[quote=Former SD resident]bg- I’m jealous of your bill, even on months where we haven’t run AC our bill is still close to 200! we have a pool so the pump runs everyday but I can’t imagine it takes that much electricity. must be all that laundry I’m doing all the time :). may need to switch to gas…[/quote]
Absolutely, switch to gas cooktop, gas water heater and gas dryer. And gas furnace if you can afford it and will keep your residence at least ten more years. Or whatever of those items you DON’T have as gas now. I was told this by my first LL in the seventies, when I moved here. Back then, I lived in 1920’s apts which had gas stoves where you had to light the oven first, boiler rooms for heat and gas dryers in the laundry rooms. SD has always been one of the highest-priced cities/counties in the nation for electricity and so I have NEVER had any of the above as electric in any of my homes.
Yes, pool pumps use a LOT of electricity, ESP in the winter when you try to heat an in-ground spa. Back in the mid-’90’s, we figured it cost us $7.45 for ONE TIME to heat our in-ground spa to 102 deg in the dead of winter. It took 45 mins to heat it up, only to sit in it for 20 mins to an hr. Then the next night we wanted to use it, we had to heat it up all over again (it had a plastic bubble cover cut to fit). Above-ground redwood tubs are less than half the price to heat, because they have a very thick folding cover to hold in the heat. I have no doubt that pool utilities are twice that now.
I don’t have AC and am situated only ~1 mile inland (technically, ~2 mi … from Strand State Beach). The whole house fan installed by the owner before me comes in handy about once per year … like NOW. It doesn’t use up anywhere NEAR the electricity that A/C does but you have to get used to the blower sound.
A couple of other things making my bill low (it’s been as low as the “baseline” (abt $33).
I understand the vast majority of Piggs prefer a *newer* house but you can’t insulate under a slab foundation. Many houses built prior to ~1960 have a 3-4′ crawlspace. Thick insulation can be attached right under the floor and all the way to the stemwalls, still leaving enough space to crawl around and sit up under there to work on plumbing, etc. Installing thick insulation in the walls, attic and attached to the subfloor in the crawlspace saves a LOT on utilities.
I only have about 7-10 loads of laundry per month and use a gas dryer. I only run the d/w once per week. I wash the dishes I use every day by hand.
In the past several years, I have only had 1.5 to 2 people residing in my home because my last kid stays with their dad, also. In addition, I’m not home for a few weeks per year (varies by year) and my pet-sitter(s) don’t use much utilities.
FSD, hopefully you are in an older home in the urban OC which has a crawlspace you can insulate. Besides making sure the above 4 appls/systems are gas, if you can install heavy insulation all around, I think you could see at least a ~$75 mo reduction on your utility bill.
