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  • #16
    Re: Electric bill

    For 11/18 to 12/18 (31 days): 885.9kWh $156.19

    I'm unsure how we use so much Just two people and a baby. All lightbulbs were changed out about 2 years ago, only 1 computer is on all day. Two to 3 ceiling fans are constantly going. Guess the fridge and our spare freezer sucks it all up? sigh.

    Three years ago, our bill was less than $100.

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    • #17
      Re: Electric bill

      Originally posted by Kelly0040 View Post
      I'm unsure how we use so much Just two people and a baby. All lightbulbs were changed out about 2 years ago, only 1 computer is on all day. Two to 3 ceiling fans are constantly going. Guess the fridge and our spare freezer sucks it all up? sigh.

      Three years ago, our bill was less than $100.
      Yeah, but what was your kwh/day back then?

      If the computer is sucking 100W 24/7, that would account for about 72KWH. Typically the biggest consumer is the water heater. If you've got a dripping faucet, that can run up the bill quickly. Then I'd guess it's the refrigerator and freezer. How old are those units? It might be time to buy something more efficient.

      You may want to invest in a Kill-a-watt to see just where the power is going.

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      • #18
        Re: Electric bill

        With fuel surcharges and PUC-authorized hikes, HECO's rates have gone up by nearly 50% in the last few years.

        If you go to HECO's website and fiddle around with their account creation, you can take an online home energy survey that will help you figure out what's sucking down all the power. (Creating an account lets them link your actual electric-bill history to the survey.) However most homeowners use the majority of their electricity in this order:
        1. Water heater (if it's not gas or solar).
        2. Air conditioning (especially if the home isn't insulated like a Mainland residence).
        3. The dreaded garage "spare" fridge & freezer.
        4. The kitchen fridge.
        5. The clothes dryer (if it's not gas or "solar").

        Extra fridges are a widespread problem. In the 1990s San Diego used to have a program offering $50 for your second fridge, and they'd even come pick it up.

        You could buy a Kill-A-Watt (I love mine) or you could consolidate the fridge's contents into the kitchen and shut off the 2nd one for a month. (And then, if you haven't needed it for a month, you could get rid of it.) It may make sense to store a lot of chilled/frozen food on the Mainland where electricity costs 5-8 cents/KWHr, but around here you end up buying the food two or three times over before you eat it.

        Older ceiling fans suck down a surprising amount of power. We use an EnergyStar model in our livingroom that's quieter and more powerful than its predecessor, yet uses less energy. They're more expensive up front, but HECO offers a rebate on selected models.
        Youth may be wasted on the young, but retirement is wasted on the old.
        Live like you're dying, invest like you're immortal.
        We grow old if we stop playing, but it's never too late to have a happy childhood.
        Forget about who you were-- discover who you are.

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        • #19
          Re: Electric bill

          Originally posted by GeckoGeek View Post
          I don't think I've seen mine. It's paid automatically, so I just open it, cringe and set it aside.
          Sheesh. I'm slow. I'm on a different billing cycle. I suddenly remembered when I got my last electric bill: Dec 26. Yes, THAT day.

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          • #20
            Re: Electric bill

            In 2010, State of Hawaii law says that EVERY new home must be built with solar hot water.
            At the Federal level, laws are being written to protect Solar Rights, similar to communications rights passed back in the 90's.
            At the State level, reps are working on making Hawaii a Solar Rights state just like CA, NM, FL, NV, etc.

            Stingy HOA's are on the ropes. Power monger jerks will be kept in check.
            FutureNewsNetwork.com
            Energy answers are already here.

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            • #21
              Re: Electric bill

              Originally posted by timkona View Post
              At the Federal level, laws are being written to protect Solar Rights
              How does that work? It could mean the end in building new high-rises. Because they will block the sun on the buildings around them.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Electric bill

                Now that the cash rebate for installing solar water heaters has doubled to $1500 it's a great time to get this installed if you haven't already. I'm definitely going to jump on this since I had to rip down my leaky unit last year and did not replace it at the time.
                Has anyone put up a solar PV system recently? Costs seem to be way down - I saw a local site yesterday quoting $7/watt, installed, and that probably isn't the lowest.
                What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof. – Christopher Hitchens

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                • #23
                  Re: Electric bill

                  Originally posted by StinkyTheGrump View Post
                  Now that the cash rebate for installing solar water heaters has doubled to $1500 it's a great time to get this installed if you haven't already. I'm definitely going to jump on this since I had to rip down my leaky unit last year and did not replace it at the time.
                  Has anyone put up a solar PV system recently? Costs seem to be way down - I saw a local site yesterday quoting $7/watt, installed, and that probably isn't the lowest.

                  The $1500.00 rebate for solar hot water, while originally slated to expire at the end of May, is no longer available. The company who handles these rebates essentially ran out of funds to support the doubled rebate; so it's back to $750.00.

                  That said, there are still plenty of incentives for installing solar systems, both Hot Water and photovoltaic (PV). And not just tax credits; for those homeowners who don't have a large enough tax liability to take advantage of the tax credits, there is a the Federal 1603 grant program which can earn you a check straight from the US Treasury for 24.x% of the system cost.

                  Might also shop around, a lot of different solar contractors offer a variety of different incentives, including but not limited to Marketing/Referal reimbursements, and/or a willingness to purchase the rights to your Carbon Credits (a value which would really be too small for a single home owner to take advantage of alone).
                  Grab some goggles and answer to nobody.

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                  • #24
                    Re: Electric bill

                    Three of us with 2 refrigerators and 'sometimes' AC runs us between 200 and 250/month
                    Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
                    ~ ~
                    Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
                    Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
                    Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

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                    • #25
                      Re: Electric bill

                      Just me in a 464 sq. ft. studio condo, one fridge, central a/c paid by the association (I pay for the fan which is, I was told, equal to using a 60w light bulb), CFL bulbs thruout, no water heater...latest bill is $87.

                      ETA: Up from $75. almost 3 years ago. See post #7.
                      Last edited by tutusue; April 28, 2011, 09:43 PM.

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                      • #26
                        Re: Electric bill

                        The HECO bill has numbers that goes back to one year with monthly readings. So, you can see that even when you use less KWH than a year ago. The amount you pay is more now.

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                        • #27
                          Re: Electric bill

                          From 2008:
                          Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                          Okay...1 person in a 464 sq. ft. studio condo...
                          Association pays for central A/C and hot water...
                          Some CFLs...
                          Dishwasher, stack W/D, fridge...
                          The latest HECO bill was $75.00.
                          9 kwh per day[...]
                          From a couple of months ago:
                          Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                          Just me in a 464 sq. ft. studio condo, one fridge, central a/c paid by the association (I pay for the fan which is, I was told, equal to using a 60w light bulb), CFL bulbs thruout, no water heater...latest bill is $87. [...]
                          Whooooa...broke a hundred buckaroonies for the first time. The only changes from above are a new, energy saver dishwasher run once every 5-7 days (fridge was already an energy saver model...and forgot to mention my stove!): $101.69 for 9.5 kwh per day.
                          Damn oil.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Electric bill

                            Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                            Whooooa...broke a hundred buckaroonies for the first time. The only changes from above are a new, energy saver dishwasher run once every 5-7 days (fridge was already an energy saver model...and forgot to mention my stove!): $101.69 for 9.5 kwh per day.
                            Damn oil.
                            That's a bit more than we pay in Mexico on average - elec. stove, elec. w/h, all CFLs, no dishwsher, Energy Star fridge, air cond (efficient mini-split system). However, when we run the AC about 3 months out of the year, we leave it at 83F and turn it off at 9pm for the night (sleep with just ceiling fans). We just where minimal clothing around the house during the summer (July - Sept.)

                            However, your electric rates are much lower by a significant factor than our home in California. If you move back to CA.......bring lots of money!
                            Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

                            People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

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                            • #29
                              Re: Electric bill

                              Originally posted by matapule View Post
                              That's a bit more than we pay in Mexico on average - elec. stove, elec. w/h, all CFLs, no dishwsher, Energy Star fridge, air cond (efficient mini-split system). However, when we run the AC about 3 months out of the year, we leave it at 83F and turn it off at 9pm for the night (sleep with just ceiling fans). We just where minimal clothing around the house during the summer (July - Sept.)
                              What's your square footage, matapule?
                              However, your electric rates are much lower by a significant factor than our home in California. If you move back to CA.......bring lots of money!
                              My daughter lives in Irvine, CA (1400 sq. ft.) and also has a condo in my building (464 sq. ft.). Her CA electric bill is lower than her HI electric bill!

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Electric bill

                                Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                                What's your square footage, matapule?
                                We have a three unit, zoned mini-split system - living area, principle bedroom, guest bedroom. We run only one unit at a time, never two or more. The largest cooled area (living) is about 500 sqft.

                                My daughter lives in Irvine, CA (1400 sq. ft.) and also has a condo in my building (464 sq. ft.). Her CA electric bill is lower than her HI electric bill!
                                Rates in CA do vary in different areas. And the temptation is to run the AC in HI more than Irvine, where it SHOULD be used only rarely (my daughters live about 20 miles north of Irvine and have no AC). My house in CA is in the Imperial Irrigation District which provides both water and power (how does a $300/mo power bill (not including water) in the summer sound with the thermostat set at 83F? - relatively new house with all the latest in high tech insulation). There is another power company in the area and its rates are even higher.

                                I am sitting in my casa at 5:30 in Mexico as I post this. According to my weather station, inside temperature is 88F (outside 92) with 50% humidity. No air conditioning on today. We just open the casa up, turn on the ceiling fan, and get acclimatized in poolside attire or less. Time for a Saturday pm Mangorita with surimi/artichoke pupu!
                                Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

                                People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

                                Comment

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