Our electricity provider offers a plan which averages out the monthly payments over the entire year so, rather than get hit by massive bills for three months, we rarely pay over $130. You might want to see if your provider offers something similar.
We’re not all-electric though; heat is natural gas, which is included in the condo fee.
But, I don’t want that - it hides our power consumption.
As for solar - I’m looking into it. I want to install it without any “lease” or management company, so I need to find out if there are independent contractors that can do it legally.
Turns out, the panels are the cheapest part of the system,.
That sounds about right. They keep getting cheaper. I had installed my first set about 2003 and then expanded in 2010. The panels had dropped a lot in that time.
Humans have thousands of years of learning to cope with cold weather, and 40F is not close to fatal with proper clothing. Yes, cold weather kills poor people who have no shelter. Hot weather also kills people every year, mostly older people without AC.
There are very few places where it gets cold enough that i can’t comfortably do stuff outdoors most of the year. I’m okay down to about -5F if it’s not too windy and i have appropriate clothing. There are vast swaths of the country where I’m uncomfortable outdoors for much of the year. I don’t fare well much above 80F, especially if it’s muggy.
Anyway, I’m in the Northeast, and more likely to move to a colder clime than a warmer one.
I live in an 1100 sqft hi-rise apartment in Chicago. My August power bill is $57. My July power bill was $47. Our AC is provided by the building (and so our monthly assessment). The assessment is normalized so we pay the same every month rather than spikes in summer. In winter, it is electric heat and my power bills will jump to $175 (give or take). Some of the bigger apartments in the building report $500 electric bills in winter. Floor to ceiling windows sure are pretty but not efficient and it tells in the winter.
A little back of the napkin math suggests I pay $1300-1500/year for electricity in my home.
Probably also helps I have a gas stove since I enjoy cooking (gas is part of the monthly assessment cost which is a whole lotta things rolled into one bill).
We pay something like $3,000 - but that’s for 3 adults (one living in a separate 1,000 sq. ft. suite), and no gas. So, based on just square footage alone, I don’t think our bills are out-of line.