*)#&@(*&@^ Electric Bill!!??!!??

[Tex Arcana]

HOLY CRAP!!:eek2: Just got my bill for the period of July6-Aug6, and it was freakin' $727!!!!

DAYUM!! I knew it was gonna go up, what with the weather, that being the last month I ran the old upstairs system, and the rate increase by Grayson/Collin Electric Coop, but GEEZ. :hammer:

Anyone else getting nailed this summer?

[Mika]

Last month's bill for us was $200. Gexa is currently at 13.52 cents per kilowatt/hour.




Mika

[dboat]

mine was $195, but then again, we did have a few days of 90 degree weather here.. :D

Dana

[SILVER2000SVT]

After deregulation Texas Electricity rates are the second highest rate in the Nation right now.

[Logan]

Wow... I thought my $400/mo bills were nasty... That's just insanity...

[Mark #2]

Wow... I thought my $400/mo bills were nasty... That's just insanity...
Agree, $402 here.

[Nuhklz]

A friend who farms out in west Texas had a bill of $17,000 and it shut down his farm. He had to run a bunch of irrigation pumps.

[my2002lightning]

The Allen place has been over $500+/mo. for a while now.:cool:

Ronald

[Wht95Lightning]

Agree, $402 here.

WTH? Mine was $402 also, highest bill I've ever seen. :flaming: I think there's something fishy goin on here'.
I adjusted my T-stat 5 degrees warmer, installed another ceiling fan and replaced all the tungsten bulbs in the bathrooms with 7w ubertastic flourescent bulbs. If the next bill is even higher then my neighbors aren't going to like the 60ft windmill I'm going to put up.

[wesman]

Mine went up $200 from last month......crock of sh!t if you ask me :throw::throw:

[Silver_2000]

mine was 170 last month ... cant wait to see the next one

[99WhiteBeast]

I've been paying $268 for the last six months and thought I was on a balanced billing plan. I found out this month they were estimating my meter since they could not get into my backyard. The month's bill (for the real 6 month usage) was a whopping $1098:eek:. Relaint said TXU (who reads the meter) is suppose to contact the homeowner if they can't gain access to the back yard if more than two consecutive months.:hammer:

[TP Derrick D]

Man Tex you must have a mini mansion. Mine was $465+ last month and $510+ this month but we have a 3100sf 2-story with 2 units set @ 76 deg.

[SILVER2000SVT]

I've taken steps to reduce my usage over the past 6 months like the programmable thermostat, not running the hot tub, reduce cooking indoors on hot days. It's really worked because my usage has really dropped, unfortunatly my rate has gone up way more than the usage has gone down. I've probably reduced my energy usage by 25-30%, however my average summer bill has gone from around $200 two years ago to $340 even with the savings.:confused:

Two years ago I was paying 0.08 per KW-Hr, now I'm paying 0.15. Even as of just a few weeks ago TXU publically annouced that the rates have only gone up 37% since deregulation. According to my math it's at least 88%. Somebody needs to hold them accountable for this misrepresentation.

We have a two income household, both of us with relative decent professional jobs and our house is pretty small and energy efficient and we struggle to pay the electricity bill. I figure most people are much worse off than we are so I can't even imagine how much of a burden paying electricity is to them.

This just isn't right, how are they justifying the huge increases. And what justifys our electricity being near the highest in the nation. They pump the natural gas from underneath our feet, so the supply is right there.

The other question, is it going to settle out or keep going. If they told us there would be no more huge increases like we've seen these past two year I would not be freaking out so much, but nothing like that has been said. So one can only speculate that we will continue to see the prices go even higher and higher...

[Ohmsby]

This is really getting out of hand between our house a vacant rent house and the shop we spent $1400.00 last month on electric add fuel for the misses and me $975.00 we spent $2375.00 last month

Good thing these companies aren't making record profits or I would be mad:bs

[gagspa]

Mine was $250 last month. My house is only 6 years old, 1500ft, and has solar screens. I leave my thermostat at 78* all day. I want to complain, but then I see my in-law's $600+ electric bill and keep my mouth shut. Their house is only about 500ft larger than mine and has shade trees on the west side.

[Mika]

Honestly guys, Gexa's been pretty good to my wife and I. We've used them for the past 2 years, and I think we had 1 power outage, and consistent, reliable power(and doesn't cost an arm and a leg).

Some folks are paying 15 cents per kilowatt/hour...we're at 13.52 cents per kilowatt hour. I really like 'em so far('til they cornhole us!).


Mika

[wesman]

Honestly guys, Gexa's been pretty good to my wife and I. We've used them for the past 2 years, and I think we had 1 power outage, and consistent, reliable power(and doesn't cost an arm and a leg).

Some folks are paying 15 cents per kilowatt/hour...we're at 13.52 cents per kilowatt hour. I really like 'em so far('til they cornhole us!).


Mika

That's who I use as well, mostly because of their AA miles. Their rates are a little lower than TXU/Reliant as well

--wes

[L8 APEX]

We have a 5 year contract with Reliant for 11.5 cents per kwh. Nobody can touch that rate but every week we get a call trying to switch us. What sucks is we only have 2yrs left...

[Moonshine]

I installed solar screen on all the south and west facing windows in June. Even with the higher temps in July my usage went down. Last bill was $349. As much as electric costs suck, it's the diesel fuel bill that's hurting me. Over $500 a month in fuel bill. :mad:

[wesman]

I installed solar screen on all the south and west facing windows in June. Even with the higher temps in July my usage went down. Last bill was $349. As much as electric costs suck, it's the diesel fuel bill that's hurting me. Over $500 a month in fuel bill. :mad:


My house faces East(AM)/West(PM) so it gets killed all day long. I added solar screens last year and agree that htey helped a ton with the bill as well as the "feel" of the house. They look pretty good too IMO.

I don't even know what my gas bill is per month, I'd guess somewhere around yours but I look at it as "entertainment" more than transportation :burnout:

--wes

[Tex Arcana]

WTH? Mine was $402 also, highest bill I've ever seen. :flaming: I think there's something fishy goin on here'.
I adjusted my T-stat 5 degrees warmer, installed another ceiling fan and replaced all the tungsten bulbs in the bathrooms with 7w ubertastic flourescent bulbs. If the next bill is even higher then my neighbors aren't going to like the 60ft windmill I'm going to put up.

I did that last summer, with some lights in the kitchen that left us feeling hot when cooking (yeah, I know, but they did help some), and elsewhere. We also have ceiling fans in almost all rooms, and they all run 24/7.

My bill ran from July6 to Aug6, which covers the period that was well over 100deg for all those days, and before the upstairds ac unit got swapped out, so I suspect it was the old unit just not able to handle the heat load in the afternoons (the house faces east/west; the front door gets so hot it's almost impossible to touch the outside).

[Tex Arcana]

My house faces East(AM)/West(PM) so it gets killed all day long. I added solar screens last year and agree that htey helped a ton with the bill as well as the "feel" of the house. They look pretty good too IMO.

I don't even know what my gas bill is per month, I'd guess somewhere around yours but I look at it as "entertainment" more than transportation :burnout:

--wes
We put in roller shades in all the windows, which helped alot; but we need some solar film as well. The west-facing rooms (my office, our bedroom) have wooden shutters inside, which help alot as well; but there is a spot in the master bedroom where you can feel the floor get hot from the heat gain on the little section of roof that's on the other side of the outside wall. Like I said above, the fornt door gets so hot it's almost impossible to touch it, and that was BEFORE we put in the storm door; now the storm door takes the brunt of it, but it still needs reflective film to help.

[Tex Arcana]

Man Tex you must have a mini mansion. Mine was $465+ last month and $510+ this month but we have a 3100sf 2-story with 2 units set @ 76 deg.

You've seen it: I posted a thread on it when we bought it. It's 3600 sf, but 500+ sf is on the third floor, and it gets hammered from the heat load of the roof, especially in the afternoon. The whole house is well built: 6" stud walls, foil-faced 3/4" insualting sheathing, Masonite siding, and then a layer of 1/4" styrofoam and vinyl siding atop of that. But with it set east/west like it is, it gets hammered in the morning and afternoon, and all the trees we have aren't close enough to give any kind of shade during the day--not to mention none are tall enough!! :eek:

What we need are to replace the windows (1984-vintage steel-framed double-pane windows that are showing their age badly) with vinyl-cased low-e windows with reflective film. We'll lose the heat gain in the winter that we enjoy now, but we get more need for a/c than heat these days--famous last words, we'll see a cool/wet cycle soon, at least the new unit will be heat pumps as well. :rolleyes:

[Mika]

Damn Tex, you got yourself a huge house. You are right that the 3rd floor is killing you. Would a high powered fan with the window open help out up there?

Heck, go get new windows. They ain't cheap. But you're definitely on the right track as far as going vinyl and low-e and reflective film. How old is your A/C unit too? In the past 3 months we've installed a 4 ton 14 SEER unit, and a new unit on the inside. Plus we've also installed new windows(not reflective, but low-e and vinyl). Our electricity bill has gone down about 15-20%, but that includes the 30% price hike brought to you by all electricity companies. So if we were running the same unit/window combo, we'd be paying well over $400/month during the past few months. Instead, we're at $150 and $200. But we do have a smaller house(2,100 sq. ft., single story).

Another thing you may want to consider is RB. It's aluminum insulation on top of your fluffy insulation in the attic.



Mika

[Tex Arcana]

Damn Tex, you got yourself a huge house. You are right that the 3rd floor is killing you. Would a high powered fan with the window open help out up there?

Heck, go get new windows. They ain't cheap. But you're definitely on the right track as far as going vinyl and low-e and reflective film. How old is your A/C unit too? In the past 3 months we've installed a 4 ton 14 SEER unit, and a new unit on the inside. Plus we've also installed new windows(not reflective, but low-e and vinyl). Our electricity bill has gone down about 15-20%, but that includes the 30% price hike brought to you by all electricity companies. So if we were running the same unit/window combo, we'd be paying well over $400/month during the past few months. Instead, we're at $150 and $200. But we do have a smaller house(2,100 sq. ft., single story).

Another thing you may want to consider is RB. It's aluminum insulation on top of your fluffy insulation in the attic.



Mika


When we installed the new upstairs unit (13 SEER heatpump, 3.5 tons vs. 3), we installed a new return from the third floor, along with some much-needed duct repair/replacement (hell, the main return was collapsing AND someone had stuffed an old alarm horn into it!); now a remaining problem is the location of the thermostat and main return on the landing, where it's pulling air from downstairs into the upstair unit, and throwing off the thermostat; couple THAT with the master bedroom not getting enough air, and the second bedroom/third floor getting way too much, you see I've got my work cut out for me.

We're going to replace the ductwork running to the master bedroom with something more sizable, then duct what's left to the thrid floor, instead of the way it is now, which is basically opposite. A freind mentioned a controller unit that can take individual thermostats, coupled with electic dampers, which would control airflow the in specific zones. Sounds nice, but I gotta wonder how that will affect the system cycling.

"RB"??? Links?

[Mika]

Radiant barrier. It's a kind of aluminum foil insulation on top of your insulation(goes in your attic). People have reported 30 degree differences in their attic after installation. The only reason I know about it is because the window installers told me about it when they were doing my window work.Mika

[jmlay]

Our bill has steadily been going up as well as the unit is not able to keep up during the day. The temp in the house starts to increase ~ 11AM, from the set 78deg, & increases most days to 84. This lasts until after sundown before the temp returns to 78.

Found that the unit was a bit low on freon but after getting it charged there was not a huge diff. I also found some duct leakage in the attic, corrected. While in the attic I began looking around at the insulation. @ bet I have ~ an R-15, Found a couple of spots that had no insulation @ all... They sure did not over spend on insulation in the early 90's! Lastly I know my coils need cleaned but it is going to have to wait until it cools down a bit.

What I am getting at is there are several things you can do to improve your efficiency:

- Clean the evaporator & condenser coils prior to the season
- Check your ducting for leaks, tape up or repair
- Check for leakage around the indoor unit
- power attic vents

I am looking into the radiant barrier, have not priced it yet. There are several to chose from. You can get a film that goes over your current or a spray on that covers the underside of the roof. If it turns out cost effective I will be adding a radiant barrier & more insulation this fall. At these rates there is no way it could not be cost effective...

Then I am going to cross my fingers that my 16 year old compressor does not take a dump! May consider replacing that this fall as well.

Mike

[Silver_2000]

when my AC wouldnt keep up in my Mid 1980s house I found that there were no attic fans and the plastic ducts were falling apart - I started replacing some of the ducts myself and realised that is one of the nastyest jobs in the world - its easy but bewteen the dust, the fiberglass and 20 years of insect killer its nasty. I ended up replacing the worst of the ducts and calling a company to come spray foam (http://www.icynene.com/YourEnergySavings.aspx) to enloed the ducts

http://powerhousetv.com/stellent2/groups/public/documents/pub/phtv_se_in_bu_000575.hcsp

good info here
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/home_improvement/home_sealing/DIY_COLOR_100_dpi.pdf#search=%22duct%20sealing%20i nsulation%20foam%22

It made a HUGE difference - the AC can easily keep up - Of course since then the AC went out and I had 03Rocks and his guys come replace the AC with a HIGH efficicincy 2 speed 17 seer unit - based on the $$ you guys are throwing around and the fact that I have PCs running 24x7 here Im sure the new AC is saving me BIG bucks every month...

[gagspa]

I've considered going with an attic fan, but wonder if it would really matter. I already have a couple of those turbine things.

[Silver_2000]

I've considered going with an attic fan, but wonder if it would really matter. I already have a couple of those turbine things.

If you want to know if they matter drive around and look at new houses in decent neighborhoods. Around here the 2 story houses have a fan on every peak . They are easy to install and make a HUGE difference

[Beaudee]

HOLY CRAP!!:eek2: Just got my bill for the period of July6-Aug6, and it was freakin' $727!!!!

DAYUM!! I knew it was gonna go up, what with the weather, that being the last month I ran the old upstairs system, and the rate increase by Grayson/Collin Electric Coop, but GEEZ. :hammer:

Anyone else getting nailed this summer?
http://www.tooshocking.com/index.php?ns=view_vid&id=476 :rll: :rll:

[Tex Arcana]

Radiant barrier. It's a kind of aluminum foil insulation on top of your insulation(goes in your attic). People have reported 30 degree differences in their attic after installation. The only reason I know about it is because the window installers told me about it when they were doing my window work.Mika

Gotcha. I've been thinking of the stuff you can staple to the joists, yet keep the air gap for circulation. It won't solve the problem of floor 3, but I suspect there won't be a solution short of yanking down the sheetrock and reinsulating/putting in a radiant barrier.

[Tex Arcana]

Our bill has steadily been going up as well as the unit is not able to keep up during the day. The temp in the house starts to increase ~ 11AM, from the set 78deg, & increases most days to 84. This lasts until after sundown before the temp returns to 78.

Found that the unit was a bit low on freon but after getting it charged there was not a huge diff. I also found some duct leakage in the attic, corrected. While in the attic I began looking around at the insulation. @ bet I have ~ an R-15, Found a couple of spots that had no insulation @ all... They sure did not over spend on insulation in the early 90's! Lastly I know my coils need cleaned but it is going to have to wait until it cools down a bit.

What I am getting at is there are several things you can do to improve your efficiency:

- Clean the evaporator & condenser coils prior to the season
- Check your ducting for leaks, tape up or repair
- Check for leakage around the indoor unit
- power attic vents

I am looking into the radiant barrier, have not priced it yet. There are several to chose from. You can get a film that goes over your current or a spray on that covers the underside of the roof. If it turns out cost effective I will be adding a radiant barrier & more insulation this fall. At these rates there is no way it could not be cost effective...

Then I am going to cross my fingers that my 16 year old compressor does not take a dump! May consider replacing that this fall as well.

Mike


Hell, they found an open duct leading nowhere in the attic upstairs! :eek2: They fixed all that, installed the new return, sealed the leaks, put mastic on all the joints. We just need to undo as much of the screw-ups as possible with that ductwork. Soon as things cool off a bit, we're gonna replace the downstairs compressor/evap with a 13SEER heatpump as well (the air handler downstairs is fairly young and in good shape), and fix soe ducting down there as well.

[Tex Arcana]

when my AC wouldnt keep up in my Mid 1980s house I found that there were no attic fans and the plastic ducts were falling apart - I started replacing some of the ducts myself and realised that is one of the nastyest jobs in the world - its easy but bewteen the dust, the fiberglass and 20 years of insect killer its nasty. I ended up replacing the worst of the ducts and calling a company to come spray foam (http://www.icynene.com/YourEnergySavings.aspx) to enloed the ducts

http://powerhousetv.com/stellent2/groups/public/documents/pub/phtv_se_in_bu_000575.hcsp

good info here
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/home_improvement/home_sealing/DIY_COLOR_100_dpi.pdf#search=%22duct%20sealing%20i nsulation%20foam%22

It made a HUGE difference - the AC can easily keep up - Of course since then the AC went out and I had 03Rocks and his guys come replace the AC with a HIGH efficicincy 2 speed 17 seer unit - based on the $$ you guys are throwing around and the fact that I have PCs running 24x7 here Im sure the new AC is saving me BIG bucks every month...


I tried to contact a local spray-foam contractor... never called me back. :shrug:

[Tex Arcana]

I've considered going with an attic fan, but wonder if it would really matter. I already have a couple of those turbine things.
The real key is what kind of airflow you're getting. If you have soffit vents, they need to be unobstructed to get enough airflow thru the attic to keep temps down. When we were in Plano, the house originally had a shake roof, and it did fine with what it had; when the roof was replaced to composition, the unit couldn't handle it anymore, and costs/temps went up drastically.

I'm a fan of passive systems, turbines can be very effective if they're working properly.

[dboat]

The real key is what kind of airflow you're getting. If you have soffit vents, they need to be unobstructed to get enough airflow thru the attic to keep temps down. When we were in Plano, the house originally had a shake roof, and it did fine with what it had; when the roof was replaced to composition, the unit couldn't handle it anymore, and costs/temps went up drastically.

I'm a fan of passive systems, turbines can be very effective if they're working properly.

Problem is that you have to have a lot of them to make it work.. get one of the solar powered units.. no charge for the sun.. plus they use DC motors that last longer and its easy to replace the brushes when it comes time to do so.
Dana

[TP Derrick D]

You've seen it: I posted a thread on it when we bought it. It's 3600 sf, but 500+ sf is on the third floor, and it gets hammered from the heat load of the roof, especially in the afternoon. The whole house is well built: 6" stud walls, foil-faced 3/4" insualting sheathing, Masonite siding, and then a layer of 1/4" styrofoam and vinyl siding atop of that. But with it set east/west like it is, it gets hammered in the morning and afternoon, and all the trees we have aren't close enough to give any kind of shade during the day--not to mention none are tall enough!! :eek:

What we need are to replace the windows (1984-vintage steel-framed double-pane windows that are showing their age badly) with vinyl-cased low-e windows with reflective film. We'll lose the heat gain in the winter that we enjoy now, but we get more need for a/c than heat these days--famous last words, we'll see a cool/wet cycle soon, at least the new unit will be heat pumps as well. :rolleyes:

yeah, I'm sure I remember it. Was it surrounded by acres of land?

[Tex Arcana]

yeah, I'm sure I remember it. Was it surrounded by acres of land?

yeah, on 2.3 acres.

[03LightningRocks]

when my AC wouldnt keep up in my Mid 1980s house I found that there were no attic fans and the plastic ducts were falling apart - I started replacing some of the ducts myself and realised that is one of the nastyest jobs in the world - its easy but bewteen the dust, the fiberglass and 20 years of insect killer its nasty. I ended up replacing the worst of the ducts and calling a company to come spray foam (http://www.icynene.com/YourEnergySavings.aspx) to enloed the ducts

http://powerhousetv.com/stellent2/groups/public/documents/pub/phtv_se_in_bu_000575.hcsp

good info here
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/home_improvement/home_sealing/DIY_COLOR_100_dpi.pdf#search=%22duct%20sealing%20i nsulation%20foam%22

It made a HUGE difference - the AC can easily keep up - Of course since then the AC went out and I had 03Rocks and his guys come replace the AC with a HIGH efficicincy 2 speed 17 seer unit - based on the $$ you guys are throwing around and the fact that I have PCs running 24x7 here Im sure the new AC is saving me BIG bucks every month...


Yep...your AC is using around 40% less electricity than a comparable 13 SEER.

[03LightningRocks]

Just soes you'll know Tex, saying your installing a 13 SEER unit is basicly saying that you are going to put in the lowest effeciency unit money can buy. Your electricity usage is affected by that outdoor unit, ALL YEAR LONG, due to the fact that you have a heat pump. Every SEER level is about 8-10% reduction in electricity usage. You may want to consider telling Joe Bobs heat and air that they are full of sh!t when telling you that a 13 SEER is a great move....;) .

[jmlay]

Despite my lack of insulation in the attic, this will be rectified in the next couple of months, I have a strong suspicion that my outside unit is undersized. This home was built in ~90 & was a spec. house with no upgrades.

This may be a difficult question to answer but how do you decide what Seer rating to buy, If I am not misinformed you can get up to 31 Seer now? Somewhere there has to be a dividing line between efficiency & cost.

Mike


Yep...your AC is using around 40% less electricity than a comparable 13 SEER.

[03LightningRocks]

Despite my lack of insulation in the attic, this will be rectified in the next couple of months, I have a strong suspicion that my outside unit is undersized. This home was built in ~90 & was a spec. house with no upgrades.

This may be a difficult question to answer but how do you decide what Seer rating to buy, If I am not misinformed you can get up to 31 Seer now? Somewhere there has to be a dividing line between efficiency & cost.

Mike

13 is the lowest you can go.......21 to 22 is about the highest. Take another look at this thread and ask yourself how bad it is going to be 5 years from now. The answer is real simple on how high of an effeciency to go...as high as you can afford. Electric rates are only going to get higher...IMHO.


I thought of something else to add. The 2 speed units are the best way to go. On milder days...say around 80-85 or so...your unit will run in a lower tonnage, thus using less electricity. Then for those hot as hell days...you will have the larger tonnage available to do the job.

[dboat]

I had one of the very first 2 speed units made in my house in Dallas (when I lived there). It was great.. I do want to ask Ron a question though. There had been some concern about going to too high a SEER a/c unit. The reason is that when they are too efficient, they dont run long enough to pull the humidity level below 50%. If the humidity is above 50% then mold will grow. So there was a school of thought that you go higher but not as high as there is.
Up here, my unit is a 10 SEER. but then again the average high in summer is 78 degrees.. my heater is a 98% efficient unit.

Dana

[03LightningRocks]

I had one of the very first 2 speed units made in my house in Dallas (when I lived there). It was great.. I do want to ask Ron a question though. There had been some concern about going to too high a SEER a/c unit. The reason is that when they are too efficient, they dont run long enough to pull the humidity level below 50%. If the humidity is above 50% then mold will grow. So there was a school of thought that you go higher but not as high as there is.
Up here, my unit is a 10 SEER. but then again the average high in summer is 78 degrees.. my heater is a 98% efficient unit.

Dana

Efficiency levels have nothing to do with humidity removal. The oversizing of equipment is what will create mold and mildew. Efficiency and capacity are two different issues.

[Tex Arcana]

Just soes you'll know Tex, saying your installing a 13 SEER unit is basicly saying that you are going to put in the lowest effeciency unit money can buy. Your electricity usage is affected by that outdoor unit, ALL YEAR LONG, due to the fact that you have a heat pump. Every SEER level is about 8-10% reduction in electricity usage. You may want to consider telling Joe Bobs heat and air that they are full of sh!t when telling you that a 13 SEER is a great move....;) .

Well, I had to make a choice based on what I can afford at the time. This damned building is sucking down a considerable amount of money; squeezing in a replacement unit was tough enough, thankfully the home warranty covered a portion of it, as well as the downstairs unit. The best thing about all this is, the upstairs unit doesn't run constantly anymore, so I have high hopes of seeing an improvement; iirc, the old unit was an 8SEER, maybe less, so there's that as well.

These good ol' boys I used (individuals, not a company) were damned good, spent an entire Saturday working in the hell of the upper attic, repairing or replacing all the ductwork, even using mastic on the joints instead of tape, and installing the new return. The main guy is gonna come back and do more duct work, but likely won't do it 'til he comes in to do the downstairs unit (shooting for November on that).

This house is actually rather efficient: as said before, all walls are 6" studs, with 3/4" foil-faced insualtion board (R-MAx? Yellow core stuff) under 1/4" styro. The worst leaks are thru some of the windows and the front door (true antique door, can't even use Windex on it because it's a leaded-glass window with copper framework). I definitely need window film on all windows, or replace them with low-e. Hell, when they did the first concrete pour at 4:30am on a Saturday morning, we didn't hear diddly-squat!! Woke my neighbor up, tho. :( The only time we can hear the stuff going on across the street is in the bathroom, thru the skylight.

Anyway, yer right: the higher the SEER, the better; but 'til I"m working again, we have to compromise. :(

[dboat]

Efficiency levels have nothing to do with humidity removal. The oversizing of equipment is what will create mold and mildew. Efficiency and capacity are two different issues.

Thanks for the clarification.. the link that was being made is that the units were so efficient that they didnt fun very long and hence didnt run long enough to pull out the humidity. I am guessing that you could replace a unit with smaller tonnage in a more efficient unit so that it would run long enough to pull down the humidity..
Dana

[gagspa]

The real key is what kind of airflow you're getting. If you have soffit vents, they need to be unobstructed to get enough airflow thru the attic to keep temps down. When we were in Plano, the house originally had a shake roof, and it did fine with what it had; when the roof was replaced to composition, the unit couldn't handle it anymore, and costs/temps went up drastically.

I'm a fan of passive systems, turbines can be very effective if they're working properly.

Well there are two turbines on my house, both up near that top of the roof. There are no obstructions because the attic is empty. The house is only 1500ft plus the garage. They are always turning, but who knows if that is enough. I guess i need to get up in the attic and take some temperature readings and compare them to the outside air.

[QDRHRSE]

I know that I'm late but DAMN!!!!! I live in the desert and we just had the hottest July on record. I ran the air day and night and my bill was $275. My 2500 sq ft house was always 75. I had no idea that energy cost you guys so much in Texas. I'd grease my pants if I got a bill like that....we had 24 consecutive days of 100+ heat.

[03LightningRocks]

Thanks for the clarification.. the link that was being made is that the units were so efficient that they didnt fun very long and hence didnt run long enough to pull out the humidity. I am guessing that you could replace a unit with smaller tonnage in a more efficient unit so that it would run long enough to pull down the humidity..
Dana


How long a unit runs has to do with capacity and home insulation factors. Efficiency is simply a rating of how much electricity the unit uses while it is running. No, I wouldn't recommend undersizing the equipment. The design specification I like to use is to size the unit to maintain a 25-30 degree difference between outside temps and inside temps on a 105 degree day. These are Dallas design specs...by the way. Your area is probably using a design spec of 25-30 degrees on a 95 degree day, I would have to look it up to be sure...but I bet I am damn close to being right on that. Most new home builders in our area are using 25 degree difference at 100 degree outdoor temps. This is why so many folks with new homes are bitching about not being able to cool the house on these past few extreme temperature weeks. That and the fact that new home builders are using cheap arse companies that screw up the ducting design.

[gbgary]

I live in the desert and we just had the hottest July on record....we had 24 consecutive days of 100+ heat.

but it cooled off at night i bet. it's still in the high 90s at 9:00 friggin o'clock here. temps are only the half of it...we've got humidity to deal with too.

[Beaudee]

On a serious note,i have solar screens,thermostatically controlled large atic fan,and the inside of my atic was sprayed with some kind of silver heat reflective coating?I dont see how the silver stuff reflects heat but have been told it works.My electric bills are always half of what the neighbors are.I credit it too the atic fan,and the solar screens.All in all i still think we are all being overcharged for utilities period.

[wesman]

That's the bottom line.....we pay some of the highest rates in the nation

[parts truck]

$620 here. running two A/C units:crying:

[gagspa]

$620 here. running two A/C units:crying:
Well I left a temperature sensor up in the attic on Saturday. I checked it through the weekend and it rarely got above 125, but most of the time it was around 115. That was only about 10-15* warmer than the outide air. Yesterday it stayed under 100 because it was cool out. Hell, this morning it was 77*!

So does this mean that my attic turbines are effective or should I look into the attic fan?

I suppose that I should keep monitoring it over the next several weeks.

[wesman]

Electric bill went down a bit this month, down from $56X to $419

--wes

[gagspa]

Mine went up from $250 to $251.

[Moonshine]

:bs Mine went up this month, to $466. :mad: Then I noticed that they'd estimated my bill. Checked my meter, and ten days after the closing date on the bill I was still 150 KwH under their estimate. Called TxU to inquire, and they said the meter reader couldn't locate the meter. I pointed out that the meter was still in the same location that they'd installed it 8 years ago. :hammer: Must be a new reader, but haven't they ever heard of training, or field notes?

[Tex Arcana]

Mine went up from $250 to $251.

:eek2:

NO idea yet on mine, haven't gotten the bill, but I do suspect that it'll be better, considering the new system would be fully on that bill *and* my panic-response with the thermostats.

[Silver_2000]

:bs Mine went up this month, to $466. :mad: Then I noticed that they'd estimated my bill. Checked my meter, and ten days after the closing date on the bill I was still 150 KwH under their estimate. Called TxU to inquire, and they said the meter reader couldn't locate the meter. I pointed out that the meter was still in the same location that they'd installed it 8 years ago. :hammer: Must be a new reader, but haven't they ever heard of training, or field notes?

Must be nice - Like the weather man ... Make a wild guess and eventually it will all work out

[Tex Arcana]

:bs Mine went up this month, to $466. :mad: Then I noticed that they'd estimated my bill. Checked my meter, and ten days after the closing date on the bill I was still 150 KwH under their estimate. Called TxU to inquire, and they said the meter reader couldn't locate the meter. I pointed out that the meter was still in the same location that they'd installed it 8 years ago. :hammer: Must be a new reader, but haven't they ever heard of training, or field notes?

Yanno.... you make a good point... I'm gonna check my bill carefully--even tho they say they read it electronically over the power lines, I think it might be best to be sure.

[my2002lightning]

Well, as of today, I'm done with these $520+ electric bills at the Allen residence! http://www.ls2.com/forums/images/smilies/rippedhand.gifknana:bowshttp://www.ls2.com/forums/images/smilies/hyper.gif

Ronald

[dboat]

Well, as of today, I'm done with these $520+ electric bills at the Allen residence! http://www.ls2.com/forums/images/smilies/rippedhand.gifknana:bowshttp://www.ls2.com/forums/images/smilies/hyper.gif

Ronald

so what does that mean?

[03LightningRocks]

so what does that mean?

He may have just went off the deep end. I hope he didn't grab an assault rifle and head down to the power company:eek: .

[Silver_2000]

Mine went up $10 to $205 but I used more so its ok ...
I had a house guest that likes to try to freeze me out :evil- But Im happy to have her :banana:

Thanks to Rocks company the AC is up to the task

[Silver_2000]

Well, as of today, I'm done with these $520+ electric bills at the Allen residence! http://www.ls2.com/forums/images/smilies/rippedhand.gifknana:bowshttp://www.ls2.com/forums/images/smilies/hyper.gif

RonaldMaybe the divorce is final or will be soon so he doesnt have to pay THAT bill anymore ?

[my2002lightning]

That's partially correct, at this point. This whole experience has taught me volumes about human nature.:cool:

Ronald



Maybe the divorce is final or will be soon so he doesnt have to pay THAT bill anymore ?

[03LightningRocks]

Mine went up $10 to $205 but I used more so its ok ...
I had a house guest that likes to try to freeze me out :evil- But Im happy to have her :banana:

Thanks to Rocks company the AC is up to the task

OK...something aint right here. My bills have been damned near double yours. My problem is that I replaced both my systems 5 years ago with what was considered top of the line 13 SEER units. Now my units are considered the lowest you can buy. Cripes...if electric rates are going to keep going up, I may have to bite the bullet and replace two perfectly good AC systems....:mad: . Geeze, the damned things are still under the factory warranty.

[03LightningRocks]

That's partially correct, at this point. This whole experience has taught me volumes about human nature.:cool:

Ronald

I learned years ago it is best, to not take lessons from sub-human people as lessons in human nature ;) .

Trust me...it does get better as it get's further behind you. :)

[Silver_2000]

OK...something aint right here. My bills have been damned near double yours. My problem is that I replaced both my systems 5 years ago with what was considered top of the line 13 SEER units. Now my units are considered the lowest you can buy. Cripes...if electric rates are going to keep going up, I may have to bite the bullet and replace two perfectly good AC systems....:mad: . Geeze, the damned things are still under the factory warranty.
Maybe its the insulated AC ducts that everyone makes fun of-- Or the fact that Im using Stream Energy - that multi level marketing energy company ...

[Moonshine]

OK...something aint right here. My bills have been damned near double yours. My problem is that I replaced both my systems 5 years ago with what was considered top of the line 13 SEER units. Now my units are considered the lowest you can buy. Cripes...if electric rates are going to keep going up, I may have to bite the bullet and replace two perfectly good AC systems....:mad: . Geeze, the damned things are still under the factory warranty.

Maybe you want to upgrade and make me a deal on the SEER 13 units, since mine are still SEER 10's that were installed in '98. A SEER 13 would be a significant upgrade for me.

[Silver_2000]

Maybe you want to upgrade and make me a deal on the SEER 13 units, since mine are still SEER 10's that were installed in '98. A SEER 13 would be a significant upgrade for me.

Im not sure what seer mine is but seems like its a GOOD seer based on rons comments :banana:

[03LightningRocks]

Maybe you want to upgrade and make me a deal on the SEER 13 units, since mine are still SEER 10's that were installed in '98. A SEER 13 would be a significant upgrade for me.

LOL....by the time I figured in the costs of removing my units and reinstalling them in your house, it would end up cheaper to sell you new equipment.

We are about to drop our prices at the beginning of October. I am pounding on Lennox to get some temporary cost breaks. If your serious, I would just set up and sell the job myself. This saves me from paying a commission and I can get the price even lower. Could end up saving you 30-40% over what we would normally get for installing equipment.

[03LightningRocks]

Im not sure what seer mine is but seems like its a GOOD seer based on rons comments :banana:

Yep...about 30-40% lower operating costs than mine. That is how it always works. If my unit breaks, it is always the last to get repaired too.

[Moonshine]

Rocks,

I may take you up on the offer at some point, but right now I'm still recovering financially from the divorce, so absent something breaking, I don't really need to make any large purchases.

[Silver_2000]

LOL....by the time I figured in the costs of removing my units and reinstalling them in your house, it would end up cheaper to sell you new equipment.

We are about to drop our prices at the beginning of October. I am pounding on Lennox to get some temporary cost breaks. If your serious, I would just set up and sell the job myself. This saves me from paying a commission and I can get the price even lower. Could end up saving you 30-40% over what we would normally get for installing equipment.

Man he never offered me that deal... :hammer:

Ill have to raise the tech support rates :rll:

[03LightningRocks]

Man he never offered me that deal... :hammer:

Ill have to raise the tech support rates :rll:

Hey now...wait just a minute..;) . You would not believe how much we hear this when we get some kind of special break from Lennox. It's usually the folks that have purchased equipment in the past few weeks.....and we are not able to do anything about it. I just put a deal together for a local church here in Plano. Lennox helped out and I threw in the customary 10% tiething. Price of entire job dropped from 15 grand down to 9 grand.

These deals from Lennox usually envolve me taking on a heavy inventory, so I have to be pretty good about what kind of equipment I can move between now and the end of the year. The whole deal stems from a game of hot potatoes. Neither Lennox or us want to have that inventory sitting on the floor as of Jan. 1st each year. The guy holding the potatoe when the music stops gets to pay the inventory tax on it.....:evil

[Silver_2000]

Hey now...wait just a minute..;) . You would not believe how much we hear this when we get some kind of special break from Lennox. It's usually the folks that have purchased equipment in the past few weeks.....and we are not able to do anything about it. I just put a deal together for a local church here in Plano. Lennox helped out and I threw in the customary 10% tiething. Price of entire job dropped from 15 grand down to 9 grand.

These deals from Lennox usually envolve me taking on a heavy inventory, so I have to be pretty good about what kind of equipment I can move between now and the end of the year. The whole deal stems from a game of hot potatoes. Neither Lennox or us want to have that inventory sitting on the floor as of Jan. 1st each year. The guy holding the potatoe when the music stops gets to pay the inventory tax on it.....:evil

I was kidding first off but second I was talking about you selling the thing to avoid the comission ...

Doug

[03LightningRocks]

I was kidding first off but second I was talking about you selling the thing to avoid the comission ...

Doug


:tu:

[Wht95Lightning]

I got my August bill and it's even higher than the last. $525 :eek: :vomit: :flaming:

[BC Lightning]

I got my August bill and it's even higher than the last. $525 :eek: :vomit: :flaming:


For those who used the Llumar or 3M film on the windows, what kind, what %, pros, cons, we had a professional window tinter come out and show us samples, but wanted more info from those who have used it before

My parents electric bill was over $1,000 last month so they will be adding the film to try and help costs.

[dboat]

For those who used the Llumar or 3M film on the windows, what kind, what %, pros, cons, we had a professional window tinter come out and show us samples, but wanted more info from those who have used it before

My parents electric bill was over $1,000 last month so they will be adding the film to try and help costs.

When we lived in Dallas 3 yrs ago.. we just went to HD and bought the stuff there.. the wife did the entire install herself.. It made a HUGE difference for us since we had a lot of west facing windows.. we have done it here to our bedroom windows but moreso for the darkening effect not because of heat gain. So for us there hasnt been and cons, only pros..
Dana

[03LightningRocks]

I just received my love note from TXU. 405 dollars!!!! 15.03 cents per kwh!!!! :Bullshit

[Wht95Lightning]

I'm bringing this thread back up because I wonder what y'alls bills are looking like so far this summer. Mine has been unusually low compared to last year and I haven't made any improvements to the house. Just have the air on 80. :(

My May bill was $186.38, which is down from over $300 for May last year.

I am going to have Solar Screens put on though and want to get my AC pressures checked.

Got any recomendations on companies/friends?

Thanks

[wesman]

I'm bringing this thread back up because I wonder what y'alls bills are looking like so far this summer. Mine has been unusually low compared to last year and I haven't made any improvements to the house. Just have the air on 80. :(

My May bill was $186.38, which is down from over $300 for May last year.

I am going to have Solar Screens put on though and want to get my AC pressures checked.

Got any recomendations on companies/friends?

Thanks

Not sure if Gary's guys venture out your way but they got my systems up to snuff last year.

On the solar screens it seems like Lonestar solar screens is the local choice and they apparently make the screens for a lot of the other smaller companies.

I'm looking to get some here soon as well.

--wes

[Beaudee]

Not sure if Gary's guys venture out your way but they got my systems up to snuff last year.

On the solar screens it seems like Lonestar solar screens is the local choice and they apparently make the screens for a lot of the other smaller companies.

I'm looking to get some here soon as well.

--wes

Solar screens pay for themselves.I have the black on every window in the house,along with thermostatic large atic fan,wind turbines and that silver stuff they spray on the inside of the roof.I have the lowest electric bills of my neighbors.Not that 2-300 bucks a month(last year) is cheap.Solar screens work great look good,they come in colors to.Only down side is the house is always dark on the inside,and house looks haunted from the outside.Im still looking for a munsters door knocker.:tongue:

[03LightningRocks]

I'm bringing this thread back up because I wonder what y'alls bills are looking like so far this summer. Mine has been unusually low compared to last year and I haven't made any improvements to the house. Just have the air on 80. :(

My May bill was $186.38, which is down from over $300 for May last year.

I am going to have Solar Screens put on though and want to get my AC pressures checked.

Got any recomendations on companies/friends?

Thanks

Funny...compared to last year, mine were low too. I did have a couple changes. I keep the stats warmer this year...82 when I am out and 78 when I am home...and my daughter lived in the house with me last year. I figured the difference represented what she used. I am making up a bill for her as I type.:evil

I also have changed out all of my light bulbs to those high efficiency bulbs. I am sure that helped also.

[Silver_2000]

Mine was double what is was last May - More usage than September of last year which was the highest month

Im getting screwed and dont know why
Made no changes to thermostat .... Strange

[03LightningRocks]

Mine was double what is was last May - More usage than September of last year which was the highest month

Im getting screwed and dont know why
Made no changes to thermostat .... Strange

One thing you can do is turn off every appliance in your house. Check to see if the meter is still running. If it is, call an electrician. A few years back, I saw a customers bills jump real sharp and it turned out his element in his electric oven had grounded out somehow and was drawing current even when off. Don't know that this would cause it, but it is possible. When was it we replaced your leaking coil? It is possible that the unit was running more, due to low freon, and that would use more electricity.

[Silver_2000]

One thing you can do is turn off every appliance in your house. Check to see if the meter is still running. If it is, call an electrician. A few years back, I saw a customers bills jump real sharp and it turned out his element in his electric oven had grounded out somehow and was drawing current even when off. Don't know that this would cause it, but it is possible. When was it we replaced your leaking coil? It is possible that the unit was running more, due to low freon, and that would use more electricity.

Coil was replaced Thursday

[03LightningRocks]

Coil was replaced Thursday

That could be the issue.

[Silver_2000]

got my next bill the usage was even higher and the best part is the rate went from 14.7 to 18.9 per kilowatt - thank GOD I switched - seems it was just a month

late - watch your bills

Also the usage bar graph that is on the bill showing the last years usage month by month is a complete CROCK the ONLY thing that changes month to month is the LAST bar ( the current month ) and the letters at the bottom that represent the month
What a scam - according to this I used the most electricity in Feb - which is interesting since I have gas heat
Doug

[03LightningRocks]

My KW usage this month was only slightly higher than this same billing period last year. I use the TXU online service so I could pull my bill from last year. My average charge per KW was 12.8 cents.

You are making me worry Doug. 18.9 cents per KW is a lot kigher than mine. WTF???? I would never have thought they could have so much variation in price.

I looked at the rate plan I am on and it says Flex Protect...but I am not sure what that means. I never made any changes back when the electric companies first deregulated. I also never signed up for any plans....I just kept TXU and continued to pay the bill. 6 cents per KWH increase would make my bill quite a bit higher.



07/09/2008 97° 1950 $252.99
06/09/2008 90° 1335 $174.65
05/07/2008 78° 770 $98.19
04/08/2008 74° 774 $98.64
03/06/2008 67° 658 $85.76
02/07/2008 58° 718 $92.43
01/09/2008 59° 884 $110.85
12/06/2007 69° 841 $106.07
11/02/2007 79° 961 $119.39
10/05/2007 89° 1505 $207.86
09/07/2007 95° 2257 $309.29
08/08/2007 91° 2167 $271.90
07/09/2007 87° 1927 $264.78
06/07/2007 82° 1689 $243.03
05/08/2007 72° 1305 $149.01

The above is my past 14 months bills. One thing that did change from last year at this time to this year is my daughter no longer lives here. One less person makes a big difference. I also moved my set back stats higher after your last post on this out of fear...LOL. About every light in my house is now the new energy bulbs. My set backs are now at 84 each and I set them for 76 when I am using these areas.

[03LightningRocks]

I may have figured out what is going on. The plan I am on is no longer offered. I have found several complaints from folks online stating that TXU called them at the end of last year to the beginning of this year talking them into changing from the flex protect plan. Those slimey dousch bags at TXU knew damned good and well that the rates were going up and flex plans can't be raised above 15 cents. So they used trickery and high pressure sales tactics to get folks to drop this plan. They even told folks they could go back if they didn't like the new plan...catch...as long as it is an available plan. Trick was..they played with wording. At the time they made the promise to allow you to go back it was an available plan. The technical rule is...you can change plans at any time...as long as it is an available plan. The only thing that saved me was that I have my home phone unplugged and since this is the only number they have for me, I never got the chance to switch. I do remember getting some kind of bullsh!t offer in the mail giving me a hundred dollar credit to switch to something, but I didn't think it was worth a hundred bucks to waist my time calling them. I blew it off...LOL. My laziness payed off for me.

I just spent a few minutes looking at offers from utility companies in our area. These focks are all within a half penny of each other on their plans. 15 plus cents for a fixed rate long term plan and 16-18 cents for a flex plan with no long term agreement. I may have just reversed those two agreements, but the point is the same. they aren't competeing, they are fixing prices. Deregulation is turning out to be a consumer nightmare. Instead of competing for your service with price, they are all raising prices to what the market will sustain...as long as they all go up together...the consumer gets screwed. Somebody needs shot over this sh!t.

[Wht95Lightning]

I am on the TXU flex protect plan also. About 6 months ago, a guy came to my door trying to sell me on a different plan. I told him that when I wanted to change, I'd make the change on my own. DON"T CHANGE MY PLAN!

The guy seemed a little confused as to why I felt so strongly about my plan.

Here's what my June bill said:

"The average price you paid for electric service thismonth was 12.82 cents per kWh."

[Silver_2000]

the only things that changed that would use power are I bought a new fridge which is bigger but its also 15 years newer so that should be about a wash

and the AC - I did the math last night after reading the meter - im using a TON more power than I was this time last year, and the thermostat is the same and the weather is similar

I saw a thing on the net that you plug in and it tells you how much power each device is using - I may have to get one

I confirmed that the bill I got was the LAST one from that company. I told them about the errors in the graph and she said there were no errors - Later she agreed it was odd that February was the highest month - but refused to admit there could be other errors on the bill

[wesman]

My KW usage this month was only slightly higher than this same billing period last year. I use the TXU online service so I could pull my bill from last year. My average charge per KW was 12.8 cents.

You are making me worry Doug. 18.9 cents per KW is a lot kigher than mine. WTF???? I would never have thought they could have so much variation in price.

I looked at the rate plan I am on and it says Flex Protect...but I am not sure what that means. I never made any changes back when the electric companies first deregulated. I also never signed up for any plans....I just kept TXU and continued to pay the bill. 6 cents per KWH increase would make my bill quite a bit higher.



07/09/2008 97° 1950 $252.99
06/09/2008 90° 1335 $174.65
05/07/2008 78° 770 $98.19
04/08/2008 74° 774 $98.64
03/06/2008 67° 658 $85.76
02/07/2008 58° 718 $92.43
01/09/2008 59° 884 $110.85
12/06/2007 69° 841 $106.07
11/02/2007 79° 961 $119.39
10/05/2007 89° 1505 $207.86
09/07/2007 95° 2257 $309.29
08/08/2007 91° 2167 $271.90
07/09/2007 87° 1927 $264.78
06/07/2007 82° 1689 $243.03
05/08/2007 72° 1305 $149.01

The above is my past 14 months bills. One thing that did change from last year at this time to this year is my daughter no longer lives here. One less person makes a big difference. I also moved my set back stats higher after your last post on this out of fear...LOL. About every light in my house is now the new energy bulbs. My set backs are now at 84 each and I set them for 76 when I am using these areas.


Good to see that a HVAC guy does the offset of temps as well. I've heard/read both sides of the benefits/detriments and was wondering what a professionals opinion was. I also offset my 8*, it kicks in right after we leave and 45 minutes before our scheduled return. The house is at the set temp by the time we return home so there really is no downside for us (providing it actually is reducing energy usage)

I'll be doing the bulbs in the raised part of the ceiling soon, have to rent a scissor lift as they're 30+ feet in the air. I was surprised to find that they finally offered a recessed lighting bulb that looked just like the old incandescents, pretty cool.

Luckily we still pay Steph's rate of 8.5c Kwh so our bills aren't too crazy. I've got a lot of stuff running that I could cut back on if I wanted to I suppose, but the bills aren't too crazy.

--wes

[Ohmsby]

I tend to get bills around the $200.00 mark floats 10 bucks either way through the hot months

Only two of us in the casa but I don't think its bad for the footage. We are blessed to live in the woods and have mature oak trees that surround the house which I am sure helps alot

Friend with big house on the lake and four teenagers spending almost $1300.00 a month on electric:crying:

I know jack chit about HVAC I think I have a fan with a bad bearing upstairs I heard it last night is this a pass/fail part or should I call someone out to fix it prior to failure

[03LightningRocks]

I tend to get bills around the $200.00 mark floats 10 bucks either way through the hot months

Only two of us in the casa but I don't think its bad for the footage. We are blessed to live in the woods and have mature oak trees that surround the house which I am sure helps alot

Friend with big house on the lake and four teenagers spending almost $1300.00 a month on electric:crying:

I know jack chit about HVAC I think I have a fan with a bad bearing upstairs I heard it last night is this a pass/fail part or should I call someone out to fix it prior to failure


When it goes out, your AC evaporator coil could freeze up and dump water all over your ceiling if your drains don't keep up with the flood. Other than that, the real threat is waiting with no air while somebody gets there to fix it. Make sure the bearing noise your hearing isn't the attic vents. Powered or turbin style will both squeel like that when the bearings in them start going out.

[Ohmsby]

Thank you. Do you service the folks who live up north? If not do you know anyone in the Denton /Aubrey part of the world who is capable

[03LightningRocks]

Thank you. Do you service the folks who live up north? If not do you know anyone in the Denton /Aubrey part of the world who is capable


We don't get that far North. Fuel costs make it real tough to send a technician on long drives. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about any of the companies out that way to feel comfortable recommending them.

[03LightningRocks]

I am on the TXU flex protect plan also. About 6 months ago, a guy came to my door trying to sell me on a different plan. I told him that when I wanted to change, I'd make the change on my own. DON"T CHANGE MY PLAN!

The guy seemed a little confused as to why I felt so strongly about my plan.

Here's what my June bill said:

"The average price you paid for electric service thismonth was 12.82 cents per kWh."


Yep...they were trying to get you off that plan. You would possibly be looking at higher rates if you had taken the bait.

[tiffo60]

If I keep my house 79* while im at work and turn it down to 73* when i get home in the evenings, what is the normal time it should take to cool down in the heat of the summer?

1800sqft single story 3yr old brick home

[03LightningRocks]

If I keep my house 79* while im at work and turn it down to 73* when i get home in the evenings, what is the normal time it should take to cool down in the heat of the summer?

1800sqft single story 3yr old brick home

The newer programable stats have a feature called.."intelligent adaptive recovery". At least the better ones do. I wouldn't waste my money on one that didn't have it. Anyway...what they do is figure out how long it takes for the system to bring your house to the return(home) setting from the away(at work) setting. It takes them about two weeks to figure it out. So if you set your stat for 79 degrees, when your away and say 73 for when you get home, the thermostat will start bringing the temp down one degree at a time about an hour before you get home. It does it in equal increments so this means at one hour before you get home it will drop the temp to 78...then 50 minutes before you get home it will drop the temp to 77...and so on. This eliminates the need to "outsmart" the thermostat. You just set it for the temp you want it to be.... at the time you want it to be that temperature and the stat does the rest. Stats that don't have this feature are usually inferior garbage depot stats and should be thrown out. Consider it a lesson for thinking you could buy a quality stat for 80 bucks...LOL.

By the way...those are some real low temps you have there. You shouldn't have to set a stat at 73 to feel comfortable in a home. This usually indicates a system isn't doing a good job of removing humidity.

[Silver_2000]

The newer programable stats have a feature called.."intelligent adaptive recovery". At least the better ones do. I wouldn't waste my money on one that didn't have it. Anyway...what they do is figure out how long it takes for the system to bring your house to the return(home) setting from the away(at work) setting. It takes them about two weeks to figure it out. So if you set your stat for 79 degrees, when your away and say 73 for when you get home, the thermostat will start bringing the temp down one degree at a time about an hour before you get home. It does it in equal increments so this means at one hour before you get home it will drop the temp to 78...then 50 minutes before you get home it will drop the temp to 77...and so on. This eliminates the need to "outsmart" the thermostat. You just set it for the temp you want it to be.... at the time you want it to be that temperature and the stat does the rest. Stats that don't have this feature are usually inferior garbage depot stats and should be thrown out. Consider it a lesson for thinking you could buy a quality stat for 80 bucks...LOL.

By the way...those are some real low temps you have there. You shouldn't have to set a stat at 73 to feel comfortable in a home. This usually indicates a system isn't doing a good job of removing humidity.

+1

a decent stat works just plug in the time

if I set my house to 73 you could hang meat in there ( and my bill would be over 400 )
either you are REALLY cold blooded or your thermostat is off by 4 or 5 degrees or as Ron said you have other issues with the AC

[tiffo60]

+1

a decent stat works just plug in the time

if I set my house to 73 you could hang meat in there ( and my bill would be over 400 )
either you are REALLY cold blooded or your thermostat is off by 4 or 5 degrees or as Ron said you have other issues with the AC

I will have it checked out and see if anythings not right,



When I wake up in the mornings it is cold to me, but at night it has to be that cold for me to go to sleep, so something may definitley be wrong

[03LightningRocks]

I will have it checked out and see if anythings not right,



When I wake up in the mornings it is cold to me, but at night it has to be that cold for me to go to sleep, so something may definitley be wrong

A quick easy way to see if the stat is out of calibration is to put a thermometer beside it and let it sit for a few minutes. See if they read the same.

[Wht95Lightning]

I just received my bill. It went up almost a hundred bucks, but still less than last year. :rolleyes:


Your "Current Bill" amount of $352.74 is dueby August 14, 2008. •The average price you paid for electric service thismonth was 12.77 cents per kWh

[tiffo60]

my bill this monrth showed 100 more kilowatts usage than last month but increased 200 bucks:flaming:

not real sure but i think i got fubared on that deal

[mustgofaster]

I just received my bill. It went up almost a hundred bucks, but still less than last year. :rolleyes:

Who is your provider? my contract just expired with my elec co & in the past 2 mos it has ballooned from 13.1 per KWH to 18.6 per KWH so I'm shopping.

[Wht95Lightning]

I have TXU and am on the "Flex Protect" plan.

[Wht95Lightning]

I put solar screens on the hot side of my house and my electric bill actually went down $64 from last month! :nana2

[Beaudee]

I put solar screens on the hot side of my house and my electric bill actually went down $64 from last month! :nana2
They work!!!!I got the cheepist E. bill per Sq. Ft in the hood.If U think they work good,try the electric thermst. cont atic fan.Dont forget 2 add @ least 2 wind turbines:tu:.