Still chasing high energy bills, it's crazy, we did the new insulation in the attic, and our hours used are less than last year, not significant though, and of course with the increased costs, the bill for less power this year is more than a year ago on higher use.

Signed up with a Time of Use billing plan at the beginning of August, but they didn't activate it until this billing cycle. Basically power costs after midnight to 6 am are significantly less so I've changed the pool pump timer to run in that time frame. Power use after 9 is more than the midnight time frame but less than normal peak which is 6 to 9 pm.



So we'll see what happens there.

Thinking a system like the Sense Flex Home Energy Monitor Link would be good to use to ID the power hogs and what in particular is using how much power and at what time of day.

At least be able to determine what power the AC is using how much of the monthly bill is AC, Pool, Fridge, Dishwasher, dryer and other misc so we can fine tune the use.

We're down to windows/doors from single pane to double pane and a new AC unit with higher seer or turning everything off in the house LOL

Thinking too about adding more of the wifi based smart plugs to turn off things we don't need to be on such as room fans, tv, phone chargers, anything drawing power, the only thing is, do the smart plugs draw less power than having an item on.

Xcel energy installed a smartmeter in our house a short time ago. We opted out of the flex billing, opting for a flat rate since we both mostly work from home. The meter can determine what is using energy and when. It breaks it out to consumer electronics, kitchen appliances, heating/cooling and lighting. Probably more.

You may already have that functionality.

Can you get your electric utility to perform an energy audit? If they use one of those IR cameras on the house envelope it might show some surprising heat loss areas you weren’t aware of.

quote:

Originally posted by scratchy:
Xcel energy installed a smartmeter in our house a short time ago. We opted out of the flex billing, opting for a flat rate since we both mostly work from home. The meter can determine what is using energy and when. It breaks it out to consumer electronics, kitchen appliances, heating/cooling and lighting. Probably more.

You may already have that functionality.

Was the installation mandatory or voluntary?

quote:

Originally posted by Cookster:
Was the installation mandatory or voluntary?

Mandatory. with the option to opt out of flex billing.

I think a monitoring system is a waste of money . It's not hard to figure out what your appliances use and what times are highest in usage . A little investigation and some common sense will accomplish what you need .

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
We're down to windows/doors from single pane to double pane ...

I would expect you're bleeding a lot of energy from those old single-glazed windows--due to both conduction and UV transmission.

You wrote "still chasing." I presume there's another thread where you first discussed your high energy costs?

Just how many windows (and door walls or French doors?) are we talking about, and how big?

The windows in Casa Ensigmatic are all pretty big--especially in the living and family rooms.

The family room, in particular. It has a large three-section window that, along with the door wall, comprises over 40% of the area on that wall. I shudder to think about the losses through that glass were it still single-glazed.

Even with good, double-glazed windows we still sometimes close some of the curtains during the daytime on exceptionally cold winter days or when the sun's blasting through them on exceptionally hot summer days.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by HRK:


Even with good, double-glazed windows we still sometimes close some of the curtains during the daytime on exceptionally cold winter days or when the sun's blasting through them on exceptionally hot summer days.

That's some of that common sense I was talking about .

I am not an engineer and these projects are not fun for me. It is just too much trouble. I will just work more. Good luck and have fun.

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by HRK:


Even with good, double-glazed windows we still sometimes close some of the curtains during the daytime on exceptionally cold winter days or when the sun's blasting through them on exceptionally hot summer days.

That's some of that common sense I was talking about .

We do that, front windows (south facing) have been tinted with High Performance energy film to reduce UV and heat, it works quite well, as it can with SP windows and they all have 2 inch heavy blinds that are closed, drapes are not an option.

We have 20+ windows 2 french doors, 2 very large sliders, some non opening windows like ensigmatic, last estimates without doing the doors, decorative windows was in $30's.

All bulbs have been replaced with LEDs, we don't have any older appliances, stove is propane,

Basically it's the AC, Pool Pump and Dryer that are 220 power users, and the AC and Pool pump are the longest running items.

I'm just curious of the power we use, how much is attributable to what device appliance, before say investing in a new $15K+ high seer AC unit and if so, what would we gain in power reduction.

I have a Sense energy monitor. It gets more useful the longer you have it as it identifies your various devices. I cannot say it has saved me any money because the wife is in menopause and keeps the house like a meat locker, but it does give insights into your energy usage. At least I can predict exactly what this month’s bill will be. If you have solar, the sense is even cooler as it will show both usage and generation together.

It is very easy to install. Put the clamps on your mains, land two wires on a 240v breaker, and you’re done. Join your Wi-Fi network too, of course.

My wife hates it. I can be two states away and call her up and ask “How in the hell are you using 12kw of power??!” Another useful feature is if you leave the house and you wonder if you left your stove on. Just open the app and look for the appliance to see if it’s using any power.

I don't trust the energy companies any longer. When we were building our current house we were thinking we might keep the previous house but once our current house was compete we were not spending any time what so ever at our other house. We had the thermostat set to 85 degrees so if we did plan to stay a weekend or something it wouldn't take long for the AC to get down to 74.

Our utility bills barely changed what so ever. Even our water bill was the same when we weren't even using any water.

I called the utility companies after 4 months of this and told them exactly what I explained above and low and behold everything dropped considerably the next month.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by selogic:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by ensigmatic:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by HRK:

Basically it's the AC, Pool Pump and Dryer that are 220 power users, and the AC and Pool pump are the longest running items……

I don’t remember if I commented in any of your previous posts but things to consider include:

1. Insulation in your attic. I know many people in the South blow off insulation thinking that it’s just for the cold but it’s just as important for cooling.

2. Low E double glazed high performance windows will absolutely make a huge difference in not only your bill but your comfort level. Of course this is one of the most expensive fixes…

3. Your pool pump. When we bought our beach house our first summer bill was averaging $800 per month! One of the things we did was to put our pool pump on a timer to run for about 6 to 8 hours during the night. This alone saved us hundreds per month and did not affect the pool water quality.

4. Your heat pump. How old is it and what is its SEER rating. If it’s over 10 years old it might be worth considering replacing it. If it’s over 15 years old it is definitely worth replacing it. If you get a new one with a SEER rating of 18 or better (I think) it will be eligible for a 30% federal tax credit plus any state or utility incentive that may be available.

We sold our beach house last year and bought a nice home in the mountains of NC (no more hurricanes for us!). In asking the previous owner what his utility bills were he said he paid about $4000 a year! I almost had a heart attack! After we bought the house I had the attic insulation beefed up and replaced one of the heat pumps and changed all the lighting to LED. Our utility bill over the last 12 months were a total of $1547 and the house is much more comfortable.