Summer Air Conditioning bills - anyone ?

[Dachsie]

Just got mine for the last 30 days and it was

$310. I shudder to think what it would be if I watered my lawn.

It will go to about $420 for the next three months and then will cool down in early October to about 85 or 90.

[cheka.]

thank rick perry. i buy 2 or 3 year contracts. you aren't floating on month to month/variable are you?

and what does watering lawn have to do with elec bill?

[Dachsie]

thank rick perry. i buy 2 or 3 year contracts. you aren't floating on month to month/variable are you?

and what does watering lawn have to do with elec bill?

I guess I am, if I understand what you are saying.

They offer something called "leveling" where I guess they average your total city electric / water bills for previous year and just have you pay the average each month. Anyway, some calculation like that. Just does not appeal to me. I see the shenanigans they tried to pull on us with the smart meters, and I just do not trust them at all.

I do not have a large house but I do have those stupid high ceilings.

[cheka.]

i can help. who is your elec company that you send your payment to?

[Dachsie]

The City of Austin

[cheka.]

The City of Austin

then i cant help. you are dealing with a gov monopoly. sounds bad, but it's actually better than the rest of the state that doesnt have gov elec. interesting that perry sold the rest of us, but kept austin out of it.

if you have central A/C it might be worth it to get your coils cleaned by A/C guy. outside coil is cheap/easy....do it yourself type thing.....inside coil best for professional....cost if hard to get to = hundreds. cost if has access door - around a hundred or two

[crimethink]

I'm pretty good at keeping our electricity bill under $200/month during the peak A/C month. That's full rate, too. But we use large window fans once the outside temp drops below the inside temp. Nice coastal breeze over the mountains.

[crimethink]

you are dealing with a gov monopoly. sounds bad, but it's actually better than the rest of the state that doesnt have gov elec. interesting that perry sold the rest of us, but kept austin out of it.

Public power is consistently cheaper than Profits Going Elsewhere (PG&E) here in NorCal. The cheapest power I've ever had was SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District - all of Sacramento County).

[boogietillyapuke]

My last one was 170.02. Typically my highest month is Aug, and will probably run approximately 220.

We managed to wait till the end of May till we really closed it up and it'll run until probably Nov when it'll cool back enough to open the windows again.

I do have ceiling fans in every room.....the one in the bedroom is the only one we really run....at night.

The thermostat is set at 80, 2 deg higher than past years. NWFL, Gulf Power, (Southern Co.)

[cheka.]

just did a 2 year contract of 10 cents kwh. my 3 year 9 cent contract expired :(

rick perry is a pos

[Half Sense]

Last year we had some over $600. My wife doesn't understand that when she sweats, the solution is not to refrigerate the whole house down to 69 degrees, the solution is to stop doing whatever is making her sweat. Anyway, we agreed to leave the thermostat at 74 all summer and we are saving about $100/month. The bill for last month was $516.

[Atocha]

I'm pretty good at keeping our electricity bill under $200/month during the peak A/C month. That's full rate, too. But we use large window fans once the outside temp drops below the inside temp. Nice coastal breeze over the mountains.

Lucky Dog!

I say that with respect from Hot Ass Dallas, Texas baby!!!

[hoarder]

The City of AustinI lived in Austin and Lake Travis from 1987 to 2009. The shitty of Austin has a "cost plus" system of determining utility costs. They throw money around recklessly and count it as their operating cost. For example, fag employees are allowed to count their live in fudgepacker boyfriends as common law wives and you pay to provide insurance for him (it).

I'm off grid in Montana now and my air conditioning cost is $175 a month for gasoline using a Honda generator to power a window unit.

[Atocha]

I lived in Austin and Lake Travis from 1987 to 2009. The shitty of Austin has a "cost plus" system of determining utility costs. They throw money around recklessly and count it as their operating cost. For example, fag employees are allowed to count their live in fudgepacker boyfriends as common law wives and you pay to provide insurance for him (it).

I'm off grid in Montana now and my air conditioning cost is $175 a month for gasoline using a Honda generator to power a window unit.

Lucky! I hear Montana is beautiful...

[Dachsie]

Wish there were a thread on the subject of living off grid.

[horseshoe3]

Zero. Absolutely nothing spent on AC. Yeah, it gets a little uncomfortable when it's 105+ during the day, but when the night comes and it gets below 85 it feels like heaven after you get acclimated.

[hoarder]

Wish there were a thread on the subject of living off grid.I bet more than 90% of off grid residents don't use AC at all. Generally the math doesn't work. I had a couple of off grid threads going at GIM2, one of them had over 20K views. I'm currently banned there.

[Dachsie]

I watch a lot of the homesteader / prepper / off grid channels on YouTube.

Danny of Deep South Homestead did a comment about AC on this video

...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-V6I5FkH90&t=861s... Do not listen past 14 minutes cause he starts in on his dispensationalism religion.

I think there is sort of a big disconnect from people who live in and love cold northern states and climates and we southerners who are dealing with incredible heat and humidity and almost no winter at all.

I mostly grew up with attic fan and it was OK but I am very big on AC but I like it done frugally. The guy who runs the An American Homestead channel is off grid in northeast Arkansas and he makes his family sweat it out with no AC. My grandparents lived on a farm in northeastern Oklahoma and the days in summer were very dry and hot but the nights were very cool and we slept with the windows open. But during the heat of the day. you had to just sit in front of a fan and not do any work. We bought them air conditioning and I think it really prolonged their lives.

I personally think one can get the feeling that one is really fighting back against the system and really living in a fulfilling way by homesteading and being as off grid as is possible.

[Stop Making Cents]

About $110 last month and we keep it cranked up to keep the humidity out. We installed geothermal several years ago and it's paid for itself without a doubt. The bill is actually a little bit higher in the winter around $150 or so.

[Jewboo]

I'm fine with a/c set at 78 degrees during the day and just an open window at night.

http://fcbayern.ge/engine/data/emoticons/oldman.gif winter heat I can't go below 72 degrees...lol