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High AC bills?

Discussion in 'Homeowners Corner' started by soccerdudes, Jul 16, 2012.

  1. soccerdudes

    soccerdudes New Member

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    We live in a Sinclair II and just got an almost $600 power bill. Just checking to see if that was on target, or if this was high in comparison to other homes like ours. We keep our AC around 76.
     
  2. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

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    sounds excessive to me. We are around $180 last month for ~2000sq/ft townhouse - one new AC unit. 72 at night, 80 during the day (nobody home)
     
  3. Twinmama

    Twinmama Member

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  4. shim

    shim shim

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    Fitz $310 mostly @ 72 - may need more freon, cools faster, runs less.
     
  5. Sasquatch519

    Sasquatch519 Member

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    I agree that sounds high. I was $111 for a 2000 sqft townhouse set at 75 the whole time. I actually was surprised how cheap it was given the weather.
     
  6. MikeK

    MikeK Member

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    I'm at $240 for 2,000 sq feet. Keep it at 71 most of the time. I also have a portable AC unit in the master bedroom as that room stays hot. I use the portable unit in spurts (few hours at night for example)
     
  7. soccerdudes

    soccerdudes New Member

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    Those of you that have Fitzgeralds, do you have both original units? We had to install a new Carrier unit at the end of last summer, but we still have the original tiny one upstairs that runs constantly!
     
  8. Twinmama

    Twinmama Member

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    Ours are the original goodman units, yes.
     
  9. twubs

    twubs New Member

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    Guessing everyone saw a major increase from June's bill to July. I know we used almost double the power at 2600kwh. Bill was over 300 and that is with a new 15 seir unit for the upstairs. Main level conpressor and furnace are original.

    600 still seams crazy high.
     
  10. Mom8386

    Mom8386 Member

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    We're in about 4800 sq feet (finished basement included) and our electric bill is $308/month on budget billing. I keep our a/c at 73 and we have 3 units (one is heat pump). Our bill went up about $60/month when we finished our basement. But, I have used budget billing for years so I'm never surprised with a bill. I do the same with gas which runs around $140/month.
     
  11. Twinmama

    Twinmama Member

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    I have to correct myself. The units are original but they are carrier.
     
  12. Mike-and-Kim

    Mike-and-Kim Member

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    We were at $253 SFH w Goodmans x2. We keep it around 75, and have programmable thermostats. In complete honesty I usually bump it down to 74 upstairs before going to bed.

    Two hours is usually enough to get it down from 85 during the day.

    Lutron RadioRa lighting, so easy to turn off the overhead kitchen lights from my recliner which draw a lot of power and produce a fair amount of heat.
     
  13. JThompson

    JThompson New Member

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    2800 SF and my bill was $450 this month and $350 last month. I was wondering if I was the only one with a massive increase. My unit is brand new.
     
  14. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    10 Tips to Save Energy and Keep Cool This Summer

    1. Raise your thermostat to 78ยบ. This is the number one way to conserve energy.

    2. When you are away from home for more than eight hours, raise the thermostat setting and you can expect to see a 1% savings for each degree of setback. This will reduce the amount of energy used to cool your home while you're away. You can learn more about your thermostat online by visiting the U.S. Department of Energy website.

    3. Keep shades closed when the air conditioner is on. Sunny windows account for 40 percent of unwanted heat and can make your air conditioner work two to three times harder.

    4. Check and clean filters. Cleaning and replacing air conditioning filters monthly allows the system to run more efficiently.

    5. Install ceiling fans. Don't underestimate the importance of ceiling fans. Moving air over the body provides a cooling effect. The use of ceiling fans can mean savings of around 25% on cooling costs and can make the temperature seem 10 degrees cooler.

    6. Make sure ceiling fans are blowing down. Most fans have a switch to change the fan direction. Make sure ceiling fans are blowing downward (in a counter-clockwise direction) to send air past your body.

    7. Run appliances with large energy use late in the evening. Use the dishwasher and clothes washer late in the evening. When used during the day, these appliances produce additional heat, causing your air conditioner to work harder.

    8. Use cold water to wash dishes and clothes. This will save on water heating costs.

    9. Unplug equipment not in use. Electric chargers, televisions and audio/video equipment use electricity and produce heat even when they are not in use. Running an older refrigerator can use up to three times the energy of a modern one. Unplug any appliance when it's not in use.

    10. Turn off lights. Turn lights off when exiting a room. Consider replacing incandescent bulbs with energy efficient compact florescent lights (CFLs). And remember to recycle CFLs whenever possible.

    https://www.dom.com/about/conservation/summer-tips.jsp
     
  15. soccerdudes

    soccerdudes New Member

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    Ok, we figured it out. I called VA Power and they said they never got our payment from the month before. They said with the power outages, they had some delays in processing payments, and our payment had not cleared at the time of billing.:rolleyes3: I didn't even think to check it on the bill b/c we sent our payment in on time. So, we actually had a bill of around $330 which is MUCH more reasonable. Whew.

    Thanks to all who responded. At least we know we are line with everyone else now!
     
  16. Charmed1

    Charmed1 New Member

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    Just saw the last post! I'm definitely calling them!
     
  17. Ellie

    Ellie New Member

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    We paid $375 but we keep our place pretty cool. $600 sounds really high!
     

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