There are a lot of great things to love about summer but high electricity bills is not one of them. No matter where we live it seems, there is either high temps in the summer, high humidity, or a combination of both.
I guess I am lucky that I only have to deal with high heat. My Air Conditioner kicks on somewhere around mid April and runs almost continually until October. Every time it comes on, I can only think of that meter just spinning my bill higher and higher. It is sickening!
This summer, the price of electricity has gotten so high, I can almost not afford to live in my home any more. My bills are averaging between $500 and $600 a month and that is with the a/c at 79-80 degrees on a normal basis. Plus I have unplugged things in outlets, keep the shades drawn, run things after 8pm, and anything else I can do to lower my usage.
We have looked into solar but have not found a good option yet. I have had electricians out to my house looking for issues; we do have one but not that it will effect much. I had my air conditioner unit serviced and cleaned. Nothing is helping!
I think it is so sad that there are no options for other suppliers of electric so that means there is no competition and the companies can just keep raising rates until we are at a breaking point. At what time do we call it quits? How can people afford the horrific rates? I need a third or fourth job just to pay my electric and gas bill. I think it is time we sell and move!
I know there are places around the US that have somewhat decent rates where folks are not raped by the high cost of power. What options do we have? We have to have power. I have cut back everywhere I can. The only thing let to do is fill in my pool, and trust me, I have thought about it.
What methods do you use to keep your electric or power usage under control? Are you in the same boat as I am? Or have you considered options like direct energy free nights to save on your electricity costs?
Wow–your bill is really high! I wish I had some advice for you, but I’m sure you’re already doing all you can to keep your usage low. Have you checked with your neighbors to see if their bills are similarly high? In any case, I wish you good luck. It would be so sad if you had to move just because of the utility bills.
I do the same things that you do. The rates are not as high here, but sometimes during the hottest part of the year I will close off rooms that aren’t used .
I cook with gas and I like to hang my clothes when I can outside Since not using the dryer helps
We have our stove and water heater run by propane. We installed a nest system that adjusts the AC up or down automatically depending on whether or not we are in the house. My husband feels it works well.
My gas is so much cheaper than my electricity so I try to make food and beverages (heating water) with my gas stove rather than use electrical appliances. I cut way down on my microwave use. Most won’t like this next one and are not able to do it, but although I have both heat and air conditioning, I don’t use either. I’m fortunate with the weather but just suffered through triple-digit heat the last two weeks (but love the hot weather). I do have a small fan if I need to use it. It all helps keep my utilities lower.