Electric bill

[SamSpade]

Window units are far less efficient, but allow you to "portion off" the house, only cool areas that people occupy. .

That is exactly why I like them. We have some areas of the house where EVERYONE wants heat or A/C - and the rest of the house - *shrug*.

E.g. - wife likes it COLD at night, to be able to sleep. So she wants it VERY COLD even in summer - where a window unit would be much more efficient than cooling the whole house.
Ditto family room and other places - don't need to cool or heat the whole house when you're just going to be in part of it.

Still wonder if I have some kind of vampire power loss. We have a LOT of stuff, and I'd like to really cut it. Easily half of all our house expenses are electric and cable.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Your biggest loads are heating (air and water), cooking, and AC. If you're all electric, not much you can do other than insulate your house well and get efficient appliances.

My house is same size as yours with barely any insulation in the attic, R11 wall insulation, a 20 year old AC system, a 8 year old water heater that's never been serviced, and all electric appliances (oil heat though) and the absolute peak is $230-ish. Typically around $150.

Don't feel bad though. Friends of mine have a heated pool, hot tub, and a much larger home with no shade trees and their bill has been over $1,000.

 

[littlelady]

Your biggest loads are heating (air and water), cooking, and AC. If you're all electric, not much you can do other than insulate your house well and get efficient appliances.

My house is same size as yours with barely any insulation in the attic, R11 wall insulation, a 20 year old AC system, a 8 year old water heater that's never been serviced, and all electric appliances (oil heat though) and the absolute peak is $230-ish. Typically around $150.

Don't feel bad though. Friends of mine have a heated pool, hot tub, and a much larger home with no shade trees and their bill has been over $1,000.

 

[GURPS]

E.g. - wife likes it COLD at night, to be able to sleep. So she wants it VERY COLD even in summer - where a window unit would be much more efficient than cooling the whole house.

I have a Window AC Unit working in conjunction with a ceiling fan, keeping the bed room about 65 .... mainly because the house was built in the 1950's and the HVAC Air flow sucks [well works poorly]

 

[kwillia]

a 8 year old water heater that's never been serviced, and all electric appliances (oil heat though) and the absolute peak is $230-ish. Typically around $150.

Don't feel bad though. Friends of mine have a heated pool, hot tub, and a much larger home with no shade trees and their bill has been over $1,000.

How many people do you have bathing/cooking/washing clothes/washing dishes takes hot water/extra people typically means extra TVs and associated electronic boxes,gatchets, etc/. A house full of growing kids is a house full of energy hogs which means that household energy costs can't be compared to a party of two house.

 

[GWguy]

Filling a tub for baths takes more hot water than quick shows.

A little Freudian slip there?

 

[RoseRed]

A little Freudian slip there?

Are you suggesting she juggles in the bathtub?

 

[kwillia]

 

[black dog]

Are you suggesting she juggles in the bathtub?

Now that should be an Olympic Sport!

 

[Chris0nllyn]

How many people do you have bathing/cooking/washing clothes/washing dishes takes hot water/extra people typically means extra TVs and associated electronic boxes,gatchets, etc/. A house full of growing kids is a house full of energy hogs which means that household energy costs can't be compared to a party of two house.

Great point. It's just two of us using electricity and we're gone most of the day. Using the dryer, water heater, etc. all day will certainly drive us costs. At that point, not much you can do other than switch to gas appliances?

 

[RoseRed]

Now that should be an Olympic Sport!

Let's hope she doesn't lose her temper. She may get unfairly scolded.

 

[black dog]

Great point. It's just two of us using electricity and we're gone most of the day. Using the dryer, water heater, etc. all day will certainly drive us costs. At that point, not much you can do other than switch to gas appliances?

My home is total natural gas, the biggest savers I did when I gutted it was installing a Rinnai tankless water heater along with a 90%+ forced air furnace and adding R40 to the second floor ceiling.. The house had a 60 gallon gas WH, an 80% furnace and maybe R12 in the ceiling.
With just me in the house I bet I save 80 to 110 bucks a month with those upgrades.
During the time I'm at that house I burn coal for heat. Unless I'm running the AC my electric runs easily under 45 bucks a month.

 

[black dog]

Let's hope she doesn't lose her temper. She may get unfairly scolded.

Hummmmm.. scolded in the bathtub while juggling perhaps?
Videos available????????????

 

[black dog]

Great point. It's just two of us using electricity and we're gone most of the day. Using the dryer, water heater, etc. all day will certainly drive us costs. At that point, not much you can do other than switch to gas appliances?

Do you have a 7 day timer on your HWH?

 

[RoseRed]

Hummmmm.. scolded in the bathtub while juggling perhaps?
Videos available????????????

Scolded, not scalded.

 

[black dog]

Scolded, not scalded.

I meant scolded. Amazon Prime TV.com/kink/bathtub/scolded

Now I miss Alt Newsgroups. #sadface

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Do you have a 7 day timer on your HWH?

Not yet but I may add one when I replace the heater in a few months.

 

[GWguy]

A while back I was considering a hybrid water heater. I've noticed they aren't in store displays anymore. Guess they've fallen out of favor, didn't make the savings as hoped?

 

[black dog]

A while back I was considering a hybrid water heater. I've noticed they aren't in store displays anymore. Guess they've fallen out of favor, didn't make the savings as hoped?

One of the problems with them is the noise ( hum and sometimes harmonics ) that the little heat pumps make when they run. They also need a certain amount of sq footage to operate correctly.
You just can't put one in a small closet or room and expect it to run efficiently.
If you have Nat Gas or Propane install a Rinnai tankless. Money well spent.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

After heating/cooling, water heater and refrigerator/freezer are the next biggest users of electricity.

One thing a lot of people overlook are answering machines/cable boxes, sure they don't use a lot but they are on 24/7.

I remember you mentioning having a bunch of cable boxes/dvrs once before. I have a power strip that leaves certain outlets off if there is no current draw from the main one so my cable box, Wii, Playstation etc is not powered up unless the TV is turned on. https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Strip-...=1536709044&sr=8-7&keywords=smart+power+strip
In the winter on a cold windy day check around your windows/doors, often there is no insulation under the trim and a lot of heat escapes just because nobody put lose (and it needs to be lose very lose) insulation in those areas. Popping the moulding off is usually all that needs done to remedy that.

Wash in cold water instead of hot, see above how heating water is one of the biggest electricity users in your house.