[villages07]

octcr...it may not be too out of line; several factors to consider; I closed on 8/14/06 and was in empty nest til mid Nov. I went back and looked at my first couple of bills. You really need to focus on KW hours and not just the total bill. Size of your house and the direction it faces also come into play.

1st bill for me included a $10 account change charge, a $5 membership charge; also, within the energy charge is an ongoing $8.25 monthly account maintenance fee; so, theoretically, your first month's bill might have $23 in non-usage related charges.

If your house does not have blinds/window coverings, then the cost to keep it cool, even to the 84 or so that Empty Nest sets, will be significantly higher. We did not put blinds up until late Sept 06. Our bill, before blinds, was $73; the month after blinds it was $38 (with cooler weather too).

My KW hours for 9/22-10/24/06 was 291; this included about 5 days when we were here, otherwise, house was empty, but blinds were installed. This should be similar to your first billing period. Also, I have gas for hot water, dryer, and stove. If your house is all electric, some of these appliances will add demand.

All in all, I've found the electricity costs to be very reasonable. My highest bill, for a good sized house, has been $132.