# Utilities $$$



## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

If we go in that direction we'll not be able to run electric trains at all:

Power bill June 25 till July 25 th $ 234.00
Water bill 1 mth $ 165.00

Gas bill 1mth $ 65.00 in summer $260.00 winter


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

Convert to battery with solar recharging? 

Here's one view (from 2011) of average costs for basic gas and electricity per month.


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

And save your rainfall to use in the shower!

What's really offensive is to pay just as much for cable, which costs next to nothing to actually provide - and where I live the service is lousy.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

We put up a 35' tower and get 27 channels of HD tv for free, everything else we get off Hulu or Amazon Prime. While we do miss some stuff or are a couple seasons behind, its a lot cheaper than our cable bill was. Electric is high enough, espicaly in the winter months as we are totaly electric. We use our fireplace quite a bit over the winter to keep the furnace from running as much. Mike


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

My water bill runs about 25 a month in winter and about 50 a month jun,july,aug including watering lawn and garden.

Electric runs about 50 in summer and about 75 October-mar. We have heat pump but from cot to mar we heat mostly with wood stove. I cut,split and stack my own firewood.

John in western Washington


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

I have never, and will never, water my lawn..
if it gets all crispy brown in August, so much the better..I like the break from mowing.
(no chance of that this year though..rain rain rain..)

Scot


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

So ....Scotty...

Is that like ..hedging your bet!

Don't care what color the grass could be ...
...while yet it is soaking wet by accident..!!

LOL

Dirk


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Dirk,
sorry..I have no idea what you said.

Scot


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

My gas and electric bill in the old house was $250.00 to $275.00 per month - average $262.50/mo for a 1240 sq. ft. place. In January, we bought a new place and moved. The new house came with a built-in 2.8kwh solar panel system. Our bill is now #33.00-$35.00 per month - $4.00 and change for electricity taxes, transmission fees, etc., and the rest for our monthly gas usage. The majority of our electric bill is deferred until we "true up" at the end of the year. As of this month's bill, we owe $176.00 and change. So for the first 6 months and change at the new place, we will have paid $380, or $63.33 per month - for a house that's over twice the square footage. 

Not sure if adding solar power to an existing home would be as cost effective due to the initial investment and the amount of time needed for it to pay for itself... unless one considers resale value. Each person's mileage will vary depending upon individual circumstances, but I'm a happy camper.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

i have to atleast water my back yard or the 3 four legged creatures turn the yard to dust, then mud when it rains and make a total mess in the house. But I refrain from it as long as I can. These rate hikes blow!


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

First they lecture to cut back, so we do.
Now they are raising their rates so they can pay their bills. 
Result; I get less juice for more money.


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

Here on Long Island we have suffered from not just high electricity rates
but poor reliability. Superstorm Sandy in 2012 brought the electrical grid
on LI to it's knees. No power for 2 weeks! The utility at the time (since replaced) was called LIPA (Long Island Power Authority). One bumper sticker I saw said it all.
"LIPA's got us by the bulbs".


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Ah, it's cheaper and more reliable in Florida, but we're glad you all are not moving here.

4 bedroom house

Electric: August bill $329.40 Feb Bill $318.43 April's bill was $194.09
A/C is set at 77 24/7 year round except when it gets cold. Then the thermostat is set at 74 24/7. Also in the winter on cold nights we have two heat lamps going for the snakes. We run two refrigerators and a freezer. I've installed Florescent bulbs in most everything we use and am replacing those with LEDs when they go bad.

Water bill: $26.00 - $38.00 No sewer, on septic tank. I water the lawn once a week year round. My lawn looks as good as the neighbors and they water three times a week.

Gas: No gas. All Electric

OH, and the last time we were without power? 2004 when Charlie came through. I bought a generator a month later and have never needed it since.

TV Cable and Internet: Brighthouse $166.00 a month 4 TVs and wireless router. I'm sure there are cheaper ways, but Brighthouse is reliable and we get the stations we like to watch that most of the cheap companies don't provide. 

87 octane fuel right now is about $3.23 gal at the 7 eleven.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Tore out our lawns F&R years ago and planted nothing but drought resistant plants, replaced just about every light bulb with CFL bulbs, AC is set at 80, heater at 68, disconnected the dishwasher, and have a special bypass that allows drain-water from washing machine and kitchen sink to water plants on side of house. We get billed bi-monthly. Out of a $230 total bill for two months, $40 was for water so that's $20 a month. Electricity would be about $60 a month. Mostly from the AC use in summer. My electric bill would be less if I got ride of the second fridge in the garage, which is in the plan.

No cable, just over-the-air DTV, our local video rental store and Netflix


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

My average utility bills for the last few years:

Year Nat Gas Elec City Utils (Water/Sewer/Trash)
2011 $ 60.42 $ 91.70 $ 43.87
2012 $ 48.44 $ 99.32 $ 46.38
2013 $ 57.47 $158.50 $ 49.25
2014 $104.09 $154.65 $ 53.96

The numbers for 2014 are from actuals for the 1st half and estimates based on last year's for the 2nd half.

This year, Iowa's winter was HORRIBLE temperature wise (worst I remember in 60 years), so I think that accounts for most of the doubling of the cost for natural gas, but I cannot rationalize away the increase in the electric in 2013 the same way... It just went up 50%... Ouch! I do run FOUR dehumidifiers in my basement to keep my shop tools from rusting to dust, and I have a video surveillance system (PC) that runs 24/7. I have replaced my most used lights with CFL's or LED lamps and am replacing the rest as the present incandescent bulbs go bad.

I use an outdoor TV antenna in my attic with a broadband amplifier at the antenna to get the poorly designed "broadcast" Digital signals and get 7 stations comprising 17 channels (that I have not locked out due to inane content... well... more inane than the ones I have not locked out, anyway!). I watch one of the 3 PBS channels 90% of the time.


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Here in Central Minnesota we receive letters from our power company (Xcel) telling us we use more energy than our neighbors. We should pay for Xcel to come do their audit for improving our energy efficiency. Thing is I talk to my neighbors and their letters tell them they are worse than the rest of the neighborhood. 

Hmmmm... sounds fishy to me.

Down side with utilities, it's not like you have much of a choice to shop around.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

With the EPA regs forcing the shut down of coal fired power plants, not to mention limiting our offshore and domestic drilling, we can only expect even higer prices for gas and utilities.


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

Randy, years ago it was our plan to retire to Florida. Happy (so to speak) to stay where we are in NY. Besides, here I don't have to worry about my
RR (or house) disappearing into a sink hole.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Scottychaos said:


> I have never, and will never, water my lawn..
> if it gets all crispy brown in August, so much the better..I like the break from mowing.
> (no chance of that this year though..rain rain rain..)
> 
> Scot



Booming business here in CA, painting brown lawns green.


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Not much better converting your electrics to propane. My sister was giving $7 a gallon last winter. And getting rationed.


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Reading this I'm curious about the unit rates paid for electricity in the US (We don't have gas, and water is from a well so I can't compare). 

Typical energy rates in NZ are around 0.20 (USD) per kWh, with line charges and tax on top of this. We're currently in an old cold house till we rebuild, our mid winter bill last month was $500 USD. We can't wait to get a warm house again!

Cheers
Neil


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

Southern NJ here, 2,660 sq ft house.

*Electric* $769 in 2013, down from $831. I get those "how your use compares," and I'm pegged on the bottom of the range (I live alone, which is why.) Air and heat 74-75 all year - it's too small a savings for not being comfortable. 

*Gas* $1,148, up from $1,008; budget 2014 is $1,351, also impacted by the very harsh winter. I buy energy for my employer, and we got hit too. The daily market was unprecedented - January's worst day hit $123 / MCF locally, verses an historical peak about $20 and norm about $4.

*Water and sewer* $679. I don't water the lawn but did have to water some trees I planted this year in anticipation of perhaps starting the garden railway next year.

*Cable* $518 for an unadvertised rate they admit to in a regulatory filing. Only used for internet, as the TV hasn't worked since March. I really want to find a mobile provider with a better solution and ditch Comcast.

*Mobile phone* $390, another unadvertised rate no longer available to new customers, plus I have an employer discount. I'd like a smartphone, but again don't want to pay $1,000 - crazy pricing. I haven't had a wired phone in 20 years.

What's awful here is property tax: $7,567, and for lousy, incompetent government.

Personally I don't fear energy prices, I think long run energy inflation will be a bit less than general inflation. Sadly, tax has run at 7.1%.


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