Do you have a heat pump and strips or just strips? How big of a house and how well insulated and age. What kind of t-stat or brand. What is your cost per KWH and any other info you can provide will help out tremendously.

My first year in this house when it was new and only me (I was single) and 1650 sqft I used 6500kwh in January 2007 and it was a mild winter with only strips. Last month with 6 people in the house and a 16 seer heat pump with staged strips I used 4320 and it was a horrible December and I have had a ceramic heater running in the basement the majority of the month. I am sure we can give you many tips to drop that usage quite a bit that will not require a new system.

If you have electric resistance heat, that's the most expensive type of heat.

Countryboymo, where are you located? I realize your useage has dropped significantly but it still seems high. Then again, depends on what your temps have been, insulation, etc.

Thanks everyone - I'll try to answer the questions.

It is not a heat pump, regular attic blower
I used 4300 kWh's @ .11 per kWh = $505.00 bill
The house is approx 2100 sq feet
I have good attic insulation
Last month I used 1500 kWh (it was a mild month and this month has been VERY cold)
I've got a setback thermostat keeping the house 69 which really seems pretty cool
I do not have newish windows (that was on the home improvement list for 2010)

I've dropped the thermostat to 66 and have 2 sweatshirts and a sweater on! This is crazy. My dogs are even cold! Any more infor you all need. Thanks for the help.

eagle

post your general location. size of your home?

also brand, age, size, mdl number of both inside and outside units. you really have not properly identified type of HVAC you have and how you heat your home.

does your outside condenser run when inside air handler is operating?

post back.

TD

I've got a setback thermostat keeping the house 69 which really seems pretty cool A setback thermostat holding a steady temperature is no different than a non-setback thermostat holding the same temperature.

My house is in the Dallas / Fort Worth Texas area
It is brick home, 23 years old. The attic blower is approx 12 years old. I do not recall a brand on it. The outside air conditioning unit is an American Standard.
No the outside unit does not run when the air handler is operating when I am heating the house. I don't have a heat pump.

It is not a heat pump, regular attic blower
I used 4300 kWh's @ .11 per kWh = $505.00 bill
The house is approx 2100 sq feet
I have good attic insulation
Last month I used 1500 kWh (it was a mild month and this month has been VERY cold)
I've got a setback thermostat keeping the house 69 which really seems pretty cool
I do not have newish windows (that was on the home improvement list for 2010)

Does that help? Thanks everyone. Today I've kept it 67 all day and been quite chilly in the house.

Speedy I am an hour south of Kansas City MO. I know my usage is high and always has been seemingly high. I am starting to wonder about my meters accuracy but know it is very rare to have an inaccurate electric meter. I have made huge strides in my usage sealing and improving insulation of the house and ducts along with upgrading my heating system but always look to drop the usage when possible.

Eagle: I would strongly consider upgrading to a heat pump along with some good home and duct sealing. Heat strips alone with no alternative will make for brutal winter bills. Do some research on rebates available through your utility and don't forget the tax credit available. I have been there and the difference between only heat strips and a good heat pump system is 1/4 of the electric bill. You have a lot milder climate than up here but still..wow do I remember my first bill like that vividly.

With a good heat pump down there you should hardly ever need the heat strips except when the heat pump is in defrost mode.

At 30 degrees my 15.5 seer system consumes 15amps TOTAL!! to heat my @1700sqft home. My old system would draw 90 amps to do the same thing with no heat pump.

"It is not a heat pump, regular attic blower
I used 4300 kWh's @ .11 per kWh = $505.00 bill"

- That is your reason for high electric bills. You do NOT have a heat pump. You have straight electric resistance heat. The most expensive heat there is.

If you replace your a/c system with a heat pump, you'll cut your winter power consumption (for heating) by 40% minimum.

Good luck.

How old is that outdoor AC unit? If if is near the end of its useful life, now would be a good time to upgrade to a decent heat pump. It would cut your electric bill, and there are tax incentives. I'm not sure when they expire, you'll need to check on that, but you sound like the perfect candidate.

eagle

I sympathize with your frustration and cost pain. there is really very little you can do to control your costs. Straight resistance electric heat is the most expensive fuel to heat a home. what is so sad about your story is someone really screwed up when they did not install a heat pump which most likely would have cost less than $1000 more to install over a straight AC condenser. I hope others read your thread.

you might could get a good programmable thermostat to better manage heat use but with these extremely cold days the country is experiencing, you are really in the ditch.

with the available tax credit, I would update your system ASAP. I assume nat gas is not available but in your case even LP propane probably would be better than heating with strip heat. that might be a good place to start examining your fuel options and their related costs. an LP gas furnace preferably one that qualifies for tax credit might be your best choice. surely you would have a payback over your current situation.

IMO

I'm confused.

I thought HEAT PUMPS are only efficient if it's 40 degrees or warmer...IN cold climates once the temp gets below that, the auxiliary heat has to HELP the heat pump, and auxiliary heat is expensive? Am I wrong? I have a TRANE Xr11, I think it's ten seer from installed late 2004 and I notice the auxiliary heat does kick in at times when it's cold. My 1375 single story square foot home (Lexington KY) electric bill is 175 to 210 during a COLD month with the temp set at 67!

That $175 to $210 bill for a cold month with a temp set at 67 would be more like $500 if it wasn't for that heat pump. If you had something closer to 15 seer you would probably be more like $125 to $150 on a cold month.
The heat pump produces heat more efficient that straight electric strips down to 0 degrees fahrenheit.

My heat pump heats my house without auxiliary to down to 15 degrees. Although, at 15 degrees Fahrenheit its running constantly and its not the most comfortable heat. Same deal at 20 degrees. It runs constantly. At 25 its not as bad. It runs about 50 minutes of the hour. The heat from the register doesn't feel very warm. But its warmer than the room temperature. The fact that it keeps blowing non-stop in these cold-temps is what manages to maintain the indoor temp. Even if the register from the heat pump doesn't feel too warm. You won't get a crazy big bill by running the heatpump alot. You may get a moderate bill. Unless you have very expensive electricity.