First electric bill with nobody home

[Tom Hannon]

We received an electric bill of $58 for last month. The house was unoccupied during the billing period. The A/C was set at 80. Next time, I'll set it at 82? Also my friends who have been stopping over to check on the house also ran the dishwasher once. I guess electric is needed for the sprinkler system and of course the fans are running. We have no gas.in the house. I turned off the hot water heater. Is this bill reasonable? There are no appliances to unplug at this time.

[CaliforniaGirl]

Tom, last month was very, very hot...mid-90's most days, so your air would have been cycling off and on fairly regularly. Sounds to me like you got off cheap.

[TommyT]

Tom, don't feel bad, mine was $92.00 :cus: and we were there for one week after closing. The entire time we were there the thermostat was never under 77 degrees and our house we very comfortable.

When we left, we turned the A/C to 82, turned off the hot water heater, left the ceiling fans running on high, the sprinkler system, the refer and of course the yard lamp. Nothing else. I thought this was very high.

I'm looking into options

[Tom Hannon]

When I was in my house the month before for one week, my bill was a shade over $100. But the $58 was basically with no activity for 30 days. I can try upping the temp to 82 but I can't see what else can be done to cut costs. Yes, California Girl mentioned how hot it was last month and I'm sure it had something to do with the A/C running more.

[chuckinca]

Never heard of leaving the ceiling fans on - - -

Rationale please.

Thanks


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[Tom Hannon]

Ceiling fans forces the cold air down which lowers the A/C bill. I run the A/C all the time. The only fan I turn off is the one in the lanai. If I am wrong with this assumption that fans LOWER the A/C bill please let me know.

[golfnut]

u can probably reduce your elec bill by installing a humidistat, that's what I have. my electric bill during the summer when we are not there is $25, your results may vary. i leave my ceiling fan on in the living while we are gone for the summer just to keep the air circulating, my rationale is circulating air is better than stagnant air....gn

[Tom Hannon]

Yes GN- I was going to install a humidistat when I'm down there in November. Good idea about the fans in the other rooms. They may not be needed. Something to think about

[redwitch]

The fans really don't need to be run. They're better to keep on when the house is occupied because doors are opened and closed more, but when empty all they do is waste electricity. Just keep the thermostat on 82. Tell your friend to do the dishwasher on rinse only -- don't need to do a full wash. If you have a fridge in the house, turn it down to "2" or up to 40 for the freezer. Otherwise, $58 really isn't that unreasonable for last month.

[chuckinca]

Hot air rises not cold. The fans will mix the warmer and cooler air but I don't see the advantage.

The A/C will circulate the air.

I don't think ceiling fans will hurt anything but seems unnecessary and will add bucks to the electric bill and wear out the fans.

.

[Tom Hannon]

Ooops! Although I did turn off the ice maker on fridge... I should have lowered the temp in the fridge and freezer. I think I will shut down the fans but as GN says- I'll leave the living room on.

[golfnut]

What does opening and closing doors have to do with running a fan. Why would you run the refrigerator when you are not there....gn

[chuckinca]

Refrigerators get stinky when left off.

And to keep the beer cold.

.

[Tom Hannon]

Chuck has made a strong and convincing argument. I believed otherwise. He might be 100% correct. What do I know. I have no experience in this issue. Help me people. Does Chuckie's suggestion hold water.

[golfnut]

you have to prop the doors open on the refrigerator, i use towels draped over the top to hold the doors open, if you do that why would it smell any different than the rest of the kitchen....gn

[English Ivy]

The following is taken from SECO's website about conserving energy:

4. Ceiling fans don’t cool a room; they just make you feel cooler. Use them, but turn ceiling fans off when you leave the room.

Here's the link to the page I copied the above from:

http://www.secoenergy.com/saving_energy.html

You don't need to run the ceiling fans.

[nkrifats]

I set temp to 85 when I am gone. Freezer and refrig to setting of 1. Turn Fans off. Usually runs about 50-60 per month when I am away for a month.

[Barefoot]

Our bills run from $15 to $35 in the summer months. We have a humidistat. We leave all our fans running on low for air circulation. We turn our fridge off and it doesn't stink (we prop it open of course). We leave bowls of coffee in every room.

[chuckinca]

Bowls of coffee????

With Cream and Sugar???

What size bowls?

(we leave stuff in the refrig that would stink if it was turned off)(ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, salad dressings, etc, etc, etc)(and BEER)

.

[rabonkmontage@msn.com]

Bowls of coffee????

With Cream and Sugar???

What size bowls?

(we leave stuff in the refrig that would stink if it was turned off)(ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, salad dressings, etc, etc, etc)(and BEER)

.

Yearly operating cost of an average refrigerator is $60, divide by 12 = $5 Why turn it off?

[Tom Hannon]

The $58 bil I had was in a designer home (IRIS) Perhaps a smaller home would be less expensive. Okay- Looks like I can kill the fans, raise the temp to 82, lower the fridge, and get a humisistate.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Bowls of coffee????

With Cream and Sugar???

What size bowls?

(we leave stuff in the refrig that would stink if it was turned off)(ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, salad dressings, etc, etc, etc)(and BEER)

.

The fresh coffee grounds will absorb any odors in a room. Give it a go - it does work! :)

Bill

[Tom Hannon]

I love the smell of coffee, but I would think "So would bugs." Wouldn't insects and other four legged creatures be attracted to the odor.

[chuckinca]

The $58 bil I had was in a designer home (IRIS) Perhaps a smaller home would be less expensive. Okay- Looks like I can kill the fans, raise the temp to 82, lower the fridge, and get a humisistate.


I usually set the AC to 82 and my brother, Jeffie, raises it to 85. 85 works fine and lowers the bill by about half.

(1750 SF house)


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[Bill-n-Brillo]

Tom - I've used the coffee grounds myself in a confined space (a closed up 'car bag', used for sealing up and storing a car long term). Hence no issue with bugs, etc. getting in given that it's closed. A couple of small cans of fresh coffee grounds always does a good job of attracting the gasoline odors inside the bag - keeps it from getting attracted to the car's upholstery, etc.

My sister has used the coffee grounds concept in a small home (in FL) they leave unattended for months at a time. The coffee does a good job for them - she's never mentioned anything about it attracting unwanted pests. We stopped by their place for a few days this past June (they hadn't been there since March) and we noticed no bugs or anything.

Bill

[Tom Hannon]

Chuck? Does your brother Jeffie kill the fans also?

[chuckinca]

If left on he would.

He also shuts the garage door to the house left open by my son when he was in the house for three days last month. And rotates cars and carts from our place to his and to brother Jimmy's place.


.

[Tom Hannon]

Sounds llike you are keeping Jeff busy. You better talk to you son about leaving the garage open. This is not a good thing.

[herbaru]

Yearly operating cost of an average refrigerator is $60, divide by 12 = $5 Why turn it off?

Here is something to consider.
We had a refrigerator with a water dispenser in the door. We went on a two week vacation and come home to a flood. The water dispenser was just running like someone was holding a glass under it. Ruined lots, major headache!

[K9-Lovers]

Better yet, cut off the water supply to the house . . .

[Barefoot]

Better yet, cut off the water supply to the house . . .

We like to keep our gas and water hooked up in case I make an unplanned trip to The Villages.

The bowls of coffee are peace offerings to the gods to keep our property safe from bugs and gators. As Bill said, the coffee attracts odours and seems to keep the house smelling fresh. And I've never seen any insects anywhere near the coffee.

Before we return to The Villages after a long absence, I always call my cleaning company to do a thorough cleaning before we arrive. It's nice to return to a sparkling house. And we ask our Village Watchdog company to turn on the fridge and charge up the golf cart.

We'll be arriving in two weeks and this Snowbird can't wait! :girlneener:

[chuckinca]

You're very lucky Bare - we can't leave until mid January (chit).


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[Shirleevee]

We received an electric bill of $58 for last month. The house was unoccupied during the billing period. The A/C was set at 80. Next time, I'll set it at 82? Also my friends who have been stopping over to check on the house also ran the dishwasher once. I guess electric is needed for the sprinkler system and of course the fans are running. We have no gas.in the house. I turned off the hot water heater. Is this bill reasonable? There are no appliances to unplug at this time.

Same scenario, ours was $68.90, we think it was the very hot weather.

[TommyT]

Never heard of leaving the ceiling fans on - - -
Rationale please.
Thanks
.

To keep the air moving.. I worry about mold and mildew and think if the air is moving, it might not have the ability to grow.

[Tom Hannon]

Thank you, Tommy T. I was beginning to think I was the only one who thought that. I am new at having two houses. I don't know what to think and this is the reason for my post. I received some great info from everyone - which should help me the next time I shut down for a few months. Everyone should take notes on these suggestions and maybe we can all cut down on the electric bill.
Maybe people like Shirlee ($68.90) can shave a few bucks off her bill next time around.

[Barefoot]

Everyone should take notes on these suggestions and maybe we can all cut down on the electric bill.

The best investment we've made is a humidistat. It's already saved us hundreds of dollars over three summers, if not thousands.

Also, a Housewatch Company is an excellent idea for seasonal residents. (We use Village Watchdogs). They will suggest a bunch of clever things to do to protect your appliances, avoid mold and mildew, keep snakes out of your drains, and save money. They'll check on your house as often (or as little) as you require. And they'll send you pictures of any problems that occur.

[Tom Hannon]

A Humidstat is on the menu.

Snakes out of the drain???? EWWWWW! Tell me more about that wonderful experience. I don't like what I hear.

[Snowbirdtobe]

Go around your house and unplug all the wall mounted transformers for cell phones, Internet routers, etc.
If it feels warm when not in use you pay twice. Once to heat it up and once to cool it down.
When we are away we unplug cable tvboxes, tv sets and the electric cart charger.

[red tail]

Ceiling fans forces the cold air down which lowers the A/C bill. I run the A/C all the time. The only fan I turn off is the one in the lanai. If I am wrong with this assumption that fans LOWER the A/C bill please let me know.

hot air rises. i think youre wrong on this!

[Barefoot]

Go around your house and unplug all the wall mounted transformers for cell phones, Internet routers, etc.
If it feels warm when not in use you pay twice. Once to heat it up and once to cool it down. When we are away we unplug cable tvboxes, tv sets and the electric cart charger.

We also unplug all wall mounted transformers, weather radio, cable boxes, TV sets, etc.

We do not unplug our electric golf cart charger. Our Housewatch Company keeps it charged for us. Our type of golf cart needs to be charged most of the time to protect the battery (I called the mechanics to ascertain this).

[K9-Lovers]

Cutting off the water supply to a vacant home prevents flooding which can occur due to a busted or poorly connected waterhose to the fridge, or to a leaky hot water heater. We used to own rental homes and learned about this the hard way. However, do not drain your hot water heater as the coils sometimes break when the heater is being refilled.

[Barefoot]

Cutting off the water supply to a vacant home prevents flooding which can occur due to a busted or poorly connected waterhose to the fridge, or to a leaky hot water heater.

Wouldn't cutting off the water supply to a house mean that the irrigation system doesn't work? Just askin.

[chuckinca]

It's usually valved so that you can shut of the house supply while leaving the irrigation supply on.

Or, the irrigation recycled sewage water is completely separate from the potable water.

.

[Ajack]

It's usually valved so that you can shut of the house supply while leaving the irrigation supply on.

Or, the irrigation recycled sewage water is completely separate from the potable water.

.

OMG I am renting a patio villa for a couple of weeks and I went out to my lanai and caught this foul odor. I then saw that the neighbor had his sprinkler on. I hope that water is safer then it smells.:22yikes:

[greg802]

Does anyone use damprid at all to remove moisture , the coffee idea sounds great never heard of it.

[Bosoxfan]

The fresh coffee grounds will absorb any odors in a room. Give it a go - it does work! :)

Bill
What if you don't like the smell of coffee?:yuck:

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Does anyone use damprid at all to remove moisture , the coffee idea sounds great never heard of it. Yup, I've used DampRid for years to absorb moisture inside stored cars and covered boats. It does great - needs periodic attention, though (emptying and refilling the containers). If you need DampRid in any kind of volume (if you use it a lot), find a store that sells large bags of calcium chloride.........that's all Damp Rid is! Farm supply stores are a good source. Or any place up north that sells snow/ice melting products will probably carry it. Calcium chloride is mildly corrosive so some amount of caution is necessary when using.

Other things I've used for confined spaces to control moisture are 1.) Goldenrod dehumidifiers, and 2.) Happy's Air Dryers. Both operate off of 120v - plug 'em into a wall outlet - and basically contain low wattage heating elements inside. Kinda like little toasters! :) They become warm to the touch but never more than that. No fans involved - they circulate the air via natural convection (warm air rises, cooler/heavier air falls). Essentially, they dry out the moisture that would be present in the space. Goldenrods come in several lengths - good for closets or inside cabinets. The Air Dryers are good for somewhat larger spaces. A Google search for either one will yield more info and available sources for purchasing. They're big with boaters as well as RVers.

Hope that helps!! :wave:

Bill

[Bill-n-Brillo]

What if you don't like the smell of coffee?:yuck: HA!! :)

Here's an idea: Stick your face down into a barrel of fermenting alcohol and inhale deeply. Your sinuses will get so messed you won't be able to smell coffee grounds or anything else for quite a long time!! :22yikes: Sandy wasn't listening to the tour guide at a whiskey distillery a number of years back when he was warning people not to get their faces too close to the open vats. Her smeller was messed up for weeks!! :)

Bill

[bluedog103]

It's usually valved so that you can shut of the house supply while leaving the irrigation supply on.

Or, the irrigation recycled sewage water is completely separate from the potable water.

As I understand it, the water in the holding ponds around TV is from street runoff. This water is used for residential irrigation.
The sanitary sewers have seperate holding ponds for the treat sewer water. This water is used to irrigate the golf courses, never for residential irrigation.
There was a thread awhile back where this was explained.

[chuckinca]

My Bad, I have read many times that the irrigation water was smelly and figured it was processed sewage water.

Did a search on irrigation water and found this regarding irrigation water south of 466:

"Originally Posted by villages07 View Post
On a related note, I read somewhere recently that the ponds around the Villages are only used to irrigate golf courses (not sure about other common areas along roadside). Those of us on the South side are watering with non-potable water but it comes from the upper aquifier not from The Villages ponds.

NJBlue:
I read the same thing but this is a contradiction from what we were told in a presentation by the engineer in charge of the water system. He said that the water for residential irrigation south of 466 comes from two sources: the retention ponds and the acquifer - but not the same acquifer that is used for potable water. The golf courses use the above two sources plus use the reclaimed water from the sewage treament plant - after it has gone through a number of purification processes. "



.

[cherylncliff]

Cutting off the water supply to a vacant home prevents flooding which can occur due to a busted or poorly connected waterhose to the fridge, or to a leaky hot water heater. We used to own rental homes and learned about this the hard way. However, do not drain your hot water heater as the coils sometimes break when the heater is being refilled.

Our house watch person (actually Redwitch) advised us, as brand new owners of a brand spanking new Lily in Buttonwood :a040: , to leave on the water to the house to more or less test the system. Since our house is essentially empty at this stage (a bedroom set and entertainment cabinet but NOTHING else yet! :ohdear: ) we thought it would be better to find any leaks/problems while there is less to be damaged and while still under warranty. If there are any problems, we'll find out about them sooner rather than later. Of course, this would not apply to anyone who is out of warranty for whatever reason...

[Barefoot]

All I know is that one of the large retention ponds which looks really pretty is awfully stinky at times. Pretty to look at but hold your nose.

Sometimes the pond is absolutely fine, and sometimes not. I've noticed that houses backing on the pond are really inexpensive. Perhaps that explains why!

Whoops, I just realized this thread is about electrical bills, sorry I wandered off topic.

[laryb]

Hi Tom, just received my statement today. Electric charge with adjustment and taxes was $25.60. We leave the fridge running and have the de-humidistat. 1481 sq. ft.

[Tom Hannon]

Larry- My house is an Iris. (1963 square feet) That could explain my bill being 25% higher than yours which would bring my bill to approx $32 ($26 unaccounted for) LIke many people on this post recommend - I will change the temp of A/C to 82, lower the fridge settings and turn off the ceiling fans. (I may keep one running to circulate the air). The de-himidstate is a consideration but with my intentions of being a frog in two years, I'm not sure if the tradeoff is worth the expense.

[laryb]

Tom, like you, I'm not sure about the de-humidistat, since I have nothing to compare it to. I don't think you'll make a bad decision either way. We're probably talking a few bucks a month.

[TommyT]

Here's a question. What about when you become full timers ?? What happens to the de-humidistat then. Does it become an ugle instrument on the wall or what ??? Do you use it after the home is occupied all the time ??

[bluedog103]

If you don't need it why not just take it down? A couple of screw holes to fill in and you're good to go.
Not an issue for me because I'll probably never be a full timer. I really like my northern home. For me, snowbirding is the best of all worlds. I keep my home in the north and stay close to family and friends. I was out today watching a farmer press cider. The mountains around my home are brilliant colors of yellow, gold and red. The air is crisp, cool and fragrant.
I do look forward to high tailing it out of here before the cold, ice and snow arrive.

[laryb]

Here's a question. What about when you become full timers ?? What happens to the de-humidistat then. Does it become an ugle instrument on the wall or what ??? Do you use it after the home is occupied all the time ??

Tommy, it doesn't become an ugly instrument, it already is! I will probably leave mine there and use it if I should go away for any extended times. If not, as stated above, shouldn't be a big deal to remove it.

[mulligan]

Keep in mind the most important function of the humidistat is not to save A/C money, but to protect your home from excess moisture. I have personally witnessed some severe damage from humidity including cabinets so warped they needed to be replaced, a cracked and broken laminate countertop, and mushrooms growing out of the carpet.

[Tom Hannon]

, and mushrooms growing out of the carpet.[/QUOTE]


Is that an exaggeration?

[mulligan]

I really wish I had thought to take pictures. There were mushrooms growing out of the cracks in the formica countertop also.

[Tom Hannon]

How high did you keep the temp when you were gone??? I now have it set @ 80 but TOTV posts say 82 degrees is fine. I am still 50/50 about the humidistat.

[mulligan]

This was not my home, but a high end condo in a project I was working on in Naples. I was filling in for the project super when this owner returned from an extended absense. Needless to say, I was foutunate enough to catch all the heat, and had a real test of my people skills.