We pay monthly and know what the bill usually runs, but we just got a bill that stunned us! Last month, for January, it was $162; for February it was suddenly $258!
Say what? Anyone else get a “shock”?
Vermonter
We pay monthly and know what the bill usually runs, but we just got a bill that stunned us! Last month, for January, it was $162; for February it was suddenly $258!
Vermonter
You didn’t say anything about kwh consumed. About the same month to month?
Then, two questions:
- Do you know what the average $'s per kwh were for each month?
and
- Possible your utility went to Time of Use billing?
(Here, SC Edison implemented TOU. Big premium/penalty for consumption during “peak” demand hours. Like more than 2:1 greater than off-peak hours.)
Is your meter read every month? If it’s read only every 2 or 3 months, and the bills estimated otherwise, then if you have a cold snap your usage could be higher for 2 months in a row, but the increased charge would show up on one month’s bill, after a reading.
Another possibility: did you get a new meter lately? If so, the old meter might have been under-measuring usage.
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There’s a lot of that going on around here, too. The local utility is blaming capacity shut downs combined with pass-through pricing of costs it incurs when it buys electricity from the grid (as well as pass-through pricing of natural gas costs).
Source: https://local12.com/amp/news/local/customers-get-sticker-sho…
Regards,
-Chuck
Home Fool
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We heat with electricity and experience a large increase also – we had a lot more Heating Degree Days in recent days. Part of that was colder weather in the last 30 days and another factor was warmer than average near the end of 2021.
Have you checked the HDD for your location vs the long term averages for the last couple of months?
If you use a heat pump, it certainly is possible there is an issue with the freon system and you are heating with resistance heating. Under normal conditions the heat pump power requirements are well under the resistance power requirements for the same BTUs of heating.
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We heat with electricity and experience a large increase also – we had a lot more Heating Degree Days in recent days. Part of that was colder weather in the last 30 days and another factor was warmer than average near the end of 2021.
Exactly, my bill was 30% higher due to the above I’m sure.
Our last bill was surprisingly high, too ($193 IIRC) in an all-electric house (except stovetop gas). We don’t see bills so high outside of peak A/C season. But it was cold.
Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t seem to keep himself warm very well any more (part of his dementia?), so I can’t do what I used to to keep bills down–heat to 66-68 daytime and 62-65 at night. I’ve been doing 67 at night and 70 daytime this winter. And he still needs a flannel shirt and fleece/sweater.
I have the opposite problem–can’t tolerate heat. A/C came on in the wee hours as I have A/C set for 74 night & 76 day. Would prefer 72 night and 74 day, but I suck it up.
As one whose electric bill was $500 last month (down from last year’s December of $800), I’m still basking in the joy of a new heat pump system this year. One that gives me 68 degrees all the time compared to last year’s daily winter grind of the high 50s to low 60s overnight until the sun helped warm the house (on a good sunny day making it to 68 by mid-afternoon). This month has been exceedingly cold and the bill will be higher; I’ll gladly pay, I’m warm this year. Spring/Summer is coming and electric bills will peak around ~$200-250 in July-August. But water will increase to $300-400 (July-August) from ~$90 in winter.
It’s just the way things are. Life is still grand.
glh
Interested in noticing the local NIMBY protest/activism underway to prevent a massive commercial solar farm proposed for several thousand acres starting just three miles away.
Yikes, horace! Do you live in a castle in Alaska?!?
PS–Glad you’re warm!
PPS–I used to set the heat on the RV to 55 night, 60 day. The furnace burned gasoline from the tank, and boondocking (no electrical hookup, which was the case about half the time) meant no electric cube heaters to bring it higher. Dressed warm.
Just got my next electric bill. $176 compared to $193 last month. We didn’t have any severe, lengthy cold snaps this time.
You guys got insulation??
My last bill was $37. Most of that was connection fees and taxes. Of course, we do have 5kW of solar, but even then our bill wouldn’t be that large. And we’re conditioning 3000 sq ft. To be fair, our heating is a gas furnace, but the gas bill is less than $100 in the winter (and includes the water heaters and cooktop).
Summer is worse, of course. Without solar we’d top $250/mo. With it we’re paying about $130/mo on average. But it is really the insulation that makes the difference. Our old house, which wasn’t as well insulated, was smaller, and we paid roughly the same (without solar) that we were paying here before we installed our solar.
Dual-pane glass, insulated walls and attic, reasonably well sealed. If might pay you back to beef-up your insulation and sealing. Just a thought.
I think I figured it out.
I have an electric portable heater downstairs in the unheated part of the basement where the cold water tank and oil tank are. The heater blows hot air on the cold water storage tank and associated pipes down there when it gets bitter cold outside, to minimize chances of freezing. (That area is unheated, though below grade.)
We’ve had a month of VERY cold (subzero) nights, and I stupidly apparently had the heater set too high so it was struggling to maintain 45 degrees near the tank! It is now set lower and that should help.
Given our recent temperatures down there, it’s a miracle that the bill wasn’t higher!
Duh… Lesson learned!?
Vermonter
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January, it was $162
February it was suddenly $258
Heater running too much?; nice to have an answer.
Your FEB charges were 60% more than JAN.
I assume the extra kwh power consumed was 60% more?
The heater blows hot air on the cold water storage tank and associated pipes down there when it gets bitter cold outside, to minimize chances of freezing. (That area is unheated, though below grade.)
Assuming the pipes are copper, a heat tape is way cheaper because it only warms the pipe it’s wrapped around instead of trying to heat the entire area. They come with a control that turns them on around 35 degrees or so; there’s no consumption at all unless it’s required. Used it in a couple of my houses including one in Maine; works great.
About a buck a foot, plus or minus. Search “heating cable” on Amazon. Strap it to the pipe with electrical tape, not wire or cable ties which can soften or cut through the tape.
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i have enough solar panels on my garage roof to cover my monthly electric bill.
if the electric price goes up…my payback is faster
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I had trouble with the whole tank once, so used the heater. Anyway, I suspect I just had it set too high, given recent temps.
Vermonter