OT: Monthly Electric Bill

[ctopal]

So in talking to other people I find our electric bill is usually way more than theirs. I usually blame the tanks, but I think it's gotta be more than just that. So I wanted to compare with others. My bill is $235 a month, every month. I've got two tanks in the house. Can you guys give me some comparisons?

 

[JarekS]

My bill is usually around 200 or less and this past month jumped up to 296 (gas heat here so not due to cold)

 

[DgenR8]

Living on Long Island, my bill probably doesn't offer much of a comparison, but I'd kill for a bill as low as yours. Mine is consistently at least double what you're paying, even higher in the summer.

 

[DLANDINO]

Connecticut Light and Power $261.00 this month. In the summer when the central air and the pool filter is on the bill hovers around 450.00- 500.00 per month. Arrrggggg. Thanks for making me think about it!

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

We have hit $500 a month but I think we usually hang around $350 - $400. (I don't normally ask because I really don't want to know!) That's three tanks and two outdoor ponds.

Sue

 

[hazmat319]

This is a SORE subject.....since we moved here my bill has consistently been $350-$400. Without a tank going or anything!! Our heat is natural gas. I'm so worried about this summer when we start to turn on the A/C.

I noticed up here you guys have a supplier charge and a delivery charge! Crazy!! I'm paying twice what I was in TX!!

 

[mikelaubach]

Christine,

A good friend of mine in VA has a blue, and she's a doll. Like spoiled kids, any animal can be trained to "be bad."

But on the electric, there is so very much that affects your electric bill. The KWH charge is the start. I'm with CL&P and at 12cents per KWH. Other generation companies get down to 10cents, which would be about 15% savings on the generation charge (but no the fees or the delivery charges, which are nearly as much as the stupid generation charges).

Heat - Electric heat versus oil heat versus natural gas heat. Even if the heat is not electric, there are different system designs that use more or less electric to run. The typical oil or natural gas furnaces use little electricity other than the power to turn the blower (to circulate the hot air). I have a newer house that was built "cheaper" by eliminating the chimney adn using a "power vent" to suck the exhaust fumes out of the furnace instead of allowing the natural draw from a chimney. This saves money in construction, but costs more to operate. the vent turns on and runs before the furnace starts, and continues to run for 5 minutes after the furnace shuts off. Ugh.

Insulation - a well insulated house uses less heat because it loses less heat.

Lights - leaving lights on can slowly draw the electricity over time. A single 60W bulb for 12 hours a day costs $2.50 a month. Run a few of them, and it adds up. I've converted a number of bulbs at my house to power compacts simply because I cannot get my wife to turn off lights. :lol: We have two pendants over the island and a 3-bulb chandelier over the breakfast table that gets left on ALL the time. I replaced those five 60W bulbs with five PC's that use 13W each. That is 65W as compared to 300W!! And the amount of light is not a problem either.

Check out the calculator on the main page to see what things cost to run.

http://www.reefcentral.com/index.php/tank-electrical

 

[LRLS]

Mine is on average $250.00 during the summer with the pool filter and the A/C $450.00 I just recieved a call this past Friday from a green energy company claiming if I chose them for my electric my bill will drop 15% so I did it I will let you know if this is for real. The company name is verde from Norwich ct. Next month when I get my bill I will let you know if I save.

 

[DLANDINO]

And don't even get me started on Cable costs!

 

[erbgo]

my bill is $500.+ a month anytime winter summer dosent mater

 

[philosophish]

go to, run to, ctenergyinfo.com, research and switch your provider.

Its a silly game, all you do is "name" a supplier that dumps energy into the grid. Then you get charged the rate that is in line with what they charge CLP.

If you dont name a supplier, you will get charged a "market rate" which is usually about 10-12 cents higher than what you can get by naming your own. This is how you can easily save "15%".

Heres a reefing analogy. Imagine we all got our Ro water from a huge vat at CLP. And CLP gets all the RO water from Houseoffins, realmofpets, milfordexoticfish, etc. Now lets say on average they charge CLP 12 cents for the water they dump into the vat.

This average is what CLP charges you unless you say, no please charge me realmofpet rates which is 10% lower that the market rate. BAM, nothing changes but your bill.

Another reason to select your provider, besides price, is where they get their energy from. For example CONED offers 100% renewable energy. Usually you will pay more or about the market rate for energy that is high in renewable content, but it does allow you to be green and bring awareness to companies that renewable is what we want (or should). And where there is a demand, a supply will follow.

Hope that helped

 

[chaas]

Usually around 319 a month. Mom keeps the AC on in the summer for the dog (tough life, huh!) so it tends to go up with the temperature. I find the electronics drive the bill up. Shut down your monitors, close your laptops, and don't leave the tv on!

I sound like my old man...

 

[zach jay]

anywhere between 90 and 150. usually 120. kinda sucks when i have a small apartment at school. not sure if its the tank or we're really bad with turning things off (i think at least 1 light is always on 24/7.

my friend down the street averages around 80 for the same type of place. could it be my tank? or our laziness ahha

 

[wetpuppy]

5 k a month here.......

 

[LRLS]

5 k a month here.......

you have to remember to turn the light off when you leave the room:hmm4:

 

[cato]

$380 this month.

 

[DoctaReef]

We run from around 150-180 usually. But besides my tank, (currently a 55g with 2 150w MH) its just me and my wife. I changed every bulb to PCs (except like 5 or so that have dimmers), so im sure thats making a difference.

 

[hazmat319]

I have been researching the "supplier" charge. I will change to a different supplier but not sure which one. I've actually chatted with one company this morning because I wanted to know what the "variable" is in their variable rate. They have only been supplying electricity since this past December. So they have the lowest rate....but have no history.

There is another company called lower electric bill today. But they are not on the Public Utility Company site and I want to make sure they are legit. Their rate is .0976 and that rate is fixed for 1 year. No contract, no fees, no cancellation charge. The next best company is the one with a variable rate but just started. It seems very easy to change.

I have a 9 year old that seems to forget to turn off the light in every room he visits!:eek2: Drives me crazy!

 

[LRLS]

I have been researching the "supplier" charge. I will change to a different supplier but not sure which one. I've actually chatted with one company this morning because I wanted to know what the "variable" is in their variable rate. They have only been supplying electricity since this past December. So they have the lowest rate....but have no history.

There is another company called lower electric bill today. But they are not on the Public Utility Company site and I want to make sure they are legit. Their rate is .0976 and that rate is fixed for 1 year. No contract, no fees, no cancellation charge. The next best company is the one with a variable rate but just started. It seems very easy to change.

I have a 9 year old that seems to forget to turn off the light in every room he visits!:eek2: Drives me crazy!

The lower electric bill is verde energy I believe they are the ones that contacted me to make the change, your right there is no fee to change. The way it was explained to me is they are a green energy company and seel their electricity to CL&P they distribute it to the grid. They are bases in Norwich ct, they produce the electricty from wind mills and other green sources. I have just changed over so I will have to wait a month to see if I save anything.:bounce1:

 

[ctopal]

WOW - Thanks for so many responses, I feel much better now. The people I was talking to had bills between $75 - $150. I guess I shouldn't complain about my $235 a month bill! I know there are a ton of variables, but I just wanted to see if anyone else was in my ball park. I did switch to name a provider after someone posted here a year ago or so. And I just named a new one and it's 10 cents a kwh, looking forward to that coming through on my bill.