Electricity
So, my first ComEd bill covered a 3-day period. They charged me $33.30. For those of you for whom math is not a strong suit, I'll do it for you: that's $11.10 (129.7 kWh) a day. Crazy.
I have a very good idea why it was so high. The starting figure was an estimate, while the ending figure was an actual. Since the management had been running the heat constantly throughout a very cold February (my place has electric heat), I'm pretty certain the actual starting figure was significantly higher than estimated. However, arguing about this with ComEd did not seem worth the stress. I sucked it up and paid.
In the meantime, I located the electrical meter so that, if necessary, I could call in my readings and avoid future poor estimates. Thing was, my meter appeared to be broken. I stood watching other apartments' meters spin -- some lazily, some at a healthy clip. Mine wasn't moving at all.
I leaned in closer. Squinted. Waited. And... oh... sure enough, it *was* moving. Very, very slowly.
This is all to say that I just got my first 30-day bill, and I was charged $16.65. Again, I'll do the math for you: that's $0.55 (2.4 kWh) a day.
I realize I'm being a huge eco-nerd here, not to mention cheapskate, and if you have read this far, it's probably because there's some unpleasant chore you're procrastinating on -- cleaning the bathroom, maybe? But I'm proud to have lowered my usage/bill that much.
It has everything to do with having an apartment that is actually well-insulated, such that even on the coldest days of March I could wear another sweater instead of turning on the heat. Unlike the last place, which was always cold despite running the heat on high and sealing the windows with plastic. I don't expect to keep my bill this low next February, but if I avoid another $10/day deal, I'll be happy.
I have a very good idea why it was so high. The starting figure was an estimate, while the ending figure was an actual. Since the management had been running the heat constantly throughout a very cold February (my place has electric heat), I'm pretty certain the actual starting figure was significantly higher than estimated. However, arguing about this with ComEd did not seem worth the stress. I sucked it up and paid.
In the meantime, I located the electrical meter so that, if necessary, I could call in my readings and avoid future poor estimates. Thing was, my meter appeared to be broken. I stood watching other apartments' meters spin -- some lazily, some at a healthy clip. Mine wasn't moving at all.
I leaned in closer. Squinted. Waited. And... oh... sure enough, it *was* moving. Very, very slowly.
This is all to say that I just got my first 30-day bill, and I was charged $16.65. Again, I'll do the math for you: that's $0.55 (2.4 kWh) a day.
I realize I'm being a huge eco-nerd here, not to mention cheapskate, and if you have read this far, it's probably because there's some unpleasant chore you're procrastinating on -- cleaning the bathroom, maybe? But I'm proud to have lowered my usage/bill that much.
It has everything to do with having an apartment that is actually well-insulated, such that even on the coldest days of March I could wear another sweater instead of turning on the heat. Unlike the last place, which was always cold despite running the heat on high and sealing the windows with plastic. I don't expect to keep my bill this low next February, but if I avoid another $10/day deal, I'll be happy.