Not starting a hate thread about cmp, but my electric bill is going to be the highest it’s ever been, probably around $380-400. We might use close to 1400 KW. We have an 1800 sq/ft ranch and there are 2 adults and 1 toddler who live here. I feel like something in my house is terribly inefficient because that’s pretty high. We have 1 heat pump, a heat pump hybrid water heater, a new dehumidifier, led lights, electric washer and dryer, 2 small chest freezers, etc. I’m not sure if we use an appropriate amount of energy or if we are using more than we should be and if I should be looking for an energy-guzzler somewhere in the house.
Comments
NoShip7475 t1_j4ajunm wrote
I heat 800 Sq ft for about $35/month on Versant here in Aroostook with the heat pumps installed.
appleshit8 t1_j4azht7 wrote
I'm just gonna piggyback on here so OP sees it because my shit is very close to theirs.
1990sq ft colonial house 2 adults 1 toddler. 2 heat pumps electric wash/dryer 1 dehumidifier 1 small chest freezer. Only gas appliance is the oven. Electric bill is currently around $220-280/month. House was built in 2021 so modern insulation and windows will play a big factor
marrymejojo t1_j48ymtb wrote
I live alone in a 900 Sq ft house. My electric bill is around $70 a month. In the summer it doubles because of two window AC units.
I don't have heat pumps, my hot water is natural gas.
InevitableMeh t1_j48z3sr wrote
About the same situation here in NH and the bill is comparable. Heat pump heat and hot water and electric range and dryer.
cafenegroporfa t1_j496f2u wrote
1400 sqft, 2 people.
$200ish for electricity
I have a woodstove and oil furnace.
Your bill sounds kinda spot on based on the fact that you have a heat pump and multiple freezers etc.
It’s getting expensive, learn how to conserve. My wife thinks i’m crazy but i unplug most things when not in use. You could also look into getting a woodstove to help offset the heat pumps during cold spells
jamoss14 OP t1_j496lyr wrote
I would love to have a wood stove, but installs would be 4-5 grand and that’s a lot of oil. We plan on moving in a couple of years so we can’t really play the long game right now
A-roguebanana t1_j490g3o wrote
If you’re not paying for oil that doesn’t seem too bad but check your electricity suppliers rate. Mine jumped to $0.40 because I wasn’t paying attention
CBass1891 t1_j4atkjh wrote
Electricity Maine?
A-roguebanana t1_j4auuqm wrote
Yup
kauaime t1_j491003 wrote
Single, large old home, crap insulation. ( crap home, but paid for ) Wood heat, electric hot water, fridge, small freezer, washer, dryer to spin only, led bulbs, propane stove and town water. Approx 200kw month ( 50~60$ )
PencillCat t1_j49bftu wrote
to add on what everyone else has mentioned, look at how much you use other appliances, especially the dryer. Depending on its wattage and how frequently you use it, it can very quickly add up (on top of everything else). I try to use mine as little as possible to save.
I have a 1200sqft house that's heated with oil and a pellet stove, and even though I only use around 400kw in the winter, the jump in price still hurts.
Minute_Map_6444 t1_j49bw7p wrote
I have a 1300 sq ft house and my electric bill hasn’t been more than $60 in at least a year, but I live alone and don’t watch much tv, usually one load of laundry a week, etc
nochedetoro t1_j49eltf wrote
We have a 1200 square foot house and heat pumps, no oil. We work from home most days and keep our heat pumps on 72. Our bill was $275 for December
Get your insulation looked at; my husband did insulation and it makes a huge fucking difference.
Majestic-Feedback541 t1_j49nqd8 wrote
Apartment, idk the size... I guess it's decent, two bedroom. My power bill is normally 20-40/month. I can't really complain much...
But this past bill was double the normal amount and I didn't change anything. My Xmas lights were all battery powered too. The only thing that changed was versant put in a new meter or something. Pretty aggravated because I'm pretty broke and having a super low power bill saved me for so long..
eljefino t1_j49ooyu wrote
1450 sq ft, $250-280 power bills. One "Mr Cool" 23k BTU heat pump on its first winter. Oil heat runs a minute every hour below freezing to keep the pipes from freezing. Also run a wood stove when it's below 15'F out, which is hardly ever this winter.
I've used about 50 gallons of #2 oil since Dec 19, my last fill up. It heats my hot water, too.
LED lights, one fridge, one full size freezer we found on the side of the road.
I think your dehumidifer is the culprit. Get a Kill-A-Watt meter, either $20 new or from your local library to see what it draws.
ppitm t1_j4908ox wrote
1300 Sq ft with gas for heating, cooking and hot water. Last bill was $66.00, although it was down in the 30s a year ago before natural gas prices went insane. Bring back Maine Yankee, please.
nicdagg06 t1_j494i0x wrote
I heat 3300sqft of 1850’s house with 66k btu tots heat pumps and our usage has been around 2000kwh…we also have heat pump water heater and electric dryer. We have two full kitchens including our in law suite. We also have solar that did only 400kwh last month, but produces about 75% of our total annual usage. Goal is to get 100% coverage this year with a second set of panels.
capt_jazz t1_j4b1wjb wrote
Any tips about getting residential solar? Thinking about looking into it.
nicdagg06 t1_j4b43uk wrote
We live in Camden and used a company called Solarlogix. They were great. Got a few quotes with no major differences, just went with who we got a good vibe from. If you know your annual usage, size the system to cover - with net metering it doesn’t matter when you generate vs use. We didn’t know, and also planned on getting heat pumps. So we did round 1 knowing we’d need to do round 2 after a year or so of measuring usage. I don’t recommend batteries- they are super expensive and with net metering have limited benefit.
Coffee-FlavoredSweat t1_j49lk0k wrote
Given the size of your house, if you were heating with oil you’d be burning something like 5 gallons a day. Times 30 days, times $4 per gallon.
So you’re saving $600 a month on oil, and spending $400 on electric. Sounds like you’re winning, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Or add rooftop solar. Save $400/month on electricity and pay for your rooftop installation in something like 5 years.
teeceeinthewoods t1_j49r3es wrote
I just glanced through the comments, but remember that both CMP and Versant now have special rates for the heating season for people that use heat pumps. You can save on your supply cost.
jamoss14 OP t1_j49u41w wrote
I called cmp and talked about it. It’s not saying any money but rather trading which months more expensive. May through October you have a much higher rate than normal to compensate for the litter rate in the winter.
Phyto72 t1_j4ctsl9 wrote
Wow, thanks for pointing that out! We got heat pumps last year, and using the calculator with our usage data from last year, we would save $400/year.
BhagwanBill t1_j49wski wrote
Why do you have a dehumidifier running in the winter?
appleshit8 t1_j4azqsr wrote
Yeah I can't think of any recent events that would have allowed moisture to get inside the home! Everyone knows winters are dry
BhagwanBill t1_j4b890l wrote
name checks out
joeydokes t1_j4bmuei wrote
Yeah, strange on that. I run three small humidifiers just to add some moisture
salvelinustrout t1_j4b8yst wrote
This is always going to be hard without lots more detail, but in general it sounds like you probably have some opportunities to reduce your bill. I heat a well-insulted 1200 sq ft house with one heat pump, plus heat pump water heater, 24 sq ft of heated tile floor, energy star dehumidifier, energy star air purifier, energy star chest freezer, energy star washer and dryer, one electric vehicle, and a basement drain pump plus usual household appliances, and pay $300-$350, but we’re on a time of use rate because of the EV.
- how often do you run laundry? Two loads a week is different from six loads a week, for example.
- are you on Standard Offer supply or some scammy third party supplier?
- do you clean the air filters in your heat pump and water heater and dehumidifier at least monthly? If not, they’re working a lot harder than they need to. Your dryer too — make sure the whole vent is clean for both efficiency and fire safety.
- are all your appliances and fixtures energy star? Light bulbs here are huge — with LEDs your light should be a couple bucks a month, with old school incandescents it’s probably $10-20.
Call your local library and ask if they have electricity loggers to lend you. Most do, and you can use those to get a better idea of what the freezer, dehumidifier, etc are using monthly.
The odds are very good that the #1 thing you could do to save energy is insulation and air sealing. A couple tubes of caulk to seal cracks around windows and doors is an easy first step. $50 for a sheet of foam insulation and can of spray foam to insulate rim joists can be next. Then look at Efficiency Maine for rebates on attic and basement and everything else.
MaineGal2022 t1_j4bzrhc wrote
As others have said, dehumidifiers are expensive. Do you really need that in the winter? Where is your heat pump hot water heater located? It can also provide dehumidification. With ours, which is in the basement, we were able to turn the dehumidifier off and saved $100 month.
Also, consider using only cold water for laundry. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/11/29/laundry-cold-water-environment/
MeanFluffyBunny t1_j48z2ks wrote
1800 sq ft house. Wood stove for heat. Propane stove with electric blower for backup. Maybe average 30 minutes of one electric baseboard on per day. One fridge-freezer combo, electric washer and dryer. Two adults. We go through about 500KW
hadriangates t1_j492a4h wrote
So heat pump is all electricity. Also check to see if they consider you heating with electric for which they charge more!!! If there is no oil heat then they will consider you electric.
hike_me t1_j497oko wrote
At least with Versant you can qualify for a break for heating with electric heat or heat pumps. (Excess usage in the winter is discounted).
https://www.versantpower.com/energy-solutions/heat-pumps/
> This is available for homes using electric heat and/or a heat pump water heater. To be eligible for this rate, 50% of your electricity use must be attributable to use of a heat pump and/or heat pump water heater. This is the same as residential space heating service rate but now adds heat pump water heaters.
hadriangates t1_j497rql wrote
Good to know!!
who-really-cares t1_j49fu4p wrote
They charge less if you heat with electric.
hadriangates t1_j49lj66 wrote
That is new. It used to be more expensive to heat with electric. My mother’s old house was electric and the bill would run upwards of $400 a month in the winter. Def not cheaper!!
who-really-cares t1_j49lrs2 wrote
That’s just because heating with electric is expensive. That is why they charge a different rate, so you’re less likely to freeze. They charge the standard rate for the first like 600kwh then the lower rate for the remainder.
salvelinustrout t1_j4b7kz1 wrote
This is true, but you need to call them to sign up, otherwise they don’t know you heat with electricity.
And whether or not it’s more expensive to heat with electricity depends on what electric technology you use. With a heat pump the only thing cheaper per Btu is a wood stove. With electric resistance heat there’s nothing more expensive except a wood stove that only burns mahogany.
who-really-cares t1_j4b9k2r wrote
Good to point out that you have to sign up.
Air source heat pumps are great, but NG is still often cheaper if you have it available.
Personally I only use Honduran mahogany, ebony, teak and bubinga in my wood stove. Not cheap but the ambiance is unbeatable.
raynedanser t1_j49338q wrote
2 adults in a 1200 sq. foot house. Heat pump, radiant heat (run by oil), 1 smallish chest freezer, electric stove, drier, washer, dishwasher, etc.
I think my highest bill has been about 170. Even in summer it is still about the same as we just switch from heat to AC.
emilyfenfen t1_j49382z wrote
- Heat is oil. Heat pump water heater. A couple years ago when we bought the 1250 sq ft house it was around 60-70. We have added a baby and appliances. Oh and the water heater.
hike_me t1_j4949ep wrote
I used roughly 1300kWh last month.
That’s with a 24kBTU heat pump with two indoor units, electric dryer, electric oven (but gas cooktop), full size upright freezer, LED lights, gas hot water. Two people working from home full time (multiple computers, monitors, networking gear) and one teenager. Under 2500 square foot home.
ThumperZero t1_j494yfh wrote
2-story, 2000sq/ft. We're using around 1500kWh per month at the moment. We have solar panels and banked credits so what we're paying isn't an accurate comparison. We have propane going downstairs and our heat pump running in the master. All appliances are just under 2 years old. Seems like you might be right on track? Though $400/month is a tough pill to swallow.
waywardzombi t1_j4954y2 wrote
1600sf with 18k btu heat pump on bottom floor and heat pump water heater with oil to supplement. Electric bill through versant was $243 last month. We’re still going through about 50 gallons of oil a month I’d estimate.
Your bill sounds about right to me.
[deleted] t1_j495wbe wrote
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BassPlayn_Mainer42 t1_j495y67 wrote
I see you Greta Thunberg!!! I’m not admitting to anything, and I recycled my Pizza 🍕 box!
Kidding, there are people (I don’t have anyone specific to recommend, but I think a local Electrician could do it, or recommend) they’ll come check your usage, and sockets/switches/appliances…. And help you find issues. Obviously, they’ll try to sell services, but a good one, will be Honest.
who-really-cares t1_j49fhss wrote
I’m in a very similar situation to you, but smaller house. 1300sqft ranch. Heat pump, hybrid water heater, electric dryer. 2 adults 1 infant one toddler.
We’ve been using ~850kwh. Using wood a fair amount though.
Definitely using more than before the heat pump, but oil bill is basically non existent.
endlessburn t1_j49jkza wrote
I am in a very similar situation, heat pumps, electric appliances and hot water, two adults one kid, bit bigger at 3000 sqft. Our power bill is about 700 month in january and 280 in august. But there is no other fuel bill.
Yourbubblestink t1_j49ptov wrote
Sounds about right honestly I mean a heat pump uses electricity, so does a dehumidifier, so does an electric washer and dryer and so do two chest freezers. Seems like some of your electric cost is also heating to run the heat pump, probably should think of it that way.
saigonk t1_j49puff wrote
3200 square foot colonial, my bill this month is $347. We do have a hot tub, so thats a fair amount of electricity. No heat pumps here.
Filled up the tank for the 2nd time in the last 12 months, we dont use a ton of heating oil, 2x6 construction with spray foam insulation and smart thermostats in the entire home. Makes a huge difference.
​
Entire home is all LED lights, inside and outside. Our biggest consumers of power are (not really in order):
- Oven
- Dryer
- Hot Tub
After those, everything else is minimal draw. (in the winter)
In the summer it climbs to as high as $500 for a month with the stand up A/C units we use in the home, my plan is to install a couple of heat pumps to dehumidify the house and "cool it" so that I am not using the ridiculously inefficient A/C units all the time.
meowmix778 t1_j49sg8z wrote
2 adults and children. Our home is 2100 sqft. We have forced hot air. Most months it's like 90-130. In the summer maybe a bit more because we're a bit stupid with our ACs and have them all over the house.
Winnihym t1_j49um7s wrote
3800 sq ft, pretty well insulated on about half the house, 3 heat pumps (4 ton, 2 ton, 1 ton), 2800kW last month. Just applied for Versant's rate, it's 50% off distribution costs after first 700kW used, between October and April.
polaris207 t1_j4ask9i wrote
You can check your usage details here, down to the hour.
[deleted] t1_j4at42l wrote
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VegUltraGirl t1_j4aufan wrote
We have a 2000sq ft 2 story home, plus a small in-law house. We heat with a wood stove and supplement with oil. My moms in law suite is electric heat. Our biggest electric bill was in July with 3 ACs going, that was about $350. With my mom heating her space (400sq ft) with electric heat our bill is about $230-$250. When my husband is drying cannabis, it goes up again as the room needs to be kept at a cool and dry temp.
AlternativeWay4729 t1_j4azy00 wrote
It might seem like a lot but it's not. Look up the amps specification for the heat pump. It might pull 10-15 amps at the peak of its duty cycle. At 220V, that's 2.2 to 3.3 kWh/hour, or 36 to 59¢ per hour of heat (10 or 15 amps times 220V for one hour = 2.2 to 3.3kWh at 18 ¢/kWh = 40 to 59¢).
If it runs half the time that's $144 to $212 a month (rounded: 30 days times 12 hours/day x 40 or 59¢ per hour). If it ran all the time that would be twice that. If an 120btu/hour (roughly 1 gallon/hour) oil furnace ran 12 hours a day at the current state average of $4.50/gallon, that would be $1600.
The only thing cheaper is firewood.
Junior_Wrap_2896 t1_j4b7wr7 wrote
My baseline for a 2300 sqft, 1980 cape on the midcoast was about $65/ mo. Oil hot water, line dry in the summer, 2 teens 1 adult. Have installed 5 heat pumps but they weren't all online until about Xmas. One was, and I wanna say December bill was about $90, but I like to only pay my bill every few months so I'm not really sure what December's share was. Also use a wood stove. Sorry, I'm not at all helpful!
I enrolled in CMPs energy monitor thing, where I can view usage daily. Maybe try that?
Mist_deBall t1_j4bglxi wrote
Dehumidifiers can use a lot of electricity and some will run 24hrs a day. Some libraries have a device you can check out that will tell you how much an appliance is using if you really want to narrow it down or replace inefficient appliances.
metalandmeeples t1_j4bixsh wrote
We also have an ~1800 SQ ft house and use about 500 kWh/mo in the winter. Electric dryer but gas range, fireplace and combination boiler.
New_Sun6390 t1_j4bk2jz wrote
Heat pump, heat pump water heater, TWO chest freezers, and dehumidifier???
All that stuff could easily use 1400 kWh/ month. Frankly, I am surprised it's not higher. Dehumidifiers use a lot of energy.
My usage on a less than 1000 square feet house is around 400/month but I have no heat pump, freezers or dehumidifier and we only do one load of laundry a week. BTW, dehumidifiers use a lot of energy.
Furthermore, the blame for high kWh prices should be directed at the supply company, not CMP. Standard offer supply comes from New Brunswick Power and NextEra Energy. They just jacked up the supply rate by about 40 percent. Blame them.
[deleted] t1_j490r3e wrote
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hike_me t1_j494dv2 wrote
Not out of the ordinary if you heat your home and water primarily with heat pumps.
Existing_Bat1939 t1_j48zwc2 wrote
I think it's going to be apples and oranges unless someone arrives who has heat pumps. I heat with oil and the hot water comes out of the boiler, so any comparison on electric use is way off the mark. The most interesting comparison would be if someone still has the old school electric baseboards from the 70's.