The Electric Bill

Kitties

Forum Legend
Joined
Jun 18, 2012
Reaction score
198
Location
California
Hi everyone.

I'm in California so we have PG&E. We have those "Smart Meters" now. I received my bill today and thought it seemed high for me. About $70.00. Same days billed as last year, same "therms billed" and same "therms per day" exactly as last year. I checked my check book (since I shred the bills) and last year my bills were about $50.00 and $54.00 for July and August. So this seems like a big jump and I heard people could get higher bills with these Smart Meters. I keep my AC on the same temperature as last year: 79 degrees.

Anyone else having higher bills this year? I'm just wondering if the rates jumped that much? :(

Last months bill was $48.00.
 
My electric bill has been higher, but we've been having record heat here. More than 20 days over 100F, iirc, so a higher than normal electric bill isn't exactly a surprise.

My husband likes the thermostat set at 73, I prefer it at 75. We can't go any higher than that because of the rabbits (they don't tolerate heat well), though their room is shaded and has two aircon vents so it stays lower than the rest of the house anyway.

My most recent bill is more than double yours, and I expect at least one more just like it. The water bill is up this year, too.
 
Count your blessings, our bill isn't even that cheap in the winter. N.C. pads its utility bills to pay off state debt. That, combined with the fact that this house is old and in bad shape (needs new insulation, for starters), means we celebrated our last bill, at over $200. Last summer it crept up to almost $350. I've attempted to be frugal this summer and sweat it out as much as possible.
 
I can certainly appreciate that my bill is lower than many. I was a bit surprised at the jump, comparing with last year.

I had heard the smart meters could cause increased bills especially when the temperature went over 100. I didn't notice any difference with the winter bills. Those are always lower than summer, in the apartment anyway.
 
Count your blessings, our bill isn't even that cheap in the winter. N.C. pads its utility bills to pay off state debt. That, combined with the fact that this house is old and in bad shape (needs new insulation, for starters), means we celebrated our last bill, at over $200. Last summer it crept up to almost $350. I've attempted to be frugal this summer and sweat it out as much as possible.

Ouch. Does your utility have any kind of a energy audit program? That's where they go in and look your entire house over, measure insulation levels etc. and help you prioritize your energy efficiency projects by giving payback periods etc, some utilities even have grant/interest free loan programs to help you get some of the projects done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jeneticallymodified
Ouch. Does your utility have any kind of a energy audit program? That's where they go in and look your entire house over, measure insulation levels etc. and help you prioritize your energy efficiency projects by giving payback periods etc, some utilities even have grant/interest free loan programs to help you get some of the projects done.

We rent and we are moving soon.
 
We live on the Gulf Coast where it's hot and humid until at least October. Mine averages out at around $180 during peak summer months, and around $120 otherwise. We rarely use the heat since winters are usually mild, but the ac gets a workout in the warmer months because I can't stand the humidity.
 
We live on the Gulf Coast where it's hot and humid until at least October. Mine averages out at around $180 during peak summer months, and around $120 otherwise. We rarely use the heat since winters are usually mild, but the ac gets a workout in the warmer months because I can't stand the humidity.
I'm on the gulf coast too; it has been so hot this year! We go without AC as much as we can, but I've had to use it often this summer, mostly because of my old Dachshund, who is failing a little. ( :( ) Our utility bill was around $110 last month, compared with $65 the month before. We have solar hot water panels, so that helps.
 
we don't have A/C.

i have a table fan, and a beer cooler full of cold water for my feet. :(

it got to 47c (116.6f) here with the humidex applied, one day very recently.
 
we don't have A/C.

i have a table fan, and a beer cooler full of cold water for my feet. :(

it got to 47c (116.6f) here with the humidex applied, one day very recently.
Swamp fan! Been there (live in Florida.) I feel really bad for everyone going through the heat wave in places where it doesn't usually happen.

ETA: Oh I reread you are using the cooler for your feet. You can set it up in front of the table fan, and it blows cooler air (but muggy) at you. Swamp fan.:D
 
I live in central Florida and it is in the mid to upper 90's for months. I have a tiny all electric house and live alone (most of the time). I have a large window AC in the living room and a smaller one in my bedroom. My highest bill so far this year is around $130. We have had those smart meters for a few years and I think my bill didn't really change.
 
Swamp fan! Been there (live in Florida.) I feel really bad for everyone going through the heat wave in places where it doesn't usually happen.

ETA: Oh I reread you are using the cooler for your feet. You can set it up in front of the table fan, and it blows cooler air (but muggy) at you. Swamp fan.:D

i would try, but i can't put water on the desk cos the flipping cats would be all over it and i'd get electrocuted. :p currently my fan-breeze is scented with cat butt, and quite often i think the poor machine is making a scary broken fan noise, and look across to see that the real issue is just that somebody has decided to twang their whiskers in it.