Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

In the last few days while people are turning on air conditioners and gearing up for summer I've gotten involved in discussions regarding electric bills. DH and I live in a very very large 1 bdrm apartment. Our electric bill is over $100 a month (typically $120) and we have yet to think about air conditioning. All of our bulbs are cf, we shut down our computers in the evening etc.

Anyway, I was told the average was SIGNIFICANTLY lower and most people were in utter shock. Is this super high for a bill? (i've never lived on LI and had to pay LIPA so I'm not sure if this is the norm or not).

TiA!

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

That does seem a little high to me - I live in a 3 bedroom ranch - all nice sized rooms - I think my last bill was around 75.00 - HOWEVER, that will soon be a memory come the time we turn the cac on!

ETA - I misread - this is my lipa bill.

Message edited 6/2/2008 3:34:06 PM.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

I have a nice sized jr-4 apartment. My Con-ed bill runs about $75ish.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

I live in a 1 bedroom apt as well, 936 sq ft...and we pay $45-50 every month for LIPA.

Have the special bulbs, turn off lights when not using them, laptop goes off etc.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

That sounds like a lot. We've been paying about $135 a month for our house, we live in the dark though.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

for con-ed

seems about right

we have a 3 bedroom- but the 3rd bedroom is hardly used- the cats litter box is in there

our bill was about $175

then I got those light bulbs

and it's been averging about $120- with out the A/C

it really makes me mad b/c when I first moved to NYC 5 years ago- my bill was less then half that!

ETA- you have LIPA or Con-ed?

when we lived in a Jr 4 in long beach our electric bill was very high also- about $100 on average and super high in the summer- over $200

Message edited 6/2/2008 3:53:11 PM.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

that sounds high. we have a three bedroom house and a pool and I just paid $80 for last month. So that is without pool pump running yet, we have all new energy bulbs and it's just the two of us right now. We turn lights off when not in a room and the computer is only one to use it and then off. I would call them and ask some questions. Are you in someones house? If you are maybe there is something of theirs you are paying for and don't realize it. Just a thought.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

I live in a 3 bedroom split and we pay $65 a month. Some months it is higher but my bill has never been higher then $120. We use to live in a large bedroom and my electric bill was about $50 and $75 in the summer. It seems high.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

Mine is $220 for a 3 bedroom house so that does sound a little high.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

Mine is between 125- 140 on balanced billing, and we have a built in pool with a filter that has to run constantly. I really don't use my ac all that much, though, just in one bedroom at night.

eta- I live in a three bedroom split

Message edited 6/2/2008 4:33:38 PM.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

We don't live in a house, its a decent sized apartment building so my DH is all "omg, are we paying to run the elevator or something?!?" since its right next to our unit.

So its pretty clear that something is super fishy, but does anyone know what I could do or who to contact? Does LI have some 311 equivalent? I've been the electricity nazi for the last few months and havent seen a significant change in our bill at all...

any advice would be super appreciated!

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

I think it's high. I would call LIPA. We have a 3 bedroom ranch with a full basement; we wash about 4-6 loads of laundry a week (and I use the dryer for each load) and our average bill has come out to $80 monthly. This is not including central AC use. This is our first summer in our house so I don't know what the bills are going to be now.

Message edited 6/2/2008 6:19:52 PM.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

that is super high!

i have a high ranch and we pay about $130 for 3 months...so roughly $45 a month.

i am insane about unplugging things and turning things off. if only i could get DH to do it as well!

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

Now Im concerned about my bill...

I live in a 2bdrm apt.- 1000 sq ft. and my bill is about 113/month.

In the summer its about 175.00

We are not home during the day, I turn lights off when we leave the room, and the comp. is only on for a few hours in the evening...

I run the dishwasher every other day, and do 3-4 loads of laundry/week

ETA- Im on balanced billing

Message edited 6/3/2008 7:35:24 AM.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

I lived in the first floor of a house, two bedrooms in Long Beach. We had a gas stove, not electric, never used the dishwasher, CFL's, but I did have two fans and six lights running 14 hours a day in my orchidarium.

Without AC, we still payed significantly less than you. Average was $75, high was $90.

From my reading, the refrigerator is usually the biggest electricity hog. See if you can find out the make/model and look up the Energy Star rating on it. Older fridges are the worst culprits.

Good luck finding the source, and I hope you can work on that bill!

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

my eletric is about 120 to 150. i live in a cape. and my home is 100% electric

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

we have con ed two bedrooms our bill is 250

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

Do you have laundry in your apt? That could add to it.

I always thought ours was high, compared to our old place, but ours is around $75 most months ( for a 2 bedroom, about 1000 sq feet) & $90 in the AC months & Dec- Jan.
We have a gas stove which is included in that bill, and a diswasher, but no laundry.

Or appliances are older than our last place though, so that could be part of it.

Message edited 6/3/2008 3:35:39 PM.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

That's about what DH and I paid in a large one bedroom apartment. We pay double that in a house. If your fridge is old, that could be jacking up your bill.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

when we were in a 2 bedroom apt (upstairs of a house) we paid $140/month. we had an electric stove and electric hot water heater. i think the water heater was the big culprit. also, the appliances were about 15 years old.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

that sounds a little high. when we were in a one bed apt, our bill was about $60/month, then we'd get one that skyrocketed around august and then it came down again.

now we have balanced billing (3 bed house) and our electric is $120/month.

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

i live in a 2 bedroom apartment - it's pretty big - and we pay $44 a month - $100 seems high to me!!

Re: Is this Electric Bill insanely high?

I think it's high. We have a 3br cape and our average is $120 (many months it's under that) a month.