800 dollar Summer electric bill..Is this normal?

[zman]

I have a friend with this sort of Summertime bill, I just recently fixed his A/C and he had mentioned once again how high his bill was, 800 plus(summer) This has been the norm for years . He has 2 central air units one for each floor, an electric spa(runs 2 hrs. day),a swimming pool and 3,000 sq. ft 2 story with one Centeral air running per day on ocasion both.
I checked his power feed many years ago and it was at 224V. thinking maybe the main feed was low causing to pull greater amps. I have done repaires to his spa and I know he doesnt heat it contantly, just a once a week use, his pool pump/motor is 1HP, nothing fancy in good shape.
I was wondering if there was something else I could check for him, I know nothing about the power meters, I know his is digital and was replaced in the last few years by Edison but if this seems pretty close to normal then it is probably not worth pursuing. Just him and his wife so not much going on there.
thanks for any advice.

 

[mcgovern61]

$800 electric bill doesn't really speak to the rates or the amount of KW used compared to say your own area.

But a split AC system usually works well, unless the filters are not clean or changed monthly. How much insulation in the house? How much sun exposure? What temp is the thermostat set for? Are the windows good or leaking air? Is there a lot of radiant heat coming through the windows? Is the ductwork clean and properly sized for the fan? Electric clothes dryer too? How fast is that electric meter spinning?

Shut one device down at a time while observing the electric meter to see which ones are using the most juice.

 

[Ansimp]

We have swapped over to a smart meter(digital) after our solar system was installed. I hate the magic box feel of the new meter versus the spinning discs of the old meters ( 3 as we have 3 phase). When I checked my last expensive bill it turned out consumption was fairly correct and it is just that the electrical company keeps putting the price up.

 

[dan filipi]

Yeah what has been said, all these things factor into an electric bill.

I can tell you that folks here with swimming pools ALL pay DEARLY each month for that damn thing.
Anyone with electric cloths dryers and appliances especially cooktops and ovens they use a lot are paying the price.

Judging by the size of the house and all the electrics going that bill sounds about right.

Closing off room registers will help. No point in cooling a room they're not in but proper insulation makes a HUGE difference.
We vacuumed out the blown in we had, stapled on a radiant barrier to the roof rafters, and put in R-19 insulation.
We also replaced the old ducts with modern type.
This is now the first year in 15 years we've been able to turn the thermostat down to 78 and not have the A/C run non stop. It made a world of difference in comfort too.

We already have dual glaze windows and doors are pretty well sealed and there is still more we can do to insulate.

We have a whole house fan we run in the early morning to pull in cool inside the house.
This helps alot but it has to be turned off once the house is as cool as it is outside before it starts to warm up.
Closing blinds and curtains to block sun helps immensely to keep sun from heating up inside.
We basically live like we're in a cave most of the day to keep it cool as possible and help keep the A/C from running.

 

[thebro]

Is your pool pump running steady? I put a timer on mine and it doesn't run at night.
Roger

 

[zman]

Thanks everyone for the advice, This was one thing I couldnt help him on, my electrical experience is rather narrow in this regards.
I know the house is a 1936 vintage and it has tiled roof, windows are single pane and most original to the house , Giant pine shades the front of the home, nothing in the rear and is open to sunlight.
Bottom floor will stay cool all summer but top floor gets hot.
With the age of the house it very well could be chalked up to insulation, Next time I`m over I`ll have a look in his attic and see whats up in there, Gas dryer but does have an electric stove I think.
Maybe a proffesional audit is what he needs, My skills only go so far.
Thanks.

 

[dan filipi]

A home energy audit is an excellent idea.
For a couple hundred bucks they'll come in and ***** everything. Some utilities and contractors may even do this for free.

 

[slabghost]

1936 home is probably insulated with dust.

 

[zman]

slabghost » Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:32 pm[/url]":2wedcmmw]
1936 home is probably insulated with dust.

:smilie_happy:
Or 100 dollar bills..He says he has never been up there so I`ll go see, Maybe Al Capone stayed there :mrgreen:
Aparently edison doesnt do audits anymore, I told him to try the gas company but they probably are limited to windows,heat,insulation..Still that may help.

 

[slabghost]

If he puts R24 insulation in the attic and blows insulation in the walls it will make a huge difference. PM me if he/ you want to do testing on where to seal up that house. It probably has flow through air conditioning.

 

[zman]

slabghost » Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:01 pm[/url]":99648mnt]
If he puts R24 insulation in the attic and blows insulation in the walls it will make a huge difference. PM me if he/ you want to do testing on where to seal up that house. It probably has flow through air conditioning.

Thanks for the help, I`m wondering if my handy dandy laser guided temparature sensor can be used in finding any leaks, I was thinking with his air on I could measure around doors and windows and look for temprature variations, but maybe anything that would trigger the meter could also be felt or seen with a feather duster or something simpler.

 

[slabghost]

If it has the attic fan as some had in that day. Just turn it on with the house closed up. You'll be able to feel every tiny draft around windows, doors, wall outlets, and everywhere the house leaks. I pulled a light vacuum in one house and the entire kitchen floor lifted. It was one big sheet of linoleum.