Electric bill very high
By Lena Kovadlo
@lovebuglena (47223)
Staten Island, New York
July 17, 2025 1:35pm CST
I got an email from our electric company letting us know how much we have to pay for our current bill. I was shocked to learn that the total is $333.07 for one month of service. I don’t remember ever having a monthly bill over $300.
Not sure if rates have gone up or if it’s because we’ve been turning on the floor fan in our master bedroom and leaving it on all night. Hubby even turns it on when he gets home and doesn’t turn it off. It helps keep the room manageable but it’s not really comfortable there temperature-wise.
The central AC also works a lot. When it stops working it doesn’t last long before it starts working again. And it’s like that the entire day, especially when it’s very hot outside. I usually keep the setting at 74F. Sometimes I may lower it to 73F.
The third floor doesn’t really cool down. Especially in the master bedroom and the hallway. And when I take a shower in the master bathroom, which is on the third floor, I start sweating before I even finish wiping myself. And the shower water is not even cold. Can’t have it both ways with Grohe. Either you set it so the water is very hot and as a result sacrifice having cold water or vice versa. There’s no option to be able to have very hot water and at the same time switch to very cold water. Guess it’s a safety thing so kids don’t scald themselves.
8 people like this
7 responses
@kaylachan (78835)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
2h
Centeral ac is a real killer. If it's runnning near constantly, might want to look into getting it checked or cleaned. It's working harder than it should.
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (47223)
• Staten Island, New York
1h
It was replaced by my parents. I don’t remember when exactly though.
@lovebuglena (47223)
• Staten Island, New York
1h
I wonder about other homes, how long does the central AC not turn on after stopping before it starts working again. Gonna ask my mom about hers.
@lovebuglena (47223)
• Staten Island, New York
1h
I’m gonna compare this bill with the last one to see if rates have changed.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (153506)
• United States
2h
We have a small house and our electric bill is $100 a month with the air always running. Maybe you should have somebody check and make sure there's insulation in your ceiling and walls. This house didn't have any insulation but our bills were never $300 here, no matter how much the air ran. Our highest electric bill ever was $150.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47223)
• Staten Island, New York
1h
It also has to do with other appliances. I read that if you use washer and dryer at the same time it uses more power and so higher bill. I avoid doing that. I don’t think hubby does that when doing his laundry if he has to do more than one load.
@RasmaSandra (87028)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1h
That sure is a big bill I hope you an get it lowered somehow,
@lovebuglena (47223)
• Staten Island, New York
1h
If the reading is actual nothing we can do. And we can’t just turn it off because it will be unbearable in the house and when we turn it back on it will take longer to cool down and will work even more without pausing, which isn’t good.
@MarieCoyle (46353)
•
2h
You have three floors of living space, right? I doubt very much your central air conditioning will ever efficiently cool or heat your home at a low cost. It’s working very hard. Add in the fact that electric rates have risen sharply in many, many places, and are expected to continue to increase, and you may want to really think about ways to cut back, and check all insulation, especially in the attic.
Don’t open any blinds or curtains or drapes to let the sun shine in, it heats up the house. Check your door seals,too. And you may need to replace your AC filter often as well. Every one’s rates here have climbed up as well, we all think of ways to save if we can. Good luck!
@lovebuglena (47223)
• Staten Island, New York
1h
We have three floors plus a basement. I keep doors to the bedrooms closed. And I keep blinds closed as well.
If I have to do laundry I never have washer and dryer work at the same time. Not sure about hubby as he does his own laundry.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47223)
• Staten Island, New York
27m
@MarieCoyle The dryer is in the basement thankfully. I dry my clothes on a drying rack but mainly stuff that says do not machine dry. It always takes a while for the clothes to dry completely when on a rack Usually at least a few days. Sometimes way longer depending on what it is.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (46353)
•
33m
@lovebuglena
That's a lot of area to keep cool and to heat, for sure.
Did you know that after your HVAC, your dryer usually uses more power than any other appliance? About 5 years ago, my daughter purchased herself, and me, a folding dryer rack. I have saved a ton by hanging my damp clothing there to dry. Not everything has to go in the dryer, plus, the dryer generates a lot of heat, too.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (177111)
• Boise, Idaho
2h
That's a hefty bill. We have Budget Pay where they average it out and we pay the same amount each month. Ours went down from $111 to $86. Nice!
@lovebuglena (47223)
• Staten Island, New York
1h
I think my mom had balanced billing at one point for her gas and it wasn’t always the same amount she had to pay.
