My electric bill:(

Ok guys I need some input here.

My electric bill was $120 this month. Now, thats not that much compared to my old bill, at the old house. However I have a Wood burning stove now.
The thing is, its all electricity. The gas was only $16 lol. So much for trying to save money by getting firewood:O

I am trying to figure out what is causing this, and I am hoping you guys can help me.

This is a very old house. Built in 1936, remodeled in 1950-something.

Here are some things that I think may be causing it.

Mercury Vapor bulb for dragon? Didn't appear to affect the bill at the other place.

The dryer that came in the house, its not energy star rated. It works great, but I am afraid its a little too great lol.

Flex watt on the snakes cages?

Regular incandescent light bulbs? I will be switching to the coily kind.

Now my kids are trained.. that means at 4 and 5 the yell at me when I forget to turn off a light, or leave the water running while brushing my teeth lol. In all seriousness, they do help by making sure the lights are off if they aren't using them etc...

I will start turning off my computer at night or when not in use too.

Other than that, I can't think of anything else. Help:O
I was hoping to save so much money this winter with all this lovely firewood.

Well, seeing as how everything is getting more expensive, is it really your useage, or is the wattage getting more expensive per unit?

Well, I am not sure what it is per kilowatt but I know there have been no rate increases in a while.

It has to be something in the house that is causing it. The only thing different other than the house since we moved, is the dryer that came with the house. Could that make it jump another $60 a month? I do have to do a lot of laundry with two little ones, and a husband that builds houses:) but no more than before.

Turning your computer off at night will help a lot.

Have you considered getting a natural gas dryer? That would help very much given that kids generate a lot of laundry and so I'm sure your dryer is used a lot. Even upgrading to an energy star electric would help, though gas would be even better :gj:

Flex watt, RHP's, etc., won't really ding usage and I have no idea about the bulb...

there are meters you can buy...I think there's one called 'Kill-o-watt' that you plug in-line with a device and it will measure the draw. You can play detective :gj:

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Originally Posted by starmom

Turning your computer off at night will help a lot.

Have you considered getting a natural gas dryer? That would help very much given that kids generate a lot of laundry and so I'm sure your dryer is used a lot. Even upgrading to an energy star electric would help, though gas would be even better :gj:

Flex watt, RHP's, etc., won't really ding usage and I have no idea about the bulb...

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Yeah I just went and looked at bills from the old house and this house. The usage has doubled. There was a small increase but it was before we moved.

I am going to have the hubby and brother in law bring in my dryer from the garage. Its not the newest but way newer than the one in the house, much more efficient, and energy star rated. I will see if that makes any difference. I am sure it will.

Stay tuned for next months bill lol

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Originally Posted by fishmommy

there are meters you can buy...I think there's one called 'Kill-o-watt' that you plug in-line with a device and it will measure the draw. You can play detective :gj:

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Hey that kind of sounds like fun:)

I will have to see if I can find one of those!

we have one and it's been loads of fun

my spouse likes to remind me of how much heating all my fish and snakes costs us each month. good times :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by fishmommy

we have one and it's been loads of fun

my spouse likes to remind me of how much heating all my fish and snakes costs us each month. good times :rolleyes:

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Oh great.. I can just see Shaun now..
"See look at how much hidden costs go with these guys" Lol.

I will just remind him of how much food that Tegu he wants is going to consume. Don't need a meter for that. :D

When I lived in VA my electric bill was regularly about $100

An old, unrated dryer could certainly have a significant impact. Also, living in an old house...they tend to be poorly insulated and have drafty areas around the windows and doors.

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Originally Posted by AaronP

When I lived in VA my electric bill was regularly about $100

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Ours is ..or was usually about $60 just for electric. So its doubled.

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Originally Posted by JLC

An old, unrated dryer could certainly have a significant impact. Also, living in an old house...they tend to be poorly insulated and have drafty areas around the windows and doors.

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We are definitely switching the dryers out tomorrow. I will see what that does for the bill.

I bet the dryer in the house is competing with me for age:)

You gotta remember that you are also spending a ton of money by switching dryers. It may be a year or more before you break even on the electricity you will save.

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Originally Posted by Kristy

Ours is ..or was usually about $60 just for electric. So its doubled.

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I only lived in a 900 sqft apartment...

One thing I heard of and didn't believe was to unplug what is not being used....and boy what a difference.

I went from $150 a month to $70. When something is not being used....turning it off doesn't stop the flow of electricity to those items. UNPLUG them.

Granted....certain things should be left plugged in....but certain things are no biggie. Try it out for a few months....and you'll see the savings.

I don't even want to know what my next heating bill will look like heating 4,000 sq. ft!

Heat Lamps, Heat Pads, Full Spectrum UVA/UVB lights, CHE's... all that good stuff will significantly impact your electric bills. I was in about a 900 sq. ft apt a few months ago and the bill was around 75 or so a month until the pets, Furio's Heat Pad and Infrared light that runs 24/7 and Isabella's 150 watt and 75 watt C.H.E's and full spectrum lighting raised that bill to about 130. Exotics are not cheap to keep! :)

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Originally Posted by AndrewGeibel

You gotta remember that you are also spending a ton of money by switching dryers. It may be a year or more before you break even on the electricity you will save.

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It shouldn't though, we pay actual amount every month. We don't use comfort level billing. Plus I don't have to buy a new dryer:)
I think we should see a change for sure Feb.

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Originally Posted by V1L3 DiaL3cT

I don't even want to know what my next heating bill will look like heating 4,000 sq. ft!

Heat Lamps, Heat Pads, Full Spectrum UVA/UVB lights, CHE's... all that good stuff will significantly impact your electric bills. I was in about a 900 sq. ft apt a few months ago and the bill was around 75 or so a month until the pets, Furio's Heat Pad and Infrared light that runs 24/7 and Isabella's 150 watt and 75 watt C.H.E's and full spectrum lighting raised that bill to about 130. Exotics are not cheap to keep! :)

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:O

You have that right.

It was built in '36 and remodeled in the '50's? So much for insulation right there.

The two biggest consumers of power is

1. a frost-free refrigerator
2. an electric dryer

I prefer gas any day to electric, particularly for cooking. But I'm digressing here.

Computers, TV's and such now have very minimum power requirments. The computer I have has a 850 watt power supply but the draw is the same, well, I'm not going to get into electrical engineering right now. Oh my gosh, lookit' the time! Better get to sleepy.

Zzzzz...

Is the TV on all the time? I would also check the insulation in the house, and the seals around the windows etc....

I live in a duplex, my mother lives on the other side, my electric is 125 (got on the yearly average plan) and my mothers is usually around 40-60. now she doesn't use a dryer or have a computer or snakes but theres only 1 hot water heater and furnace in the basement, im not for certain but I think I pay for her sides hot water/furnace usage, otherwise there would be 2 of each down there, right???

i've lived here forever and never asked the land lord about it because I dont want to chance upsetting him in anyway.. where else am I gonna go with 3 dogs 2 cats and other caged animals. so we just suck it up and pay it, i dont mind too bad now, as like I said my mother lives next door, but when there were other neighbors next door it really irked me lol. as for isolation, this place has NONE.

for your situation, like you suggested, try your newer dryer, and for certain things, dont dry them. Like blankets, we flop them over the top of a door to save on the drier. or maybe you could invest in one of those wooden clothes drying racks. any little bit helps, then toss them in the dryer for a few minutes after to soften the clothes up if the stiffness bothers ya that much. hopefully you will see a difference in the next months bill, and perhaps even more the following month as it all depends when ya make the dryer switch.

Not for nothing, You guys are all lucky. I pay $475 per month for electric and gas....and I'm on the yearly balanced plan.....