gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Current kWhr usage: 2163
Last January: 3314
Last January: 3314
Electric Bill $500!!!
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Originally Posted by Wolf359
Electric heat is the most expensive way to heat a home. Either think about getting oil or a pellet stove. Just look at your electric rates, how many kilowatts did you use and what's the price per kilowatt and compare that to previous bills. Dryers, stoves, hot water heaters can use a lot of juice. If you have a fault in one of them, that could also cause a high bill.
I do not agree. A fault in one of your appliances that would significantly effect the electric bill has got to produce a lot of heat and would be noticed. The result of using electricity in a heater or light or TV is heat.
Electric heat is the most expensive way to heat a home. Either think about getting oil or a pellet stove. Just look at your electric rates, how many kilowatts did you use and what's the price per kilowatt and compare that to previous bills. Dryers, stoves, hot water heaters can use a lot of juice. If you have a fault in one of them, that could also cause a high bill.
I do not agree. A fault in one of your appliances that would significantly effect the electric bill has got to produce a lot of heat and would be noticed. The result of using electricity in a heater or light or TV is heat.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Current kWhr usage: 2163
Last January: 3314
Yeah, no wonder it is expensive. My most recent was 801kWh, $103.20 for the electricity/delivery portion. Total bill was $194.00 w/tax water and sewer.
Current kWhr usage: 2163
Last January: 3314
Yeah, no wonder it is expensive. My most recent was 801kWh, $103.20 for the electricity/delivery portion. Total bill was $194.00 w/tax water and sewer.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Maybe my wife is turning all of the heats on to 90F while I'm at work...
You are in New England and it's winter. Your baseboards in non used rooms are coming on to maintain the basic 55F unless you have the circuit breaker turned off.
With a new born you are using more hot water for clothes and washing and that is using electricity as is drying. The stove is probably not a big user of electricity as out of 24 hours a day it's not used a lot.
Not much you can do besides the normal weatherization and lined drapes to help.
Now in 25 yesrs when Fusion power makes electricity almost free you will be all set.
How about a split unit that is AC and heat pump heater?
With a new born you are using more hot water for clothes and washing and that is using electricity as is drying. The stove is probably not a big user of electricity as out of 24 hours a day it's not used a lot.
Not much you can do besides the normal weatherization and lined drapes to help.
Now in 25 yesrs when Fusion power makes electricity almost free you will be all set.
How about a split unit that is AC and heat pump heater?
Can you increase the amount of insulation in the home?
I have Nest Thermostat and had to put a PIN on it because my step son was turning down to the mid-high 60s in the summer.
I suggested he wear shorts, t-shirts and lose 50# and maybe he would feel better.
78 degrees is not oppressively hot when it's 90-100 degrees outside.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Maybe my wife is turning all of the heats on to 90F while I'm at work...
I suggested he wear shorts, t-shirts and lose 50# and maybe he would feel better.
78 degrees is not oppressively hot when it's 90-100 degrees outside.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Maybe my wife is turning all of the heats on to 90F while I'm at work...
Originally Posted by Donald
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Electric heat is the most expensive way to heat a home. Either think about getting oil or a pellet stove. Just look at your electric rates, how many kilowatts did you use and what's the price per kilowatt and compare that to previous bills. Dryers, stoves, hot water heaters can use a lot of juice. If you have a fault in one of them, that could also cause a high bill.
I do not agree. A fault in one of your appliances that would significantly effect the electric bill has got to produce a lot of heat and would be noticed. The result of using electricity in a heater or light or TV is heat.
The wires would run a little hot. Not always noticed. Depends on how bad the fault is.
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Electric heat is the most expensive way to heat a home. Either think about getting oil or a pellet stove. Just look at your electric rates, how many kilowatts did you use and what's the price per kilowatt and compare that to previous bills. Dryers, stoves, hot water heaters can use a lot of juice. If you have a fault in one of them, that could also cause a high bill.
I do not agree. A fault in one of your appliances that would significantly effect the electric bill has got to produce a lot of heat and would be noticed. The result of using electricity in a heater or light or TV is heat.
The wires would run a little hot. Not always noticed. Depends on how bad the fault is.
Do you live in a barn? 50-55F sounds pretty miserable.
I pretty done with an older home with the only saving grace being a wood stove for kitchen and living room keeping temp around 75F. The balance of home is 66F and burn 900 gallons of home heating fuel for hot water and heat.
I pretty done with an older home with the only saving grace being a wood stove for kitchen and living room keeping temp around 75F. The balance of home is 66F and burn 900 gallons of home heating fuel for hot water and heat.
You have to look at the yearly average. Here in TX our gas last month is $160 + $160 for electrical @ 10 cents a kWHr. We have a pool too. But in July/Aug, easily $500 for electrical.
What are your spring / summer bills?
What are your spring / summer bills?
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted by madRiver
Do you live in a barn? 50-55F sounds pretty miserable.
I pretty done with an older home with the only saving grace being a wood stove for kitchen and living room keeping temp around 75F. The balance of home is 66F and burn 900 gallons of home heating fuel for hot water and heat.
Well, that took too long! If you haven't read my previous posts, my master BR is pretty big, and has an attached bathroom. We're both also hardy people. When her family visits and we have to keep the family/dining room and kitchen at 68F+ I walk around in shorts and a t-shirt, while her family is all bundled up. Even still, my wife does complain when I let it get below 55F, which doesn't bother me, so I try to keep "outside" temps to at least 55F.
Besides, I'm 6', 200# and my wife is 5,'4" and 125#. We both have enough brown fat to keep us warm enough. Maybe you don't have enough?
Do you live in a barn? 50-55F sounds pretty miserable.
I pretty done with an older home with the only saving grace being a wood stove for kitchen and living room keeping temp around 75F. The balance of home is 66F and burn 900 gallons of home heating fuel for hot water and heat.
Well, that took too long! If you haven't read my previous posts, my master BR is pretty big, and has an attached bathroom. We're both also hardy people. When her family visits and we have to keep the family/dining room and kitchen at 68F+ I walk around in shorts and a t-shirt, while her family is all bundled up. Even still, my wife does complain when I let it get below 55F, which doesn't bother me, so I try to keep "outside" temps to at least 55F.
Besides, I'm 6', 200# and my wife is 5,'4" and 125#. We both have enough brown fat to keep us warm enough. Maybe you don't have enough?
I would do anything I could afford to change that heating source. Electric baseboard heat is the source of last resort and the most expensive there is. It was popular in the 1960's when electricity was cheap. Wood stove, oil furnace or even propane furnace would be better than what you have. But you probably already know that.
Natural gas here is about 30$ a month to heat.. I keep the heat set between 66-69f depending on time of day.
The "hookup fee" is around 28. December was 65$ all in total Probably be around $80 (or 50-55$ for gas part of bill) for the polar vortex this month.
my electric runs from $65 to $115 seasonally at aprox 15c/kwh including distribution.
I wish I had a gas hot water tank.. but the heat pump based hot water tank is ok.
I'd suggest a heat pump based hot water tank. It will add A/C in the summer and the hot water cost is usually 1/4 an electric unit if you put it on heat pump only mode.
in the winter your basement stove providing heat will offset it sucking the heat out of the air to heat your water.
It will also for free dehumidify your basement.(which is nice for me)
if you have baseboard heat its terrible.. you end up heating the walls and windows but not the air.. a bunch of it goes directly to waste.
Might try a couple of those oil filled radiators to directly heat the air vs heating the walls.
A ductless mini split heat pump would also help a ton in more moderate temps..
If you have a few $$$$ to spend I think you could reduce your electric bill by 1/3 conservatively.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Maybe my wife is turning all of the heats on to 90F while I'm at work...
if you install a smart thermostat they will have a history menu.
The "hookup fee" is around 28. December was 65$ all in total Probably be around $80 (or 50-55$ for gas part of bill) for the polar vortex this month.
my electric runs from $65 to $115 seasonally at aprox 15c/kwh including distribution.
I wish I had a gas hot water tank.. but the heat pump based hot water tank is ok.
I'd suggest a heat pump based hot water tank. It will add A/C in the summer and the hot water cost is usually 1/4 an electric unit if you put it on heat pump only mode.
in the winter your basement stove providing heat will offset it sucking the heat out of the air to heat your water.
It will also for free dehumidify your basement.(which is nice for me)
if you have baseboard heat its terrible.. you end up heating the walls and windows but not the air.. a bunch of it goes directly to waste.
Might try a couple of those oil filled radiators to directly heat the air vs heating the walls.
A ductless mini split heat pump would also help a ton in more moderate temps..
If you have a few $$$$ to spend I think you could reduce your electric bill by 1/3 conservatively.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Maybe my wife is turning all of the heats on to 90F while I'm at work...
if you install a smart thermostat they will have a history menu.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
In our master bedroom we typically keep a ceramic heater running, along with a filter running while we sleep, to keep the air moving.
Originally Posted by cjcride
Can you increase the amount of insulation in the home?
How old is the house?? It might be time time to do some upgrades to the overall efficiency.
Can you increase the amount of insulation in the home?
How old is the house?? It might be time time to do some upgrades to the overall efficiency.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
1980
Originally Posted by gathermewool
1980
I imagine the code has been upgraded since then for minimum insulation.Maybe several times. If you follow the show This Old House they are currently doing a house in your part of the country. With energy efficiency being a main focus. Net zero. They are actually installing the latest super efficient heat pumps.
1980
I imagine the code has been upgraded since then for minimum insulation.Maybe several times. If you follow the show This Old House they are currently doing a house in your part of the country. With energy efficiency being a main focus. Net zero. They are actually installing the latest super efficient heat pumps.
just for comparison I know locally some people who were paying nearly $400-$500 a month during the cold part of winter to heat with propane.
so I doubt any kind of propane solution would be economical.
the numbers seem to be about 11.2gal of propane = 1000CF natural gas.
Which locally propane = 2.39 to 2.59/gal
Natural gas per 1000CF = 3.45+0.33 (usage based fee) = +flat $28 month for hookup.
For me with my tiny usage (36MCF natural gas) propane would cost aprox $1000 + any fees taxes, delivery etc.
Last year my natural gas was 12x$28 fee (ugh) and 36 MCF at aprox 3.80 + misc small fees and taxes.
The numbers get HORRIBLE for propane if you have higher use.. since a large part of my bill is the monthly connection fee.
Just the raw numbers I paid around $140 for the natural gas and $336 connection fee.
Propane would have been around $1000
so my cost to heat would be over double with propane
If I needed 3x the heating due to keeping the house hotter, natural gas hot water tank, bigger house(which I have small house)
my natural gas bill would only go up from $140 to $420+ the same $336 yearly connection fees. or $756
whereas propane would triple to $3000 which is 4x the cost of natural gas.
so I doubt any kind of propane solution would be economical.
the numbers seem to be about 11.2gal of propane = 1000CF natural gas.
Which locally propane = 2.39 to 2.59/gal
Natural gas per 1000CF = 3.45+0.33 (usage based fee) = +flat $28 month for hookup.
For me with my tiny usage (36MCF natural gas) propane would cost aprox $1000 + any fees taxes, delivery etc.
Last year my natural gas was 12x$28 fee (ugh) and 36 MCF at aprox 3.80 + misc small fees and taxes.
The numbers get HORRIBLE for propane if you have higher use.. since a large part of my bill is the monthly connection fee.
Just the raw numbers I paid around $140 for the natural gas and $336 connection fee.
Propane would have been around $1000
so my cost to heat would be over double with propane
If I needed 3x the heating due to keeping the house hotter, natural gas hot water tank, bigger house(which I have small house)
my natural gas bill would only go up from $140 to $420+ the same $336 yearly connection fees. or $756
whereas propane would triple to $3000 which is 4x the cost of natural gas.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Can't imagine a 2 month old baby in a 55 degree house. Yeah you keep him/her bundled up but still.
Your situation with no duct work sounds like a great application for a mini-split heat pump system. Unfortunately electric baseboard is probably the least desirable type of heating and surprising it was used in a house in New England. Someone was keeping costs down.
I wouldn't be afraid of the all electric house in general, we lived in an all electric house for 13 years and our total utility bills were the same or less than just about anyone we compared with. 1985 spec house, nothing special, 6 inch wall studs and lots of blow in insulation in the attic, forced air. Everyone is always curious when they hear all electric and want to compare.
Your situation with no duct work sounds like a great application for a mini-split heat pump system. Unfortunately electric baseboard is probably the least desirable type of heating and surprising it was used in a house in New England. Someone was keeping costs down.
I wouldn't be afraid of the all electric house in general, we lived in an all electric house for 13 years and our total utility bills were the same or less than just about anyone we compared with. 1985 spec house, nothing special, 6 inch wall studs and lots of blow in insulation in the attic, forced air. Everyone is always curious when they hear all electric and want to compare.
This situation sounds like an ideal one to get some different units installed. If your utility has a energy saving discount on new installations that would make it more enticing. Your return on investment should be short. The mini split systems are a good place to start.
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