In 2012, I lived in a 1600 sq.ft. home. It was a 1-story house that I had renovated in 2006 due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Over the course of the summer, the highest the electric bill reached was $161.44. The 2012 12- month average for electricity is $96.35 In fairness, it’s worth pointing out that the home had gas service which added an additional $22 (approximately the minimum balance to maintain service) per month.
During the 2nd quarter of 2013, my family relocated to a 2300 sq.ft. home, located in Covington, LA. The new residence didn’t have gas service available, and I expected the $22 bill paid to the gas company to get shifted to the electric bill. Surprisingly, the electric bills from May through July of 2013 have ranged from $365 to $385 each month. Shocking!
The first steps of reducing the electric bill was to identify the existing systems and identify room for improvement. Since air conditioning is one of the major consumers of residential energy, I decided to start with the air conditioner. The outdoor condenser unit for the air conditioner was made in 2002, had extra cage wiring on top to prevent leaves from entering the unit, and was in fair condition. The air handler in the attic reached temperatures of 100F in an attic where the surrounding temperature was in the 90s. The air conditioner system would start blowing hot air through the ducts prior to cooling down the house. Also, some of the ducts were beginning to separate resulting in small breaks allowing cooled air to escape into the attic. Due to multiple issues, we figured it would be better to replace the existing air conditioning system than to continuously funnel funds into the existing system. Hence, we reviewed multiple proposals and have installed a new 4-ton air conditioning system with a 16.5 SEER rating.
The second step was to focus on the insulation, specifically in the attic. During the daytime, temperatures in the attic reached, for lack of a measurement term, “pretty hot.” The powered exhaust vent in the attic was inoperable. There wasn’t any means to ventilate the attic; No gable vents, no ridge vent, and no air flow. As a potential solution, I started researching having the attic insulated. One company I found, Wilserv (in Covington, LA), offered attic insulation services as well as a free visual energy audit. I requested the free energy audit and received the following information: a cost proposal to insulate the attic with spray foam, a proposal to insulation the attic with blown insulation, a review that my windows were in great condition, and a review that my attic insulation wasn’t adequate compared to today’s standards. After reviewing the proposals, we decided to have the attic insulated with spray foam. We’ve also solicited proposals and had two uninsulated garage doors replaced with their insulated counterparts.
The measures mentioned above have been installed since the end of July. Based on the last meter reading and today’s meter reading, I believe I have reduced my monthly electric bill from approximately $375 per month to approximately $220 a month (a $1464 per year savings). In a few months, I intend to follow-up and reassess the energy consumption of the house. Additional improvements are likely to continue…
-M
Update 9/9/2013
I have received the electric bill for the past month to reflect the time after all of the improvements were made.
July 2, 2013 – $385
August 1, 2013 – $367
September 3, 2013 – $191
I am very happy with reducing the electric bill. More energy improvements will happen in the future. For the time being, I’m focusing on reassessing the storage options and projects.
-M