Q. What are the most common causes of high electric bills ?
A. * Weather- Weather is the Number 1 cause of high electric bills.
Warm Weather - Even if you never change your thermostat, cooling can account for half or more of your electric bill during warmer weather. When you lower your thermostat to stay comfortable in humid weather, it causes your Air Conditioner to run longer, which increases your energy use.
Cooler Weather - While your heater may not be on all the time, heating is two to three times more expensive than cooling. Also, people, especially teenagers, tend to take longer showers in cooler weather, which increases water heating cots as well.
* Fuel Costs - One of the main elements of today's electric bills is the fluctuating cost of natural gas and the transportation costs associated with coal LCRA needs to generate most of the electricity it makes. These costs associated with fuel, now makes up more than half the price you pay for electricity.
* Electronics and appliances - Many electronic devices continue to draw power even when they are not in use. So, consider either plugging these devices into a power-strip with an on/off switch, or un-plugging the items when they are not in use. Examples include:
Televisions ( Larger LCD and Plasma Televisions use more electricity and produce more heat, causing your A/C to operate more often.)
Stereos, DVD players, DVR(Digital Video Recorders), Cell phone and battery chargers.
* Household - House guests, including children home from college, can use quite a bit more electricity - more showers, laundry, cooking and dishwashing, all of which use more hot water. In addition, the size, age and type of house you live in can impact the amount of energy you consume.
For a more predictable electric bill, sign up for SBEC's budget billing program. It evens out your energy costs throughout the year so you pay about the same amount each month. By knowing what to expect on your electric bill, it is easier to manage your monthly expenses.
Q. How do I keep my energy bill costs down at peak times?
A. Energy usage is at its highest in South Central Texas from May to October. As we all know, these months are the hottest months of the year, therefore we crank up our air conditioners and try to keep cool in our homes. But don't forget that South Central Texas can also have cold winters where we try to keep the cold air out and the warm air in. Follow these tips to keep costs down at the peak times:
Q. How much energy can I save by using fans instead of my air conditioner ?
A. The basic notion is that moving air (from ceiling, whole-house, or portable fans) makes you feel cooler, so you can turn up the air conditioner thermostat or turn it off altogether. Whole-house fans are a potential substitute for air conditioning, since they move large amounts of air through the house and require open windows. Savings from using a whole-house fan can be large (it uses 20% or less of the energy of a central air conditioner on a per-hour basis, although they usually need to be used for fewer hours). Also a whole-house fan provides good comfort levels when it's not too humid or too hot outside (night time). Studies by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) show that ceiling fans can save energy *if the occupants turn up the A/C thermostat*. Unfortunately, most people don't adjust the thermostat. Often people leave them on even when no one is home, which can result in negative savings.
Research from FSEC indicates that whole-house fan savings are quite variable, ranging from about 10% to 65%. This range is due to the effect of climate; a milder climate will see savings toward the upper end of that range. FSEC found that if the air conditioning thermostat is set 2o F higher when using ceiling fans, the savings will be 14%. (With a higher thermostat setting, savings are higher.) If the thermostat setting is not changed, electricity consumption will actually increase by 15%. FSEC's survey of actual behavior showed no measurable savings from cooling fans (i.e. in energy terms, the ceiling fan and the A/C were a wash). There is at least one efficient ceiling fan that uses less energy and has an occupancy sensor (on some models). Bottom line: Fans can save energy if the air conditioning thermostat setting is increased and if the fans are turned off when no one is home.
Q. If I want to levelize my energy bill, what temperature is best to set on the thermostat?
A. This depends on the weather.
- You should always set your thermostat 20 degrees cooler than the temperature outside if it is extremely hot weather. For example, if it is 103 degrees outside, you should set your thermostat at 83 degrees. (Air conditioning units cannot cool more than 20 degrees below the outdoors temperature.)
- · During the winter months, your thermostat should be set between 65-70 degrees. Try not to go over 70 degrees for maximum conservation and efficiency.
Q: As a renter, what can I do to help lower my electric bill?
A. Here are some tips for renters who want to save money but still feel comfortable:
- Set the thermostat no higher than 72 degrees when people are at home.
- Lowering your thermostat one degree will save about 3% on your heating bill.
- Lower the thermostat one degree every night before bed, and leave it down eight hours. You'll save another 1%.
- If the heat in your apartment is acting up, call the landlord. Never supplement your heat by turning on the stove or running portable heaters.
- Keep windows closed, even if it gets too hot. Instead, lower the thermostat.
- Before you have company, lower the thermostat a bit. People generate heat, so a group will make it feel warmer.
- Open blinds and curtains on sunny days so sunshine can help. Turn down the thermostat a bit on those days. Close shades at night to keep out the cold.
Q. Should I use portable room heaters to lower my energy bills?
A. With rising energy prices and a cold winter underway, it's tempting to think about using portable room heaters.If your central heat is electric, you'll almost certainly save money by using portable electric heaters. In fact, part of the savings come because valuable heat isn't being lost in the ducts before it reaches your living area.
If your central heat is gas, you might be able to save money by using portable electric heaters, but it's not something to take for granted.
Your local energy prices and desired comfort level will determine the answer. Also, a typical central furnace will provide about 20-times as much heat as a portable, depending on its efficiency. Keep in mind that even if the hourly cost of using portable electric heaters is lower than for your furnace, you will be dramatically increasing your home's overall power demand, which contributes to regional power shortages that ultimately can trigger blackouts and price increases.
We've put together the following chart to help you find out how much your heating bill could be reduced by using portable electric heaters.
To use the chart, follow this four-step process:
- Find your gas price on the left hand vertical scale and read over to the right until you hit the scale marked "Your Heating Bill." This is the hourly cost of running a 100kBtu/hour central furnace.
- Next, find your electricity price on the horizontal scale and read upwards until you hit the yellow line corresponding to how many portable heaters you would like have on at one time (one to five).
- Next read from this point over to the "Your Heating Bill" scale to find the hourly cost of running a typical 1000 Watt portable electric heater.
- Compare the two hourly operating costs to see which is lower.
In the illustrative example provided, a home paying $0.75/therm of gas and $0.25./kWh would save money if using two portable electric units. They would break even using three and would have an increased heating bill for using more than three portable heaters.
Q: How can I conserve electricity, lower my utility bills, and remain comfortable?
A. There are many ways people can increase the efficiency of their home or business that may result in lower utility bills without sacrificing personal comfort. In order to maximize your ability to save dollars, you must understand how your energy dollar is spent.
As one can see, the majority of you utility costs are associated with heating and cooling and water heating. Understanding the characteristics of energy use targeting problems associated with poor performers in these areas helps to determine where energy saving opportunities exist. Below are tips to help you.
Characteristics of Energy Usage...
The manner in which residents use their home will largely determine the amount of electricity consumed over a period of time. Therefore, it is useful to know much electricity is consumed by the appliances typically found in the home.
| Electric Product | Est. kWh | Electric Product | Est. kWh |
| Food Preparation | Comfort Conditioning | ||
| Coffee Maker | 2 | Central System | |
| Dishwasher | 30 | 2 tons | 1450 |
| Microwave Oven | 16 | 3 tons | 2100 |
| Range w/ Oven | 61 | 4 tons | 2750 |
| Food Preservation | Dehumidifier | 31 | |
| Frost free Refrigerator | 205 | Electric Blanket | 12 |
| Frost free Freezer | 188 | Ceiling Fan | 12 |
| Laundry Services | Water Heating & Supply | ||
| Dryer | 75 | Domestic Pump | 27 |
| Iron | 5 | Pool Pump 3/4 hp | 375 |
| Washing Machine | 9 | Sprinkler System | 28 |
| Lighting | Water Heating | ||
| 4-5 Rooms | 50 | Typical Use 2 persons | 195 |
| 6-8 Rooms | 60 | Typical Use 4 persons | 310 |
| Outdoor Light ( all Night ) | 45 | Home Entertainment | |
| T.V. | 27 |
kWh usage based upon average monthly usage
Q. What makes the energy rates change?
A. Energy rates are technically based on based on wholesale power cost. Other factors that cause rates to change are the cost of fuel and the cost of operating the system.
Q. G&T What does it mean? What is it and how does it affect your electric bill?
A. The G&T factor charge on your bill means "Generation & Transmission Factor." This factor was designed to insure fair and full recovery of all wholesale power costs paid by San Bernard Electric Cooperative. For residential and most commercial accounts, San Bernard must recover all power costs in excess of $ .0282 per kilowatt-hour by the G&T charge. The G&T is determined each month by two components, power costs and kwh sales. It works like this: If San Bernard pays $ 1,000,000 for its power bill in one month, and the total estimated sales for the same month are $ 21,000,000, then $ .006297 must be recovered by the G&T charge.
