home and it does not have good insulation.

I did everything I could think of to reduce usage. I didn't even turn the oven on all last month and I rarely used the stove top. Instead I have used an induction plate and an electric skillet. I doubt those two things would draw more electricity than an old electric stove.

The hot water heater, washer and dryer are relatively new, so they should be reasonably energy efficient. I have LED light bulbs in every socket. The upright freezer went out mid month, and it uses more power than the chest freezers.

I always run fans, even in the winter, so that wasn't much different use than the past two months when the usage was less.

All I can say is we used far less electric stuff than we did the month before and now the bill is $100 more.

 

[rob0126]

There are some very inexpensive personal...usb rechargeable personal fans that go around your neck. .they are in the $20.00 +or- range. I got one for DH and myself..they seem to work ok..they really help...if we have black outs ..well they may be the saving grace..also they have rechargeable table fans. I found them on amazon

We have dual zone central air that we have not turned on in about 20 years..very old farm house 2 story..we do have shade trees.. we have one window unit ...5,000 down stairs and three up stairs...each is 5,000...we get very hot and humid here...we have already had a heat index over 100....we use a bunch of fans..to help move the cool air around the house...my last bill was $78...and we had several days in the 90's with high humidity and our window units were blasting...DH works in a shop in the heat all day..and sometimes on the road fixing equipment in the sun in a field. ..so I have the house cool for him when he gets home...we find that as the sun moves we can turn window units off and on ...at times some are at least on low and not at full cool. We also have the well pump which is 220.

We have the CFL light bulbs...the newer ones hurt my eyes...but they save a lot on electricity.
I do have an old fashioned non electric propane cooking stove.

Just a few ways we have found to save on the electric bill.

If you have a couple hundred bucks, maybe look into a keppe fan.

Keppe Motor Table Fan - Keppe Motor - Tecnologia para um Novo Mundo

Technical Data Measures 60 x 70 x 40 cm (23,6 x 27,5 x 15,7 in) Weight packed 4 kg (8.82lb) Protection grid Black plastic Blades 3 blades of transparent or black plastic Body Recycled wood, light or dark color, handmade production Automatic dual voltage 110V and 220V Traduzir para: Spanish...

www.keppemotor.com

They sell a tabletop fan and a ceiling fan with incredible efficiency.
(Made in Brazil)

The table top uses about 15 watts vs a traditional of the same size that use 75 watts.

Would be great to have in a solar system setup.

We would buy one if we had the funds.

 

[buttie]

Just maybe the $16k I spent on LiFePo batteries, for the off-grid system that powers our home, will pay off. This was 3 years ago and they work great.

 

[raven]

My COOP provides a Usage Explorer on the internet.
Below is the graph for last month.
Can you guess which days she has the Washer and Dryer Running?
Can you guess what day her son brought his laundry to be cleaned?
LOL - anytime the green usage bars go over the black temperature line, she is washing clothes.
Your washer, dryer, and water heater use a lot of electric.

 

[hiwall]

We have 3k of solar panels that run our kitchen. We expect a pay-off of the solar cost in about 100 years.

 

[hd5574]

If you have a couple hundred bucks, maybe look into a keppe fan.

Keppe Motor Table Fan - Keppe Motor - Tecnologia para um Novo Mundo

Technical Data Measures 60 x 70 x 40 cm (23,6 x 27,5 x 15,7 in) Weight packed 4 kg (8.82lb) Protection grid Black plastic Blades 3 blades of transparent or black plastic Body Recycled wood, light or dark color, handmade production Automatic dual voltage 110V and 220V Traduzir para: Spanish...

www.keppemotor.com

They sell a tabletop fan and a ceiling fan with incredible efficiency.
(Made in Brazil)

The table top uses about 15 watts vs a traditional of the same size that use 75 watts.

Would be great to have in a solar system setup.

We would buy one if we had the funds.

Thanks for the information...that may save even more...we will check it out.

 

[hd5574]

We also heat the house with a Buck stove (wood stove) in the winter...it has an internal fan..high speed is 100 watts...we use a couple of doorway fans to move the hot air around.

I added up 12 months of electric bills and we used $1200 for the entire year...we are on a rural coop. So we figure that roughly $100 per month isn't too bad. We also really try to turn out lights when we leave the room. Our house is over 2000 square feet. We are too old to invest in a large solar system. We are considering a small one that would run the stove fan in the winter.

But with FJB we expect that our bill will go up in the future.

 

[Tripod]

That smart meter they installed about 20 years ago increased my bill about 50%.
It's not only how much you use, but when you use it. The smart meter allows for different rates at different times.
Mike

 

[summerthyme]

The meter reading was more usage. We have an older mobile home and it does not have good insulation.

I did everything I could think of to reduce usage. I didn't even turn the oven on all last month and I rarely used the stove top. Instead I have used an induction plate and an electric skillet. I doubt those two things would draw more electricity than an old electric stove.

The hot water heater, washer and dryer are relatively new, so they should be reasonably energy efficient. I have LED light bulbs in every socket. The upright freezer went out mid month, and it uses more power than the chest freezers.

I always run fans, even in the winter, so that wasn't much different use than the past two months when the usage was less.

All I can say is we used far less electric stuff than we did the month before and now the bill is $100 more.

Your bill should have the kilowatts used on it somewhere. You cant always assume certain appliances are more efficient. You might want to invest in a Kilowatt monitor... plug your electric skillet in and see how much it really uses. These days, "phantom loads" can really add up... if you look around your house at night and see several small LED lights lit up, you maybe using more power than you think.

Summerthyme

 

[nomifyle]

After several hours of being upset, I've come to the conclusion that if I had not made the adjustments that I did the bill would have been even higher. Another thing is that I am getting use to not being nice and cool, which could definitely be of a benefit in the not too distant future.

 

[lanningro]

You got a good deal. Did it include batteries I am using Discover Lithium. Made in Canada.

Everything but, I supplied my own flooded lead acid. In rural Arkansas finding a replacement LI battery could be a challenge.

 

[wintery_storm]

The meter reading was more usage. We have an older mobile home and it does not have good insulation.

I did everything I could think of to reduce usage. I didn't even turn the oven on all last month and I rarely used the stove top. Instead I have used an induction plate and an electric skillet. I doubt those two things would draw more electricity than an old electric stove.

The hot water heater, washer and dryer are relatively new, so they should be reasonably energy efficient. I have LED light bulbs in every socket. The upright freezer went out mid month, and it uses more power than the chest freezers.

I always run fans, even in the winter, so that wasn't much different use than the past two months when the usage was less.

All I can say is we used far less electric stuff than we did the month before and now the bill is $100 more.

Did you rates go up per Kw? That is a great difference especially for a mobile home. I would not tolerate the winter rate and summer rate from the electrical company. I have never heard of such a thing!
I have a 2600 sq foot house and our electricity went down about 100 dollars.
But here in Pennsylvania you can pick your supplier. My DH watches that closely and makes changes when he has to to get the lowest rate.

 

[Buick Electra]

Just received this email (no link) from my congress critter. HOLEE CRAP!!! This is actually scarier than the Monkey Pox!!!

Ameren electric rates increased​

On April 20, 2022, Ameren Illinois received electric rate results from the regional grid operator (MISO), which include an increase from $5/megawatt to $236/megawatt and will now cause Ameren electric rates to increase significantly, more than 40 percent, beginning June 1.

This increase is unrelated to the increase in natural gas prices and different from what was experienced beginning in Fall 2021 when Ameren gas rates increased, causing heating bills to rise during the winter months.

The rate increase is a result of many factors, including power supply prices going up because of global market pressures and recent public policy that prioritized renewable energy (solar and wind)—which has resulted in many fossil fuel plants closing, creating a capacity shortage in the region that covers Ameren Illinois customers.

Not only will this rate increase lead to higher electric bills that customers can expect to see in late June/early July, but there will also be the potential for controlled outages and brownouts this summer. These possible electric disruptions could have an impact on not just Ameren Illinois customers, but all residents whose energy is supplied from the MISO grid.

Illinois residents who are struggling to keep up with their increased bills can reach out to Ameren Illinois to request a budget billing program that sets monthly bill amounts at predictable amounts. More information about the program can be viewed here.

Additionally, qualifying households can take part in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is the federally-program that provides monetary relief for energy bills. More information can be obtained by calling 1-877-411-WARM (9276) or visiting https://www.ameren.com/illinois/residential/energy-assistance/liheap .