What is average electric bill in summer in Austin based on SQ Footage?

Question

My electric bill for a 3100 Sq. House is 860 per month this summer. I am new in Austin. I am wondering how far out of average range this is. Can someone share their experience. I don't have gas at all.

Answer 1

That sounds about right if you have outside lighting,and a well or pool.

Answer 2

I pay about $125 per month for electricity in the summer for approx 850sq ft apartment with window AC units in Hyde Park.  In the cooler months its about $90.

Answer 3

It actually depends on the age of your house.  If you have an older home you may be able to contact the electric company and the city and get a list of utilities that will help reduce your bill and give you a few perks.  I know they give a rebate on energy efficient utilities and they also have an energy program to help reduce your bill.

Thanks,

Tone

Apartment Home Specialist

http://www.apartmenthomeliving.com

Answer 4

I'm in nearby San Antonio.  When we first arrived, our 950 sq ft apt had a bill of $300+ each month the first summer.  We thought that was normal, coming from cooler temperatures and swamp coolers.  Well, it wasn't.  Turned out the air conditioning unit needed to be serviced and we had poor insulation and weather stripping.

I know we don't share municipal services, but you should probably expect a bill 1/10 of your total square footage.  We now own a 1700 square foot house and our electric bills rarely hit $200 now.  On average, $170 is reasonable.  Our rates just went up though, so they'll probably hit $200+ more often now.

Also consider how you conserve.  Our home is Energy Star certified, with the best insulation, windows, and appliances to conserve energy.  The builder does it standard, so we didn't pay extra.  We also use only energy-saving bulbs, which are expensive to start with, but lower the monthly cost.  We also *try* to keep lights and TV's off when someone's not in a room (when I say "we" I mean I am my kids' lightswitch n**i).  We also turn computers off at night and have a thermostat that regulates temperature throughout the day (75 at night and while we're gone, and 72 when we're home).

Often, the electric company will do free energy conservation assesments, sending someone to your house to check your weather seals on  your doors & windows and help identify energy sinks in your house.  

If you're taking the proper conservation steps and your bill is still high, you should have your air conditioning unit serviced.

Answer 5

It seems high, but if you have vaulted ceilings, recessed lighting, West-facing windows, insufficient insulation, two stories, a pre-1993 fridge, leaky attic duct work, black roof shingles, etc, etc, etc it will add up on your electric bill.  

I do know that most everyone's electricity usage doubled from May to June, since it was the hottest June on record and the vast majority of most people's usage is for air conditioning.  

You can always give Austin Energy a call for an energy audit, and also check your meter and make sure your actual usage is in line with what they are billing you for, because they often will estimate it (if you don't have one of the new meters) since they don't check the meters every month in lots of places.

Ours was $40 for electric in June, but our house is only 720sf and we have a lot of energy saving upgrades.

http://www.austinenergy.com/energy%20eff...