One of the thorns in the flesh at our previous rental house was the cost for utilities. Especially electricity in the summer when we were running the A/C.
We tried many ways of lowering our costs but it seemed that no matter what we did the dollar amounts on our monthly bills never seemed to go any lower. We tried covering the windows in the heat of the day, washing clothes in cold water, line drying, turning lights off when we weren't in the room, unplugging small appliances when not in use. All to no avail.
It all chalked up to a combination of poor insulation, old windows, cracks where air flowed freely in and out, the position of the thermostat and general inefficiency.
But despite some of the issues we endured at that house, we stayed because the price was low and we had a great landlord.
When it came time to look for a new house, we knew we would need to pay more in rent. And we knew we could go no higher than $100 more than what we were previously paying. Even $100 would be a stretch for our budget.
Well, at this house we pay $100 more than what we payed before. "Would the extra money be worth it?", we wondered.
We just received our monthly electric/water bill for August. Keep in mind that the month of August is a hot month and we have had a hot hot summer here in the South.
Our August bill has always been the highest. Last year we paid just over $300 on our electric/water bill in August. For a barely 1000 sq.ft. house. Other years, it was easily $200 all summer.
So we knew the August bill would be the moment of truth.Would we save anything at all by moving to a different house?
The answer is.... YES!!!!
Our bill was almost half of what we would have paid previously in August. Under $200! Praise the Lord!
We are so excited about this. If these kind of savings continue, then the extra $100 in rent for a bigger house with an extra $100 sq.feet will be more than worth it!
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2 comments:
Did you used to live in my old house? I know exactly what you mean about poor insulation and cracks in the walls. We only had one window air-conditioner for the summer. The house had central heat but the duct work under the house was destroyed by stray cats, so we had to buy a gas wall heater with our own money. The story goes on and on...
So glad to hear about your electric savings! We're in SC, too, and I am anxiously awaiting our August bill!
Glad you were able to save some on utilities at you new house. I have been trying to cut my electricity as I mentioned in my blog by unplugging hopefully it will save some. It also helps that our son went back to school Sunday, although I wouldn't trade him to save a few dollars.
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