[duffysmom]

Wow.. Just received our electric bill today for our first month in our new home and were floored that it was $227.00. Is this normal? We have a
designer approximately 1600 sq ft. Thanks

[Ooper]

Sounds about right. The last 2 months were probably the heaviest usage for the air conditioner. Being a designer you probably have higher ceilings and/or cathedral ceilings... all that space needs to be cooled. Won't be long before you can shut the A/C off and open your windows.

[aln]

Yeah, my Aug-Sept charge for 1840 sq ft was $256

[schotzyb]

Ours for the past four months for a ~1400 sq/ft Ranch has been: June=201.48; July= 230.39; August =215.65; Sept= 218.96. Requested a check up from Seco and was informed it would happen within 10 days.

[Floridagal]

I live in a designer home, 2000 sq. feet and my bill was only $146.00 and my son and his family were down here for a week.

[Sidney Lanier]

Strange. We have a 1,400 sf Designer, and whether we're there or not we keep the thermostat set at 78°, with a 60% setting on the dehumidistat when we're not there. Our bills have been as follows: 6/20, $53.48; 7/21, $61.42; 8/21, $74.27; 9/22, $70.95. Are others keeping the temp at a much lower setting? Does the dehumidistat help that much? Why would our bills be so much lower?...

[mac9]

I suppose that it would matter if you have a gas bill also. I have a 2000 square foot designer with gas cooking and clothes dryer. We keep the thermostat at 77. Our last bill was $127 which is about par with all summer bills.

[Shirleevee]

2000 square foot designer.......had the grandkids down during hurricane Fay for ten days, and our electic bill was $138.00.

[villages07]

I'm with shirlee and mac....

my elec bill was about $135, temp kept at 78. We have gas for water, dryer, stove....gas bill runs about $25 (much of which is overhead to maintain the account...minimal usage).

Duffy...are you all electric??? How about other recent purchasers who are in all elec houses? What was your bill? Also, Duffy, if this was your first bill....make sure that it was for a 'normal' 30 day period and that there wasn't some initial account setup fees on there.

[Cassie325]

Well then we absolutely have a problem....I am so glad you posted this!

We have a small 2/2 CYV....last month our bill was $200...this month $250!!!! We are not even there all the time....

well one of us is there during the day....but someone in my family....and it is not me....but I won't name names.....leaves the lanai door open a little for the cats to go in and out during the day!!!

Even with the thermostat set at 75-76 during the day. Occasionally on a really hot day we may turn it down but not much....

I knew the lanai door was an issue....I know DUH....but one needs to learn a lesson witht he electric bill....perhaps a $100 for a cat door isn't such a bad idea....

Also wondering if it might be our hot water heater...it is 9 years old.

[blueeagle65]

Our highest bill so far this year (last month) for a 1400 sf ranch was $ 114 We are here all the time, keep the temp around 75 and have gas WH, dryer and range. I imagine it'll really drop this month as we've had the windows and doors open a lot already. Several of yours do sound high.

[Russ_Boston]

I think the thought about high ceilings was a good guess as to why so high. 1500 sq. ft. with mostly flat 8 foot ceilings is not the same as 1500 sq. ft. with volume ceilings. I don't want to do the math right now but I'll bet it is around 40% more cubic volume in homes with volume ceilings as it is in homes without them. Also I think that every degree below 78 may be somewhat of an exponential raise in energy use. Most ACs work very well in cooling/drying down to 15 degrees below outside temp. We keep our home very cool (72) up here in MA due to our daycare setup and we pay the price during the summer. As much as $450 during the 3 main summer months.

[SteveFromNY]

We have a 1937 sq ft designer with volume ceilings. Our elec for June, July Aug & Sept this year was $142, $155, $178 and $196. We keep the temp right around 78 degrees.
I think volume ceilings help a house in the summer, as hot air rises. Seems like the cold air from the AC would fall and displace the hot air more easily with volume ceilings. After all, the thermostat is at about 5 feet off the floor, so the temp would rise in the lower part of the house and the AC would shut off.
In the winter (thankfully there really isn't one) the opposite would occur, and the rooms would need to warm from the top down, making the heating system work longer.
$227 sounds high, unless you consume lots of electric doing other stuff like lights on all the time, electric hot tub heater, extra refrigerators in the garage and the like. Also as mentioned if you have an all electric house you are cooking, drying clothes and heating water with electric too.
You might want to get a real thermometer too, perhaps your thermostat isn't 100% accurate, and you are really cooling the house to 76 or 75, thinking it's 78.

[schotzyb]

Interesting brochure came with the power bill this month with tips on how to reduce your power consumption. 78 on your thermostat in the summer and 68 in the winter.Only run your ceiling fans in occupied rooms. "Ceiling fans cool people, not the room"Each ceiling fan running 24 hours a day adds ~$6.00 to your power bill each month.

[duffysmom]

Thanks for all the responses. It would appear that the charges are all over the place. Our home has volumn ceilings and we do keep our temp set at 75 during the day and 72 at night. We have gas hwh, stove and dryer. We have requested a check up with SECO and they told us that setting the thermostate at 79 during the day will make a big difference. Who knew