I just opened my electric bill, and couldn't believe its $317. Even my highest summer bill was only 130. I have a 900 sf 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment. I am with the same company amigo energy. I have it turned down in the 70's and i turn it off when im gone. The weather hasn't been drastically different, and my last bill was 130.
Any ideas how this happened?

Alisa, I can understand you being upset! That is an extremely high bill for 900 square feet, especially since your summer bills were very reasonable.

It does make a tremendous difference as to whether you are in San Diego CA or Anchorage Alaska. So you might want to re-ask after furnishing that information.

The other key element is the type of heat you have. If it is electric "strip heat", your bill would be more plausible than if you heat with gas or oil. So you might want to mention that if you re-ask the question.

The pivotal issue is whether the dollar amount increased in proportion to the increase in the kilowatt hours you used. In other words, if the dollar amout tripled from your last bill, did the billed kilowatt hours triple? If the usage (killowatt hours) went up in proportion to the dollars billed, it is a "usage" issue. If the dollars went up proportionally more than the kilowatt hours, it is a "billing" issue.

If it is a "usage" issue, conservation is the only workable approach.

If it is a "billing" issue it could be the result of regulatory action (rate increases) , clerical problems or any number of "things".

But knowing the nature of the problem (usage vs. billing) will give you insight so you can address the heart of the issue.

As a thought, you might want to determine your daily average killowatt hour usage in the past and read your meter frequently so you will know whether you are using an inordinate amount of electricity before the bill arrives.

Hope this helps

I have an electric heater that looks like a small wood stove. My electric bill went from $95/month to $138/mo. It said on the box that it was "economical" to use…It plugs into a regualr 110 outlet.

Yes, they will make your Electric bill increase. Especially if it does not have a thermostat that controls the temperature within your room. The heater you describe will run and run until you shut it off.
You can save some money if you buy one with a thermostat that will automatically shut off when the temp reaches say 72, it depends on how long and how much you plan to continue to use it.

I know the electric company has raised its rates recently but my bill has been between $215 and $250 for the last couple of months. Before I was averaging $165 a month. This is driving me nuts!

Have you checked your bill to see if your usage has increased? You may not have control over the rate, but there are many things you can do to reduce usage. If you are on the south side you probably get a lot of sun, so thicker window coverings can help reduce heat gain. You can unplug appliances to reduce standby electricity usage. I droped my bill by $50 a month by putting my tv, vcr, stereo, and game system on a power strip with a switch, I just flip it off when they aren’t in use. Chargers also draw electricity when they aren’t charging, most have transformers, so unplug your laptop, celphone chargers, toothbrushes, ipod docking stations, and battery chargers and if you have a battery back up for your computer flip it off too.

My rent is 675 which goes over the recommended percentage of 30% of my monthly income. I make close to $1900 a month. Its a one bedroom and I have no kids or debt besides a student loan. How much will my electric bill be?

Your electric bill will depend on a lot of factors such as the size of your apartment, how energy efficient the appliances are, how well it is insullated, the weather where you live and your habits.

To reduce your electric bill: make sure all doors and windows are fully closed when you are running the heat or a/c. Close curtains or blinds in the summer to avoid letting sun heat an apt you are trying to cool. Set the thermostat a few degrees higher (or lower depending on the season) and consider turning it when you are away from home as well, such as when you are at work. You can also use fewer lamps and handwash dishes. Check with your energy co. some have lower rates for using energy at off-peak hours–for example in my area it is cheaper to run the washer/dryer at night then during the day.

Cable averages about $55/month but most cable companies have a basic package for about $15 which gives you 20 or so channels but you have to ask for it. Same thing with the phone company (assuming you have a land line)-Tell them you want the cheapest plan they have (often $10-15 less than the standard quote).

To save on food don't eat out as often, obviously. It is also usually cheaper to make your own food than buy pre-maid meals so learn to cook if you can.

If the house I am renting is poorly insulated (windows, doors, etc.) and maybe other things that would cause electric bill increases, could the landlord be held responsible for anything? also i thik there might be termites and i don't know much about them, what are the landlords responsibilities pertaining to termites or other pests ?

No, you need to pay your own bills. The windows, doors, etc were all agreeable to you when you moved in.

He does not have to do anything about termites, but you might let him know, they will cause a big problem long term.

If it operates at 1500 kws? How much does it add to your electric bill and is there a way to cut down the cost?

24 hours a day x 31 days = 744 hours x 1.5 = 1116 Killowatt hours a month. Depending on what you pay for power, this one puny heater could be costing you more than $100 a month in power. It really is surprising that people convince themselves they're saving money with these. Electric heaters generally only save money if you're willing to heat just a very small space, and turn your heat down in the rest of your house. If you want to warm everything up, electric heat is usually one of your most expensive options.

I have a small little space heater 1500 watt, but i always use it on the low setting. If used it about 10 minutes a day, how much do you think that would increase my electric bill?

A 1500 watt heater usually uses 1000 watts on the low setting. If you run it for 10 mins a day, it would be like having a 100 watt lightbulb on for 100 mins ( 1h 40mins). It would increase your bill but not much.

I bought a space heater that runs on 900 or 1500 watts. I usually put it to the higher setting and run it for an hour or two, once a day or every other day. Should I expect a significant change in my electric bill or is this amount of wattage low?

The 1500 W heater will consume around 90 units of electricity per month (for using it @ 2 hours/ day). Yes, this is significant.

My house gets a huge electric bill every month. Will turning the electricity off while everyone is at work and school save me money?
I only asked this because it takes so much power to turn things back on, and some say its better to leave things on.

take out plugs from socket when you are not using it
turn off lights when you leave a room
don’t leave unused electrical things on standby(still using power)

I'm asking this because our landlord was really cheap with the heat for Nov, and my roommate used an electric heater; now, the electric bill was kind of high and we want the landlord to pay at least for the electric that the heater consumed (I've been freezing for the whole time anyway). So, knowing what the normal electric bill per month would be, will help us a lot!

is your thermastat electric or does your landlord pay for the heat .for what you are saying your electric bill should be about 50 dollars a month without the electric heater.what was your bill before the winter came when you were only using the lights and the computer.go by that.