First Energy Bill

[MattVollet]

Hey everyone, I moved from Ohio to Orlando, Florida just over a month ago into a my first 750 Square foot apartment on the first floor. We just got out first energy bill and it is $250 dollars (not counting the start-up costs) and I'm wondering if this could possibly be correct at all. I have a Panasonic 50PZ85U (calibrated for the new apartment), PS3, X360, Wii, HD-DVR and 5.1 Surround (I don't leave any of this on when i'm not using it). We also have 1 desktop computer, 2 laptops and then another 30-something inch LG Super Slim that is almost never on. The Panasonic TV is maybe on for 4 hours a day, on a day with nothing to do. We turn the lights off when we leave and aren't using them and we keep the air on 75 when inside and 80 when out.
Still, 250 Dollars for an electric bill seems ridiculous- but I wasnt sure if the Plasma was pushing me into another dimension of energy costs.

Any help would be appreciated... I just need to know if this is normal before my Fiance kicks my butt!

Thanks everyone

[DetroitSportsFan]

Use of AC will always take a big bite into your electric bill. The rest of the stuff you listed should be that big of deal unless you use them a lot. If/when you can stop using the AC you will see a noticeable difference.

[Fatboymart]

Originally Posted by MattVollet

Any help would be appreciated... I just need to know if this is normal before my Fiance kicks my butt!

Sounds like it's time to change your fiance

[MattVollet]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Use of AC will always take a big bite into your electric bill. The rest of the stuff you listed should be that big of deal unless you use them a lot. If/when you can stop using the AC you will see a noticeable difference.

Yeah, I still thought 250 dollars for a 750 square foot apartment was outrageous.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by MattVollet

Yeah, I still thought 250 dollars for a 750 square foot apartment was outrageous.

it also depends on where you live. Some places of the country charge much more for energy than others. I live in Tucson AZ with the AC on 77 all day and night and our Energy bill for June,July,August is about $130-$160 and I have a powerhouse of a computer running 24/7 and a plasma that I use a decent chuck too.

[MattVollet]

Originally Posted by wormraper

it also depends on where you live. Some places of the country charge much more for energy than others. I live in Tucson AZ with the AC on 77 all day and night and our Energy bill for June,July,August is about $130-$160 and I have a powerhouse of a computer running 24/7 and a plasma that I use a decent chuck too.

Okay, good to know, but I don't feel like I would be charged 100 dollars more a month if we're using about the same amount of energy (which is sounds like we are).

Thanks for everyones help, i'm just trying to figure this out

[Anthony P]

I think you should forget about the amount and look at the kw (I am guessing it should be on the bill).

[BStecke]

I'm in Tampa and keep my AC on 73 at the highest and I'm outraged if my bill is over 170 bucks. When my home was built, they installed a radiant barrier and, comparing my bill and the temperature I keep my house to my friends, it was worth every penny. In the winter my bill is like 70 bucks, and usually 170 at the highest during the summer, always on 72, 73 in the summer and about 68 in the winter. I don't know how much it costs to install it after the the house is built, but it might be something to look into. If my house was 75 or higher I'd want to kill myself.

[raginranger]

I have about that size of an apartment in South Carolina and my last bill was $165, but I leave my AC on 70 all the time. To me, it's worth paying more for comfort. I can't stand living somewhere that's hot! But anyway, $250 seems like way too much. Either your power company is way more expensive than average or they screwed up your bill. It might be worth calling them just to make sure the bill is correct.

[xtop]

you sure the bill didn't include anything from the previous month?

[MattVollet]

Alright, thanks so far everyone. Here are the actual stats from the bill:
(the bill was $222.70)

Customer Charge: $8.03
ENERGY CHARGE
First 1000KWH: 5.099 Cents --- $50.99
Above 1000KWH: 6.099 Cents --- $44.16
FUEL CHARGE
First 1000KWH: 4.881 Cents ---- $48.81
Above 1000KWH: 5.881 Cents --- $42.58
*Total electric cost = $194.57
*After taxes = $222.71

ENERGY USE
52 KWH/Day
Daily Avg. Electrical cost = $5.90


I know the numbers match up but what i'm wondering now is if the meter could have been read wrong- is this a normal amount of power to use under my circumstances?

[jw]

ours is .03873 KWH, I am in VA
I guess the rate varies by area/company

[Forrestandjen07]

The ps3, 360, and LCd tvs are the biggest consumption of energy in the home

even while the LCD,and PS3 are in standby mode, they are using a decent ammount of energey

[Forrestandjen07]

and your meter is either wrong, or its the area you live in

we live in a single story house

with an lcd,360,ps3,3 pcs,a wifi network,etc, and i dont think our electric bill gets above 150. i could be wrong, but pretty sure it dose not get that high

[shazzed]

I always turn my tv/receiver/ps3 and comps off at the power point. It mkaes a fairly big difference.

[MattVollet]

Originally Posted by shazzed

I always turn my tv/receiver/ps3 and comps off at the power point. It mkaes a fairly big difference.

Yeah I read about this today, I think i'm going to put the TV and surround on a separate surge protector and all the game consoles on another surge protector so I can turn things completely off.

[Crim122]

My bill is like 80 and I use the TV for about 4 hours a day, and my gf uses it too when I am at work. Have a PS3, and 360 along with 3 laptops. But we never EVER have the AC on, haha. Maybe turn the air off

[camper]

52KW hours per day is VERY high for what you're describing. It should be around 20 or so, maybe 30 tops. Our house is 3 times the size of your apartment and I guarantee we have more stuff drawing juice than you. Someone might very well be stealing your electricity. Surprisingly simple to do in an apartment complex. Call the electric company and have them do a usage survey. They can tell you what you should be using, and possibly test for a leak and/or power theft.

Call them today, something is definitely not right.

camper

[DrinkMore]

From what I know, there really is no "standard" on what one person pays over another. Especially when it comes to different states and situations.

We pay roughly $250-$300 a month in electric. That's on a 4,000 sq. ft. home, with dual ac systems, 4 flat panels, xbox's, ps3, some lights, water, 2 fridges, washer/dryer etc etc. We don't keep lights on, all our lights are CF's. We do run fan's (ceiling and floor) to cut back on the ac temperature. Our ac is kept at 70. Might seem low to some, but we used to keep it at 68. We may bump it up to 72. All appliances in the kitchen, washer/dryer and both ac systems (inside and out) are brand new (less than 1 year old) and energy star rated.

Anyways, please also note that apartments are NOTORIOUS for not purchasing energy efficient items. AC unit is one item on that list. They also are NOTORIOUS for getting the cheapest systems they can. I know when I was doing the apartment thing, my electric bill was 150-190 a month. Most of that was cooling/heating. Also it was due to 30 year old items being used. My ac started tripping the breaker and locking up. Finally after weeks of complaining, it was replaced. My energy bill dropped nearly 30 dollars a month.

So - take that into consideration as well

[MattVollet]

Originally Posted by DrinkMore

From what I know, there really is no "standard" on what one person pays over another. Especially when it comes to different states and situations.

We pay roughly $250-$300 a month in electric. That's on a 4,000 sq. ft. home, with dual ac systems, 4 flat panels, xbox's, ps3, some lights, water, 2 fridges, washer/dryer etc etc. We don't keep lights on, all our lights are CF's. We do run fan's (ceiling and floor) to cut back on the ac temperature. Our ac is kept at 70. Might seem low to some, but we used to keep it at 68. We may bump it up to 72. All appliances in the kitchen, washer/dryer and both ac systems (inside and out) are brand new (less than 1 year old) and energy star rated.

Anyways, please also note that apartments are NOTORIOUS for not purchasing energy efficient items. AC unit is one item on that list. They also are NOTORIOUS for getting the cheapest systems they can. I know when I was doing the apartment thing, my electric bill was 150-190 a month. Most of that was cooling/heating. Also it was due to 30 year old items being used. My ac started tripping the breaker and locking up. Finally after weeks of complaining, it was replaced. My energy bill dropped nearly 30 dollars a month.

So - take that into consideration as well

Although I dont know about the AC system, our complex was just redone a year ago with energy-efficient appliances... So thats a step in the right direction. Wouldn't surprise me though, just my luck.

Thank you everyone so much for your help, I'm going to call the company now and I will keep you updated.