Electric bill doubled

[Lazy8s]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: Lazy8s

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Call them and they can pull the records from last year and the year before, etc and see what the trend is for those months. If it is different then have them replace the meter. Some companies will just replace it other will place a special device on there that audits the meter.

Yeah the bill went from $93 last year to over $200 this year without a change in energy cost.

This is my usage for the last year or so.
I live in an apartment about the same sq ft. and also use a heat pump.
I'm a bit further north , about 100 miles south of Raleigh, NC. So I would not think your usage would be that much different.

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/627/71440497.jpg

You can see how months from last year compare almost the same with this year.

Yeah, that is about right. My fiance likes it extra warm so in the past we use 1,000 or 1,100 KWH in the winter but still...1,750!? That is a massive jump. I called my apartment manager and supposedly she is going to send someone out to look. However, it took 3 days to get someone to look at the water that was leaking from the ceiling in my bathroom so I can only imagine how long this will take....

 

[compman25]

Does it have a filter? When was the last time it was changed?

 

[IGBT]

wait till cap/trade hits. most of you guys will end up camping in your house running around with flashlights.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: trmiv

Originally posted by: Lazy8s

Originally posted by: trmiv
Is the air coming out of the vents much warmer than the room temp when the heater is running? If so maybe you have the emergency heat turned on on your thermostat? Check it to make sure that is not set. Or maybe the heat pump isn't working correctly and the heating coils are turning on all the time to compensate? I had this happen recently when our heat pump decided to stop turning on. I didn't notice it for a good three weeks since the heat pump is pretty quiet anyway. It ran my bill up $100 that month.

The air coming out is warmer than would be comfortable if the entire room was filled with air that hot, but whether I turn my heat up a few degrees above the room temp or all the way it comes out the same temp. I read that with a heat pump if the room is 70 degrees and I set it to 72 the air should come out cooler than if I turn it to 90 since turning it to 90 will cause emergency coils to kick in. For me the air comes out the same temp whether I set it to 72 or 90. Maybe a problem there?

Also, there is no emergency heat setting. I just have a temp slider and there is a heat/off/cool switch on the side.

Not that I'm an expert or anything, but it sounds like the heating coils are coming on constantly. Unless it's around or below freezing, or you are cranking the heat up to a ridiculous level, the aux heat should not be coming on. The air coming out of the vents with a heat pump shouldn't be much warmer than the room temp unless the aux heat is on. Call your apartment maintenance people and have them look at it.

No you are right. His heat is on emergency heat and not using the heat pump part. That is why the meter is moving so fast.

OP you need to find out why your EH is coming on like that. Unless it gets really cold it should come on like that. Does your thermostat have a "Cold" "Off" "Heat" "Emer. Heat" type switch? If so make sure it is not on Em. Heat. Even then you need to have it looked at to make sur eit and/or a switch hs not gone bad. You problem is not with the power company but a bad Heat system.