Dealing with high utilities costs in an apartment

Johnny Chopsocky

I live in a third-floor 2-bedroom apartment in Nebraska. Until last month, when it was nice enough outside that we could open the windows and it wouldn't turn into a sauna indoors, our average electric bill was around $60. However, when we turned the AC on last month, the bill jumped to $150. And then this month, it hit $180.

We have three computers, a refrigerator, a mini-fridge, 2 360s (only on when used), two TVs (only on when games are played), and a washer/drier unit. Both bedrooms have west-facing windows. And the thermostat has been set at 80 the entire time.

Is this an abnormal amount to pay for apartment electricity in the summer?

Xaev

That sounds about the same as our electric bill in a second-floor 2-bedroom in Wisconsin during the summer and we have a similar amount of appliances, etc. Our bills aren't nearly as low as yours were during the fall/spring/winter, though (usually around $100).

SoCo_and_Lime

Johnny Chopsocky wrote: »

We have three computers, a refrigerator, a mini-fridge, 2 360s (only on when used), two TVs (only on when games are played), and a washer/drier unit. Both bedrooms have west-facing windows. And the thermostat has been set at 80 the entire time.

As far as saving money:

- Put the computers on stand-by or off when not in use for prolonged period of time

- Lower the thermostats on the fridges if reasonable. Keep them full to maintain temperature.

- Reduce washing/drying to a minimum

I've seen several conflicting studies of "vampire energy". If you believe it, unplug the TV and the 360's when not in use.

Johnny Chopsocky

Oh yeah, forgot to mention something: Even though the thermostat is set at 80, the apartment never actually reaches that temperature. Most times we only figure out that the AC is running when we hear it running.

In fact, most evenings my roommate's room skyrockets to around 90 degrees while the air is running.

PracticalProblemSolver

Do you open the windows at night, and then shut them in the morning? What's the outside temperatures like?

Has the AC unit been checked out recently?

Improvolone

Use CFLs, replace your ac filter, and your power company should come out for free to give you a survey of your power consumption and what you can do to lower it.

Johnny Chopsocky

Improvolone wrote: »

Use CFLs, replace your ac filter, and your power company should come out for free to give you a survey of your power consumption and what you can do to lower it.

Do that, the apartment just did that and when I asked them for an energy audit they said to consult an online site for it because they charge to come out and look at it personally.

japaneren

Kill the mini fridge. It probably uses as much power as the full-size fridge, except of course it's much smaller.
Don't use the dryer in the summer. In winter it will heat the place, offsetting some of the cost of using it, but during the summer you might as well hang your clothes to dry.

Johnny Chopsocky

PracticalProblemSolver wrote: »

Has the AC unit been checked out recently?

They said they checked it and cleaned it out, but I feel no difference. It still has poor airflow and took 2.5 hours to knock the temperature down to 78.

It's also an old unit, very box-like in stature. I've seen some newer units attached to other apartments and I'm wondering if I should just have them replace it with a newer one...

matt has a problem

Turn off the computers overnight. Turn them off when you're doing something else, unless it's getting up to pee and then come right back. Sure, the convenience of being able to just wake up and plop down in front of it is nice, but they're a horrible power drain when they're on, and completely unnecessary when you're not using them.

RUNN1NGMAN

You need a new A/C. If the air coming out of the A/C isn't 15-20 degrees colder than the air coming in, it's not working correctly. You might need a refrigerant charge, but some things you can do on your own are make sure the evaporation coils (what the air blows over to get cold) are clean and not covered in dust) and also change the filter and make sure the intake side isn't blocked.

Is this the type of unit that sits in a hole in your wall, or is it a central air unit?

MichaelLC

I'd say the A/C is bad too.

You want to set it to Med or High, and fairly Cold. When it's on Low, it kick on & off all the time, which doesn't help the motor or you. The air should be cold coming out of the unit.

Artereis

Unplug any electronics not in use.

Erandus

You could tinfoil the bedroom windows. Looks very ghetto, helps very much. Shiny side out.

Otherwise, fans blowing in the windows on the shady side of the apartment, and out the windows on the sunny side. Block off the parts of the windows the fans don't cover to improve airflow.

tsmvengy

Yeah, I'm betting your AC unit is fucked. The air should be COLD coming out of it.

Also turn your computers off at night, that's like leaving the lights on all the time.

Shadowfire

japaneren wrote: »

Kill the mini fridge. It probably uses as much power as the full-size fridge, except of course it's much smaller.
Don't use the dryer in the summer. In winter it will heat the place, offsetting some of the cost of using it, but during the summer you might as well hang your clothes to dry.

He may be lucky, but most apartments don't allow you to hang clothes (some because it's an "eyesore," but most for insurance reasons). I'd love to hang them, but using a dryer is necessary.

Doc

Wow, I live in a one-bedroom with steam radiators and no AC. My electricity costs are around $7 per month.

EggyToast

OP, do you leave your computers on all the time? I sleep mine for a large portion of the summer because not only do they eat electricity, but they contribute a lot of heat, making your [crappy] AC work that much harder.

In your case, though, if the only thing that changed was you had to put your AC on recently, I think you already know what the culprit is. Your AC unit sucks and uses a shitload of power.

Johnny Chopsocky

EggyToast wrote: »

OP, do you leave your computers on all the time?

I started doing that recently, but my roommate doesn't see the point.

In your case, though, if the only thing that changed was you had to put your AC on recently, I think you already know what the culprit is. Your AC unit sucks and uses a shitload of power.

Yeah, the more I talk to people who live in the same building as me, the more apparent it becomes that my AC is fucked. The guy in the two-bed 2 doors down from mine paid $100 last month for electricity, and he mentioned that he keeps his thermostat at 70.

Figgy

- Unplug shit that you don't use often. For example, the television/cablebox/vcr in my bedroom is used maybe once per week, so we unplug it. Whether or not you buy into Phantom Power or not, it makes sense that there is somewhat of a draw even with those things turned off--turning something on doesn't magically draw the electricity from the outlet.. it's coming out regardless.

- Turn off your computers when you're not using them. Would your rather pay $200/mo in electric bills or wait 15 seconds for your computer to turn on every time you need to use it?

- Check all the bulbs in your place to make sure they are low-watt. You don't need 100 watt light bulbs.

- Keep the A/C at a level where it is only 5-10 degrees colder inside than out. Cooling your apartment is more about creating a difference and air flow than it is making it an ice box. Most people keep their A/C cranked way too high, and it's not necessary at all.

Edit: Also, find out if you can go onto an equal billing plan. They charge you a bit more during the off months so that in the hotter months you'll be paying less. I keep my gas bill at $44/mo year round this way, even during the winter when the furnace is on 24/7.

SeñorAmor

Figgy wrote: »

-Edit: Also, find out if you can go onto an equal billing plan. They charge you a bit more during the off months so that in the hotter months you'll be paying less. I keep my gas bill at $44/mo year round this way, even during the winter when the furnace is on 24/7.

Came in here to say this. It sucks paying more when you're not using the electricity, but a constant monthly cost is far preferable to a huge jump in your bill when you don't realize you're a power hog for a month.

saltiness

Lose the mini fridge. There's no way you actually need an extra fridge in a 2-bedroom.

flatlinegraphics

call your electric company. they may have plans you can enroll in.
we have central air here in the condo. 9 months out of the year, our bill in in the low $50s. 3 months its in the 300s. but we are enrolled in an averaging plan, where the bill stays the same every month, you just end up paying the extra during the winter. its a bit easier to manage, at least for me, as there are no sudden bills. if you have roommates it may be easier to split a bill like this.

Esh

It's the mini-fridge and the AC unit. Stop using them. Invest in some fans. Summer is almost over. Everything else is negligible.

Also, those little electric heating units you can use during the Winter? I had one that was barely bigger than a Gamecube and that little fucker sent our electric bill up $100 over a month. Don't bother with them.

Figgy

It's fairly easy to figure out what your appliances are using if you check the label and calculate the cost using your electric bill.

Unless your mini-fridge is 15 years old, it's not using a whole lot. Also, those little space heaters? Not using much either, but they shouldn't be left on for extended amounts of time anyway.

jeddy lee

jeezum creezy, I thought heat was expensive in alaska! Glad we don't do the air conditioning thing, because my wife and I's 3 bedroom with loads of electronics is costing about $35.00 a month in electricity.

Crashtard

I'm going to echo the others and also say stop using the damn mini fridge. Unless it's your ONLY fridge, you don't need it. Those things use so much power. You should also keep hounding your apartment complex to replace the A/C unit. A newer unit would not only cool the air better, but it probably would use less power while doing so (I have no idea whether that's actually true, but it seems like it would be the case).

Esh

Figgy wrote: »

It's fairly easy to figure out what your appliances are using if you check the label and calculate the cost using your electric bill.

Unless your mini-fridge is 15 years old, it's not using a whole lot. Also, those little space heaters? Not using much either, but they shouldn't be left on for extended amounts of time anyway.

Not using much? Tell that to my $150 electricity bill. One of them. And it wasn't on all the time.

tsmvengy

Figgy wrote: »

It's fairly easy to figure out what your appliances are using if you check the label and calculate the cost using your electric bill.

Unless your mini-fridge is 15 years old, it's not using a whole lot. Also, those little space heaters? Not using much either, but they shouldn't be left on for extended amounts of time anyway.

Hah, those two things are both huge energy hogs. Especially space heaters.

ASimPerson

tsmvengy wrote: »

Figgy wrote: »

It's fairly easy to figure out what your appliances are using if you check the label and calculate the cost using your electric bill.

Unless your mini-fridge is 15 years old, it's not using a whole lot. Also, those little space heaters? Not using much either, but they shouldn't be left on for extended amounts of time anyway.

Hah, those two things are both huge energy hogs. Especially space heaters.

Seriously. That's like the point of space heaters.

Figgy

I guess I'm lucky then, because I have an A/C unit, a space heater in the winter, and a mini fridge along with our regular fridge, and our electric bill is $80 every two months. It shoots up to about $95 in the winter when we run the A/C.

Raneados

i think I'm in a similar situation

I barely turn my lights on at all. and they are NEVER on when I am out
I am out of the house probably 10 or so hours a day
my computer is on almost all the time when I am home, but when I am asleep it is unplugged, as is my modem and monitor, etc
the only things that are plugged in all the time are my TV, my alarm clock, my phone charger, my lamp, my cable box, my other TV in the living room, my microwave, and my fridge
my AC runs constantly. I keep it at about 76ish, but it never seems to stop blowing cold air. Ever.

my bedroom window is poorly sealed and noisy from the outside traffic

and my front door has some spaces around it between the the door and the frame

my electric bill was 80 last month. I can't afford that every month

Erandus

Raneados wrote: »

my bedroom window is poorly sealed and noisy from the outside traffic

and my front door has some spaces around it between the the door and the frame

my electric bill was 80 last month. I can't afford that every month

You need some caulk and weather stripping.

Hee hee.... caulk.

Saammiel

OPs A/C is f-ed as other people have said. There is no way he should be paying that much in electricity in an apartment in Nebraska. For comparison I live in a house built in 1954 with ~1700 square feet, keep my thermostat at between 76 and 78 and my bill last month was 140 and it was a sweltering death trap here for much of that month. Nebraska has fairly cheap power costs, so the amount he is dealing with is pretty high.

EggyToast

Some of you guys should be happy you don't live in the mid-Atlantic region. Electricity is twice the price per kw/h compared to the midwest, and my LOWEST bill ever has been $80. That's with all CFL, no AC/heat, ultra-efficient dishwasher, fridge, stove, two computers that are barely on, a TV that is barely on, and doing normal clothes laundry (bath towels & sheets only once a month).

Our normal bill is around $150, and gets up to $250 in the winter -- with the thermostat set to 68F.