[thorn]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'S')o you have about 1200 square feet at $231 per month on budget. Thats not bad, we had 1200 square foot house poorly insulated and it cost us $205 per month on budget.

[frankthetank]

I've got the meter reading figured out, so on nice days i'll give a look and see where i'm @...looking like since the last bill in DEC i've used 51 Therms...hmmm...i really can't go any colder then what it is...

gas Heat/hot water/stove and i cook a lot.

[thorn]

House stats:
2,650 Sqft one level with slab floor
built by me 2001-2003
North ern MD, 5500 degree days
elec heat pump/AC, elec. DHW stove top, air/heat exchanger
R70 ceiling, R50-60 double walls, most windows on southern side.

Used about 21,000KWh since late 2003 (750KWh/month @ $0.07 is $52/month)

Water is pumped from 400 ft well.

All energy star appliances, but the clothes washer.

I put in tubing for radiant heat that I would like to install solar heat soon (before PO hits ).

Also, I would like to install PV and solar DHW. Should be able to get the electric bill down to $0.


Now, if I could only get the Prius to run off of ethanol...

[marika]

UCS ranks ag impacts higher than home energy use impacts, second only to transport. I have seen suprisingly little discussion about food in this forum, however.

My home energy use stats average about 8 kWh per day for electricity, 0.3 therms for natural gas, and my gasoline use is averaging about 0.2 gallons per day for the last three years. I suspect that my food energy use may be higher than my home energy or tranport energy use, and compared to most I eat very little, very low on the food chain, and more locally.

Food energy use in kcals per day is:

coffee 10 (Colombia)
blueberries 50 (not sure where these come from)
strawberries 50 (California or local)
soymilk 50 (midwest/New York)
rice protein 60 (California)
orange 200 (local)
banana 75 (way south)
apple 75 (New York)
flax seed 120 (not sure about origins)
walnut 75 (California)
olive oil 60 (California, Bariani)
lettuce 50 (California)
collard 75 (local)
sweet potato 300 (local)
alcohol 200 (not sure about origins)
onion 35 (varies)
carrot 35 (California)
tomato 50 (local)
total 1570 kcal/day

I take a muti every day, too.

[dbuckley]

Recently discovered an off-the-shelf product, which was developed just down the road from me...
http://www.centameter.co.nz

http://www.electrisave.co.uk

[aahala]

In the US, there are a few electrical utilities that have a website you can
view your current(hourly) usage.

One of the reasons for this, is that some users have pageable thermastats
the utility can raise, lower or shut off for short or longer periods,
permitting the utility to adjust some demand rather than fully adjusting
just by increasing reserves. The site permits viewers to obt out of the
program should they not want to reduce useage for a particular hour or
day.

[thuja]

For you gas users out there- how much do you all pay per therm? I pay 1.32$ out here in Portland OR. Wondering if there is a big spread out there or if someone can direct me to a web site that shows price comparison. Also would love to know from folks throughout the world.
I use gas for home heating, water heat, the dryer and the stove. Last month I paid an astounding 193 $ for gas (to me anyways- I don't keep my house toasty although I do like long baths). I have a 1700 square foot home. My electric bills are negligible (20 $).

[pastthepeak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'W')hy can't they develop a simple LCD/computer that constantly updates your month to date electric/gas charges???

[eastbay]

Opened the mail yesterday and was shocked to see the size of the PGE (local power company) bill. Our family decided over a year ago to not use air conditioning or heat in the house any longer. We air dry our clothes and the only natural gas used is for the hotwater tank and the stovetop.

Our house is 1700 sq ft and admittedly it's located in a very temperate climate. We experience high 20's and low 30's almost every morning during the winter months. We generally wear sweaters inside and right now it's 58 in the house and we're happy as can be.

The point is that our bill for December was $70.00! Soon it will cost $1,000/year to keep the lights on and the hot water running. When energy costs double again (we won't wait long for that) even turning off the heater may not be enough for many. Gathering up that kind of money every month just to keep the lights on and the hotwater tank warm will be impossible for many.

What more can people do? Is this just in California or are others seeing this?

[SinisterBlueCat]

we bought a wood burning stove, so NO gas except for what heats our water. Our stove and clothes dryer are electric and we only do 4 loads per week max. That plus lights in our 1500 square foot home, our bill last month was $107.

I do not know how others are managing...although it is 50 degree F outside right now here in wisconsin, so that is lending a much needed break to a lot of people here.

[Leanan]

Yes, we're all seeing it. It's because of the spiking natural gas prices. Power companies usually buy in the summer when it's cheap...only it hasn't been cheap at any time of year lately.

Utilities often have to get approval to raise rates, which means sudden jumps, rather than a gradual increase.

In my area, we got a 45% increase last fall. It was a real shock to many. My bill was over $200 (for two months).

This month, I got a whole bunch of literature included with my bill. There was a pamphlet telling me that due to de-regulation, I was free to shop around for a better price. There was a flyer explaining why the cost had risen so much. And there was a pamphlet and a flyer encouraging me to sign up for the "budget plan," which would average my payments over the whole year and make keeping the lights on more affordable.

I gotta buy more compact flourescents...

[PrairieMule]

Well, I got soaked by my gas bill for December. A few weeks ago we went to "Jimmy Carter" ecomony mode with our thermostat. I think I found the source of heat loss in the house. The patio window was cracked open from our foundation shifting and is now fixed. I have been making chicken tomato enchiladas all week and have left the oven door open for 10 min to heat the house when I am done. Our electric bill was ok but my water and sanitation went up 50%!!!!!

I do have some Good news here in Texas. Dallas has recieved 4 inches of badly needed rain this week and we should get more tommorow.

[foolcell]

Short story about my “run in” with the local power company. About 6 months ago I bought a fixer-up house close to my job at the university nice house just needed a complete gut! But any way, I replaced the water heater and install a hot water trap, all appliances, new E-series windows, insulation in the walls and attic. Well to make a long story short my kwh usage went from about 3500 to 700 kwh per month now. Based on the records of the previous owner, well the electric company accused me of running the meter backwards!

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('foolcell', 'S')hort story about my “run in” with the local power company. About 6 months ago I bought a fixer-up house close to my job at the university nice house just needed a complete gut! But any way, I replaced the water heater and install a hot water trap, all appliances, new E-series windows, insulation in the walls and attic. Well to make a long story short my kwh usage went from about 3500 to 700 kwh per month now. Based on the records of the previous owner, well the electric company accused me of running the meter backwards!

[Trab]

Our combined electricity & gas bill last month was around $320, which isn't much higher than it was the previous year, thanks in part to warmer-than-normal temps for much of the month, and us setting the thermostat slightly lower.

[retiredguy]

Responding to earlier poster who asked about amount of utility bills. I installed a small woodburning stove in my fireplace opening. My thermostat is currently set to 60. The furnace rarely runs. As such, I expect to save about $1200 on NG this winter.
My gas bill (gas water heater and gas stove) was $80 last month.
One way to know you are saving money is not to hear the furnace.

[dbarberic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('thuja', 'F')or you gas users out there- how much do you all pay per therm? I pay 1.32$ out here in Portland OR. Wondering if there is a big spread out there or if someone can direct me to a web site that shows price comparison. Also would love to know from folks throughout the world.
I use gas for home heating, water heat, the dryer and the stove. Last month I paid an astounding 193 $ for gas (to me anyways- I don't keep my house toasty although I do like long baths). I have a 1700 square foot home. My electric bills are negligible (20 $).

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('thuja', 'F')or you gas users out there- how much do you all pay per therm? I pay 1.32$ out here in Portland OR. Wondering if there is a big spread out there or if someone can direct me to a web site that shows price comparison. Also would love to know from folks throughout the world.
I use gas for home heating, water heat, the dryer and the stove. Last month I paid an astounding 193 $ for gas (to me anyways- I don't keep my house toasty although I do like long baths). I have a 1700 square foot home. My electric bills are negligible (20 $).

[eastbay]

We live in a 1700 sq ft house in California. Nights here are typically around 35 degrees in the winter and summer days are frequently over 100. We haven't turned on the heater or air conditioning in several years other than a few tests to see if they still function. My family places the entire blame for the cold nights and hot days squarely on PO.com...lol... and I agree, heh.

Anyhow, our electric bill for January was $69 US and for December it was $48 US. That's just lights, water tank, the fridge and a bit of gas for cooking. Nada mas. In other words, it's soon going to cost about $1,000/yr just to keep the lights on and the fridge running in a modest house.

... then $2,000/yr... then $4,000/yr... then we'll bring out the candles. Candle light isn't very many years in the future my friends.

[strider3700]

We're really going down hill if candles are the best we can do