another $%&*! Electric bill Thread

[jhale]

an old article about the rate increase from Con Ed

I'm glad the summers almost over, my apt runs 5 A/C's one of them a 35K BTU monster. This months electric bill was a staggering $730 thanks to the 20% increase in electric costs.

I can only imagine how bad people on Long Island have it, those rates have always been even higher than the city.

The increased cost has definitely got my attention and I'm going to try to lower consumption everywhere possible.

Has the electric increase effected you or your business's in any way?

 

[LeslieS]

Jer switched all our bulbs to energy savers.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

With 2 kids, wife, me working midnight shift, and the tank the bill has been sky high. What can you do? Condo association won't let me put solar panels in.

 

[inkblue]

:sigh:... you couLd've gotten this instead

 

[fernandokng]

Lowered my MH lighting from 6 hours to 4 hours, thus, my AC is on less often.

 

[qy7400]

LIPAs rate has stayed pretty constant I think, somewhere around .21 KW; no big jump yet. I know the bills going to jump come summer but on the flip side my gas (heating) bills hover around $30 so for me it balances out. I'd still rather stay cool and eat pasta then be miserable eating out.

 

[D1J8Z]

:irked:

 

[jhale]

Joe brings up a point, I think for the first time it's cheaper to cool your house than heat it

 

[Deanos]

:theyareon

 

[pmoneyt]

i dont pay for light and gas

 

[KathyC]

Joe brings up a point, I think for the first time it's cheaper to cool your house than heat it

Very scary point considering my electric - with balanced billing - is currently just over $500 per month.
Like Leslie, I've switched many lights over to the energy saving bulbs, I also make sure to turn off the computers ($20/mo from what I hear to leave them idle) when not in use, have trimmed the number of FW tanks down to 3 and changed my 120 from MH's to T5's.
The untimely demise of my 120 chiller and switch to a portable room A/C keeps the entire room with the 3 SW tanks cool and I rarely hear the 2nd chiller (for the cube tank) come on anymore, but have yet to see a bill to tell if the useage is higher or lower this way.
But I'm a heck of a lot more comfortable!

For the winter..uggg..I'm thinking controlled burns..a partial room at a time might get me through...

 

[LeslieS]

For the winter..uggg..I'm thinking controlled burns..a partial room at a time might get me through...

that's one way to get rid of clutter

 

[Eznet2u]

Can't come close to California rates...

One of the guys in our local club got a $2500 bill... He got out of the hobby.

 

[Lenny718]

Although the high electric bills suck I find its just part of the hobby. The bad part:irked:

 

[jackson6745]

Can't come close to California rates...

One of the guys in our local club got a $2500 bill... He got out of the hobby.

How big was his tank and his house???? Thats crazy!

 

[jhale]

Although the high electric bills suck I find its just part of the hobby. The bad part:irked:

the hobby is a very small part of my bill, I have the tank running very lean.
it's the AC that kills me. so it's sweat or pay up.

a $2500 E bill is no joke, what was he running?

 

[masterswimmer]

I've decided to scale back. I'm getting rid of my wife

R

 

[Aqualung]

I,ve cut way back on my fresh water lighting,and shortened the reef lighting to 6 hours per day..

 

[Eznet2u]

...a $2500 E bill is no joke, what was he running?

IIRC, Everything hit at once...brand new 60" Plasma, 3 boys out of school for the summer, XBOX on said Plasma, 105+ outside temps, A/C for said boys to play inside, 300g tank in wall, garage sump, 1200w of Metal halides, 3/4 hp chiller fighting the 1000 watts of heaters that stuck on.

Amazingly, He never noticed the heaters, as the tank temp never went above 78. Quiet chiller.

That was a couple of years ago. I think he is still on SCE's Payment plan...

 

[neptune]

i went with the soloris led lighting system.....lets see what happens..olny ran my 250w hqi 4 hours a day...and the a/c 10 hours..bill was estamated $250 for tha month...soloris keeps tank at 79 with a small fan....