Summertime power bills: How low do you go?

Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (Full Version)

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[Poll]

We set our thermostat at 70-72

3% (6)

We set our thermostat at 73-76

6% (10)

We set our thermostat at 77-80

9% (15)

We set our thermostat above 80

1% (3)

We do not have central air conditioning

6% (11)

We have window/room air conditioning unit(s)

4% (7)

We DO have central air conditioning

8% (14)

We HAVE air conditioning, but rarely use it

4% (7)

We use ceiling fans

11% (19)

We use standing/portable/table-top fans

11% (19)

OTHER

1% (2)

Our summer temps are often 100+ degrees

4% (7)

Our summer temperatures are often in the 90s

15% (26)

Our summer temperatures are often in the 80s

9% (15)

Our summer temperatures are often in the 70s or cooler

1% (3)

Total Votes : 164

(last vote on : 8/15/2009 8:25:40 PM)
(Poll will run till: -- )

Message

Mollymouser -> Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (6/30/2009 6:16:14 PM)
When it comes to surviving summer heat where you live, (not to mention surviving summertime power bills), how low do you set your thermostat for comfort? And how hot does it get where you live? Multiple selections permitted.

LCannon -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (6/30/2009 7:13:54 PM)
Central A/C-79(78 at night)to take the edge. It's crazy to keep the house too cool; after all it summer plus I hate A/C. No substitute for a cool sea breeze even when the sea is 75 mi. away! Usually several short stretches in the 90's , occasional(rare)days in the low 100's, routinely high 70's to mid 80's in summer.

blessedinnyc -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (6/30/2009 7:38:22 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Harvie When it comes to surviving summer heat where you live, (not to mention surviving summertime power bills), how low do you set your thermostat for comfort? And how hot does it get where you live? Multiple selections permitted. Typically 78 during the day, down to 72 at night. Can't sleep otherwise. We live in a co-op, so I get to help pay my neighbors' electric bills.

saraimay75 -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (6/30/2009 8:04:03 PM)
When the humidity is high (which it is has been) we turn or AC to the mid 70s.

Szaftoo -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (6/30/2009 10:01:45 PM)
Our temperatures run in the high 80's most of the time. We set our thermostat at 78 and turn it off at night before we go to bed. All of our bedrooms have ceiling fans to help us sleep at night. We signed up for a special deal that allows the electric company to turn our power off for one hour in the middle of the day if they need to.

PastorPatricia -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (6/30/2009 10:14:21 PM)
There has to be some advantage to living in Northern Saskatchewan Canada - our temperatures can go into the high 80's and 90's but its only for a few days. We don't have central air and are quite comfortable with fans and ceiling fans. Winter is when our heating bills are very high.

Liveloved -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (6/30/2009 11:22:36 PM)
When we built our home, we put a whole house fan in our attic. It is at the top of the stairs on the second floor and blows into the attic so requires large attic vents. We do have central air but rarely if ever use it. I love my doors and windows open. And the fan cools down the house at night and we sleep very comfortably. It is a most wonderful and economical way to stay cool.

PixieSunBelle -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/1/2009 12:13:23 AM)
My dad installed a large fan in my sister's window... though according to everyone else it gets hot.... i don't though haha i hate fans and the air conditioner is my enemy [;)] so winter is the worst for me... i need lots of heat or basically i can't move or function because i tend to get cold FAST

Peloton -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/1/2009 2:11:34 AM)
Here in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, we are having our first heat wave of summer. We are over the century mark daily getting down to 80-85 at night. Bakersfield is considered desert as we get around 6" of rain per year. Our home has all the anti-heat stuff you can have including a very efficient, latest and greatest, central a/c system with an intake at either end of the house for better distribution. We program the thermostat to 80* during the day, stepping down gradually to 76* at night so I can sleep. Most every room has a ceiling fan. We have a lot of tile, it's cooler. The pool has the latest energy efficient pumps (main and sweeper) and it runs late at night. Our bill runs less than $200 per month. We are about half from what it was when living in an old house w/o insulation and duel pane windows. We also use blinds to make an air barrier between the sun and exposed windows. Mature trees provide shade in the summer and allow sun in during winter. Sounds like an ad for the power company, huh? But it works!

Mollymouser -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/2/2009 12:23:55 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Peloton Here in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, we are having our first heat wave of summer. We are over the century mark daily getting down to 80-85 at night. Bakersfield is considered desert as we get around 6" of rain per year. Our home has all the anti-heat stuff you can have including a very efficient, latest and greatest, central a/c system with an intake at either end of the house for better distribution. (sigh) We have a 30-year-old air conditioner and it's not cost-efficient.

danas_mom -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/2/2009 8:41:46 PM)
We set our AC to 73 during the day (72 if it's really muggy) and usually 68 to 70 at night. We use ceiling fans in every room that has one. We have a noisy fan that we use at night in our bedroom (I love white noise, and it keeps me from sweating to death LOL). It's usually 90 to 105 during the summer, along with high humidity. Our levelized electric bill is around $160 - $170 per month. We are all electric.

karlie -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/2/2009 8:56:16 PM)
Summer temps will easily go over 100 here...112 isn't that unusual. We keep the thermostat at 78, usually day and night. Sometimes, if it's a humid day, we'll run it at 77 at night so we can sleep well. We do have nice ceiling fans in every room of the house, so 78 with the ceiling fans going is very comfortable. Our last electric bill was about $250 which is typical for summer here in a good sized home running that cool day and night. If we had a newer unit, it would be more efficient, but that's not happening anytime soon!

_Cinderella_ -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/2/2009 10:46:27 PM)
Our old house had central AC, but it broke the first year we lived there and I let it stay broke. I hate when it is summer yet inside it feels like the arctic circle. I like feeling slightly warm when it is summer. That is what makes it different from that horrible season called winter. Now we live in a house with no AC, but it does have a swamp cooler, but that rarely gets turned on. We pretty much just used stand up fans. I like fans better than AC. Here we get a week or two with temps at 100*, but mostly it stays in the 80's or 90's. We had a fluke weekend in June where it was raining and in the 50's/60's. It was awful.

3cappuccinosmom -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/3/2009 8:00:53 AM)
Our last two electric bills have been around $35 We have no a/c in this house, just window fans. It has been in the 80's often the last two months, with killer humidity. It's the humidity that really bothers me, not so much the heat.

artemis -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/3/2009 10:34:22 AM)
We keep our apartment around 82* during the day and 80* at night. We have ceiling fans in the living room and bedroom. Our June electric bill was $130 for our 1 bedroom apartment. July and August will probably be closer to $200/month. ETA: It's supposed to be 101* today. Not too bad.

Mollymouser -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/3/2009 8:56:44 PM)
We're "blessed" with some of the highest electricity rates in the nation ... even if we don't use our air conditioner OR our heater, we still regularly see high power bills.

PrincessDonna -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/6/2009 9:28:56 AM)
It can go up to 90s or the rare 100s here, but 80s is the norm for summer. We have ceiling fans and window fans upstairs that we use only in the evening to bring in the cool night air. Our electric bill is always $100. We're on the budget plan. It would be higher in the winter though, not summer, if we weren't on that plan.

BlessedMamaofmany -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/7/2009 7:26:40 AM)
ours is always around 250. We're on the budget plan too...otherwise it would be like 600 in the winter. It gets wicked cold here. And I have a BIG house (over 3000 sqft) Our weather is the same as Donna's...we're 2 hours north of her [8D][:D]. I have lived other places though...that get HOT. H.O.T. We lived in Las Vegas for 2 years. We lived on base and had central air. Oh.snap. That was awesome. Our house was built of cinderblock too, so it stayed extra cool. We lived in Okinawa after that. Very tropical. HOT and HUMID. We did not have central air, but we had little wall units that were like 50 years old [8\|]. Mold was common. But, in both places our bill was nothing. It was AF housing and they haven't gone private yet, so there were no utility charges.

Pamsy -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/10/2009 8:35:32 AM)
My husband cant stand humidity, it doesnt bother me. HE always try's to sneek the ac to 68 degrees during the day in hope it will cool thata much before i notice. lol. Im already freezing when it hits 73. When he's gone, I try not to use the ac at all. The upstairs bedroom will get really hot and with the ac on, I push it up the stairs with a fan, then at the top of the stairs have another fan to push it into the bedroom, it works quite well. It is centeral air, but doesnt get upstairs very well. Summer is 70's and 80's, but some strecthces of 90's. Occasionally some years will make it in to the 100's, but htat hasnt happened for several years. Tho when it not too hot to sleep with out it, I put a fan by the window and open it up to get the cooler night air into the bedroom. The steady noise drowns out the freeway noise and early morning birds too.

Psalm22 -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/16/2009 11:48:11 PM)
I live in Alaska. 'Nuff said? Summer energy costs are low - winter is high, even worse if there is a cold snap.

Mollymouser -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/18/2009 12:27:13 PM)
I think I should spend summers with Psalm 22 and she can spend winters with us!

Consecrated2God -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/21/2009 9:10:27 AM)
I had to vote for several of the options--my husband and I are not compatible when it comes to the thermostat! Lol! We're always changing it on each other. I'll put it up on 76 and then he'll come and put it down on 72. I turned it completely off yesterday--we've had mild temperatures this week. He'll probably turn it back on once he notices. I freeze all winter--I don't like freezing all summer, too! But he sweats easily and works hard and likes to sit in the cool house when he comes home. In this house we just have window air conditioners which is fine for me. That means that I can usually find someplace warm to sit. We also have ceiling fans in many of the rooms, and again, he likes them on higher than I do.

writerchick -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/23/2009 6:27:30 PM)
I'm blessed to live near the ocean. It keeps temperatures moderate all year round. When I first moved in, I was a little worried about not having an air conditioner, but I've never needed one. I have loads of windows surrounded by trees. I forgot that I have a ceiling fan in the kitchen until just now because I've never used it. In the winter, I only have to turn on the heat for maybe a couple weeks out of the whole season. Those aren't consecutive days. That said, what I save in electric/gas I'm sure goes to rent. But to me, it's worth it.

W.O.F. -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/28/2009 11:54:14 AM)
It can get into the upper 90 and lower 100s here..with 100 percent humidity at times. We don't run the ac unless the humidity is extremely high or my youngest son starts having problems breathing due to the humidity, or until the temps reach 95 or above. We never turn the thermostat below 80 (unless we have guests....)...we use fans, etc. It keeps it cooler that way and uses less electricity to run the AC at 80 and have a couple ceiling fans/floor fans going. At night, we turn it up to 83. MOST of the time, we have windows open and the fans running... our average summer bill is 75.00. IT can be higher (if we get a really long hot spell) or can be lower (like this summer...which has been incredibly mild on the humidty department for the most part.)

beebee047 -> RE: Summertime power bills: How low do you go? (7/31/2009 1:37:07 PM)
I'm actually really fortunate- I live in an apartment that's partially underground (in the basement level of a building), and it stays nice and cool all summer long down there. If it gets really hot, I open all the windows and the cross-breeze I get makes things bearable. I've only had to turn my fan on twice, and that was because I was cleaning and needed to vent the dust out the window!

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