Utility bills are too high
- Thread starter DakotaKai_fan20
- Start date
para bellum
Diamond Member
There are a bunch of streaming channels that are ad-supported, you don't need paid subscriptions. The ads are short 15 or 30 second spots, and much less annoying than the ads on cable and satellite. Peacock puts all the ads in a 3 minute spot at the beginning of the movie, and the rest is ad-free. Other channels like Tubi and Freevee put the ads in the programming, but they are always just a minute or two (still less annoying than what they do on cable or satellite channels with their excessively long ad breaks).
What I was paying for Dish a couple years ago pays for my phone and internet today, and I get Netflix with my phone plan). I have Prime video with Amazon and a bunch of free streaming channels, so there is always something to watch and I can watch something when I want to watch it, not some program schedule.
Streaming is great, cable and satellite companies are going the way of the video store...
Harry Dresden
Adamantium Member
calling me old but you dont remember what this "quarrel" is about?....or are you going to play stupid now?...
Zincwarrior
Diamond Member
They must be living in true mansions.
DakotaKai_fan20
Diamond Member
- Thread starter
- Banned
- #45
Nope, 4 bedrooms 2 baths. Mobile home.
para bellum
Diamond Member
Prolly 1800-2000 sf? Older, not very well insulated, aluminum framed windows, etc?
SC gets hottter than blazes in the summer, I can believe your AC costs would be killing your budget.
If you own it, you may be able to get some help with weatherization and some new windows from your utility or the State, maybe a new heat pump that's more efficient?
Zincwarrior
Diamond Member
Huh, ok. Thats legitimately weird.
H
Harpy Eagle
Guest
depending on the age of the mobile home there may be zero insulation so they are just great big ovens sitting in the SC sun
DakotaKai_fan20
Diamond Member
- Thread starter
- Banned
- #49
It is about 11 years old.
para bellum
Diamond Member
Well, that is not very old- it should have decent windows and insulation already, there's probably not much you can do with the structure itself.
If it was something from the 80's or 90's, there is a lot of room for improvement, but by the mid-2000's they were building to a much higher standard.
Make sure the filter in your furnace stack is fresh and the AC is fully charged, plant some shade trees and paint the outside white if it isn't already. You can talk to your utility about averaging your bill so you pay a little more in the winter and less in the summer, but it sounds like what you are going to use is what you are going to use...
Rambunctious
Diamond Member
- Jan 19, 2010
- 78,423
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Energy.... public utilities and food are not included in inflation percentages... so if inflation is up to 4% its actually much higher...
para bellum
Diamond Member
I looked up Dominion's residential rate schedule for South Carolina, it looks like about .14/KWh + a 9.50 connection fee.
I compared that against my highest month, which was January- I used 983KWh.
I have a lower KWh rate but a higher connection fee- my bill would have been almost exactly the same if I was billed based on Dominion's schedule. You are using a lot more electricity than me, so your bill would be lower here than it is in SC, because most of your bill is actual consumption.
My August bill was $103 for 484KWh, and it would have been about $25 less if I was paying based on Dominion's rates, (although I would have used more AC if I was in SC and not WA).
My lower KWh rate is offset by a higher connection fee, so they still get it one way or another...
Toddsterpatriot
Diamond Member
marvin martian
Diamond Member
Yup. This is why pseudo-governmental utilities that have total monopolies, like PG&E in California, feel free to jack rates as high as they want. They have the protection of the politicians who run the state.
para bellum
Diamond Member
I meant to mention prev, there are a couple other things you should probably do in addition to the air filter. On the top of your furnace stack is an evaporator coil. Make sure this is clean also- this coil is how the heat is transferred to the refrigerant, and if it gets dirty and dusty it will lose efficiency.
Also the ductwork- you can have an HVAC person come in and check for leaks, and tape everything back up if needed- especially the flexible joint that connects the two halves of the home. You want all that ductwork airtight so you are not just pumping cold air underneath the house.
Inspect the bottom board (the plastic sheet that covers the underside of the home) for tears or areas that are falling down, and make sure the floor insulation is intact. Tape up any areas that are torn and replace any missing insulation. Pay special attention around bathtub drains and toilets as these are the most common places for water leaks. This inspection should be done annually, and especially if you have done any floor repairs or had a water leak inside the home.
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DakotaKai_fan20
Diamond Member
- Thread starter
- Banned
- #56
I have an update. This month's cable bill was the same as the electric bil, 400 dollars. Jesus. Cable shouldn't be THAT EXPENSIVE. There are two DVRs and one reciever. I am cutting the cable with Spectrum. They price gouged the hell out of cable.
lafayette
Gold Member
- Apr 15, 2024
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- #57
DakotaKai_fan20, you are getting ripped. Our electric in the desert can be $125 to $200, and our cable is $18. We pay less than $100 for streaming services. No landline.
Ringo
Gold Member
You'll need a magnifying glass to see what share of the national wealth belongs to 50% of the US population. That red bar at the bottom is their share. It's the same in all capitalist countries.
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