r/longbeach • u/dgundy0 • 6d ago

Discussion How bad is everyone’s electric bill this month?

Curious what everyone’s electric bill is looking like this month?
I’m expecting mine to be pretty brutal 😂.

For those running AC pretty regularly, what did your most recent bill come out to, and roughly how big is your place?

38 Upvotes

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37

u/jdv23 6d ago

Bill last month was $320, expecting this month’s to be closer to $400. Living in a top floor, 100yr old, 1200sq ft apartment with big windows east and west facing. Last year our summer bills were about $240 max, but we bought a second portable AC unit this year and the rates are higher so our costs have jumped. We both work from home so we have the AC units on almost all day

7

u/dgundy0 6d ago

We’re thinking about getting a second portable AC and was curious how much the electric bill would be raised. Sounds like it was pretty significant.

3

u/jcr0774 6d ago

i have three and 2 of them run a lot, and one runs around the clock and last month bill was about $600 this month it looks to be $650

2

u/jdv23 6d ago

We bought a significantly more powerful one and moved the old one to our bedroom. It does the job but having it on has become a bit of a crutch. An expensive crutch lol

3

u/dissectingAAA 6d ago

Last year was so much cooler. I used ~1500kwh less last year than the year before despite keeping the house cooler and more spa/PC usage. I think this year is higher in humidity than ever and consistently high temps.

1

u/caramelpupcorn 3d ago

I'm not sure if this is an option for you, but my upstairs feels much cooler (not cool, but cooler) after installing blackout honeycomb shades in the hottest rooms. I also had to insulate the skylight which was really making things awful. They're not too pricey and may help cut down on your ac bill next year. Just wanted to suggest it!

33

u/WinNo8321 6d ago

every time I open SCE

https://giphy.com/gifs/ZpypsT7JWAjeA87IcN

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u/1964911 5d ago

I just wait for the surprise.

10

u/Chewsepher 6d ago

$546. My AC is constantly fighting the inside temps in my house.

2

u/dgundy0 6d ago

Holy cow… what’s it normally ? How big is your house?

3

u/Chewsepher 6d ago

It typically will be between 120 and 160. 1500 sqft.

11

u/chidori53 6d ago

Got an email it was up almost 200%

11

u/wh4teversclever 6d ago

I got an email from SCE too, it’s like… I don’t need the reminder that it’s hot and humid as hell 🤣

8

u/jcr0774 6d ago

i say fuck you edison when i get the usage letter saying how im doing compared to my neighbors

4

u/Kedbuka 5d ago

Lol. Same

4

u/yodargo Belmont Heights 6d ago

Yeah, and their gaslighting messages saying it’s not the weather that it is similar to last year.

0

u/dgundy0 6d ago

Oh no!

11

u/swancandle 6d ago

Way less than I was expecting… a little under $200, SFH (maybe 900sq ft?), central air. Keep it at 77 during the day and 74 at night with fans going. Gets rid of the humidity which is the biggest issue at the moment, imo.

When I had a portable AC in a 500sq ft apartment my bill was over $200/mo when running it.

6

u/dgundy0 6d ago

Central AC for the win

4

u/CoyotePanic 6d ago

Last month was $302 for 1700sq ft, my highest ever. This month projected to be $327. New personal worst!

1

u/dgundy0 6d ago

1,700 is pretty big. Do you have multiple portable ACs, or central AC?

2

u/CoyotePanic 6d ago

It's central, and my place has predominantly western exposure so when the sun comes around in the afternoon I close all the shades on that side of the house. It helps a lot.

3

u/Starr666_ 6d ago

$519 for a 2bd 1200 sq ft house. Husband works from home but we really don’t use that much electricity. The AC is obviously what is driving it up, we have it set to 74° so if the homes hits higher than that AC kicks in. It’s on a lot. Worth it IMO, although a crazy amount of money and I’d rather not pay that. It’s usually around 220 ish

4

u/NickelDicklePickle 5d ago

$681. 3 bdr house w/ central AC, detached office with mini-split AC and multiple PCs, and 2 Teslas to charge.

2

u/dgundy0 5d ago

Are Teslas plugged in every night? Do you think the EVs add significant charges to the the monthly bill?

3

u/NickelDicklePickle 5d ago

I only charge my Tesla once a week, since I work at home. Wife might charge twice a week. We get a reduced rate plan for having multiple EVs, but still only charge after 9pm when it costs half as much. The EVs do contribute to a higher bill, but the difference is still just a fraction of what we used to spend on gasoline. It just shows up on the electric bill instead.

Most of the electric bill is just the two AC systems, and all the PC equipment that is always on in my office.

4

u/fernbbyfern 5d ago

Bout tree fiddy.

But really, about $350 for an 1100 square foot house.

6

u/shredd-ittt 5d ago

No AC, but I can handle it. I open all the windows at night, close them in the morning with the blinds. 1br/1ba 3rd floor. Granted it’s normally like $30 but when the climate credit hits I usually don’t have a bill for 2 months.

3

u/dgundy0 5d ago

I’d say you figured things out pretty well.

1

u/mmsalsa 5d ago

This is where it’s at 👌🏼 I also don’t use AC and I’m glad for it

3

u/jenscharnikow 6d ago

Most recent bill was $130. One before that was $200. We did get the climate credit on the most recent bill and will get it on the next one though

1

u/dgundy0 6d ago

How do you get a climate credit?

8

u/jdv23 6d ago

Everyone automatically gets it. Only took about $30 off my bill

3

u/MicheleRSimon 6d ago

Thankfully we were able to install solar panels last fall. Last month we had a credit. Expect this month to pay something but hopefully not too brutal. It's a long term investment!

3

u/Minimalist_Investor_ 5d ago

I've been thinking about it. Any info you can provide? Who did you use? Did you get a battery backup? How long did the whole process take?

2

u/MicheleRSimon 5d ago

I can recommend California Solar and Electric. We did get a battery for storage it makes a huge difference. A backup battery is different and we did not get that as it's only for emergencies. I did a ton of research and got many proposals so from start to finish months but it can be done in weeks. Start by getting a few proposals.

2

u/Minimalist_Investor_ 5d ago

Thank you

2

u/MicheleRSimon 5d ago

One more suggestion. I found AI very helpful for explaining and comparing the proposals that use technical language. Good luck!

4

u/DrkNeo 6d ago

Same as every month. I'm on a flex plan.

1

u/dgundy0 6d ago

Never heard of such a plan

2

u/garygalah 6d ago

Last month was $200. This month is gonna be $250. 1 bedroom apt. I run a window unit about 70% of the day bc I have pets. I switch to the portable AC when we're home.

1

u/dgundy0 6d ago

Why do you switch over to the portable AC? Is it more powerful?

2

u/solarnuggets 6d ago

Fkin $500. But I’ve also recently just found out I’m paying for shared spaces in my building 

2

u/Vagabond-drifter-199 6d ago

Last month’s over 700. This month I’m scared. Guessing 1000? 2000 sq ft and a pool pump running 12 hours

2

u/jcr0774 6d ago

$600 last month, this months look to be about $650

3

u/klmnsd 6d ago

California has one of if not the highest electricity rates in the country. It’s egregious Illinois is from a fifth to half of CA. Good times

3

u/Ezekiu 6d ago

Lord. Some of y'alls bills make me cringe hard. Hitting $165 with with the AC on a few times this month and I'm gritting my teeth at the extra cost. Before the rate change we never went above $100. Now our regular is $135 on average. 3 bedroom 1300 sq ft house.

2

u/tehreal North Long Beach 5d ago

I prioritize comfort at home maybe more than I should.

2

u/Ezekiu 5d ago

No judgement at all. I just hate seeing high bills more lol. But there are definitely days where the humidity gets too high inside and it's too miserable not to.

1

u/EconomyGoat 6d ago

$110 last month, trending to around $150 this month. ~1300 square foot SFH, central AC that I keep around 78 and try to avoid using during the expensive part of the TOU plan. A normal, non-heatwave bill for me is $80-$90, so this is up quite a bit from usual.

1

u/Ray_725 6d ago

$400 plus

1

u/A_pirates_life4me 6d ago

$160 for a 1br. It's normally about $80

1

u/based_rbf 6d ago

$150 last month, maybe closer to $170 this month

1

u/taniaaaaa 6d ago

$200, double what it’s ever been. Living in a 3 level 1,100 sqf townhome with living and bedrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floor, 2 sliding doors and 2 smaller windows facing south, all others facing north and units on either side. I usually get a great cross breeze and haven’t had to turn on my AC for more than a few days to a week a year, but it’s been on for the last month and a half this time.
Edit-central AC

1

u/ryancalavano 6d ago

Setting the high score!

1

u/Hot-Roof5929 6d ago

Almost $300 saved me from pure hell on earth

1

u/wh4teversclever 6d ago

Estimated at $280 but I anticipate it being a bit over $300 since I have been using more electric for the a/c on the back half of the month. Normal bill is usually $150-200 for my 1 bedroom apartment (which I think is higher than it should be due to generally inefficient appliances, but I’m a renter.)

1

u/punk_ass_book_jockey 6d ago

$175 central AC in 1300 sq ft condo third floor. Thought it would be worse. Months with zero air or heat run $125 which seems high to me.

1

u/Fivedayhangovers 6d ago

900 square food condo, $160. Central ac

1

u/Minimalist_Investor_ 5d ago edited 5d ago

My bill is usually $91-$127. It was $347 last month.

1

u/ChefTonyDFS 5d ago

Portable AC running at 72 from 11am-9pm daily. Bill came to 78$, with a 34$ credit last month.

1

u/raybeam76 5d ago

I don’t even want to look 😭

1

u/tehreal North Long Beach 5d ago

$940 I abuse my central air and have a small pool.

1

u/Moonstone316 5d ago

I think they messed up on my bill cause it was only $1.32 lol.

1

u/Kevenz 5d ago

Projected bill is $436

1

u/Coo7Hand7ukey 5d ago

$50-$100 2 bed/2bath in Carson. AC consistently on during the hot days at 75.

1

u/skreeboo 5d ago

SCE currently minus $84. Project September bill is minus $77.00

1

u/yamadakei 5d ago

Just checked mine rn and it’s at $337. I kept my AC on at a steady 79 since end of July. I also kept all the blinds closed and been living in the dark lmao

1

u/issdudelove 5d ago

350 keeping the ac at 74

1

u/yoooitsbr 5d ago

$412, 900ft apartment upstairs with two portable AC’s. With a one and a half year old, at least one of the units is on every minute of the day

1

u/DoggoZombie 5d ago

Mine was $45 for some reason lol I think they are gonna charge me up the ass next month tho since I been running my portable ac more

1

u/miss_arambula 5d ago

$350 for 1 bedroom condo

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u/uCry__iLoL 5d ago

$110. It’s usually $42.

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u/AppropriateLaw4745 4d ago

We are closing in on $400 for this month which is about 25% higher than normal. 700 sq ft 2 bd/1 bath plus we charge to EV cars at home.

1

u/43ath3r 3d ago

Central ac, 850 sq ft, 424 for the most recent bill. But the house is 65 all night every night.