Q. My husband and I just bought a vacation home in the mountains. It IS electric heat and we were aware of that. We did ask the sellers to give us an amount of how much they paid per month. We were told $40.00 and at the most $60.00 when it was being used. The house does have 2 fireplaces and I admit, they help out a lot when heat it kept in the 40's, low 50's. We got our first bill and it was $130.00 for 15 days for a few days of being in the house! I called PPL, was told they are not allowed to provide information on the previous owners but told me their usage amount would have put them in the approx range of $200.00 per month! I feel so foolish for not calling PPL 1st before buying and my husband & I are usually very thorough. I do have an email from our realtor telling us how much it was. I am so upset that someone (sellers) would flat out lie about something like that. We now have vacation house that we want to use, winterized, and the bill is still 77.00 for about 3/4 month. It's estimated to be 120-140 w/house being practically SHUT DOWN!
Should we contact a lawyer? Is it even worth it? We didn't strap ourselves but the extra money for electric is coming out of our "cushion" or possibly savings. We asked for every detail ahead of time so we could budget. Shame on us for thinking there were honest people out there!
Any suggestions?! Please be serious. I don't need a teen commenting on something they know nothing about.
THANK YOU!
Ya know, I completely agree! We should have asked for bills. We were actually going to and they were so slooooow w/the regular paperwork, they were holding up settlement (costed us a mortgage rate to go higher in 1 day), we would have locked in and obviously did then when we realized they were not quick movers. There were so many hold ups on their end, we decided to just ask for utilities via email/text. We'll probably have to sell it. $60.00 vs. $200-$250 is a big difference. We never had electric heat so we had no idea. I heard if you're reasonable and cautious it can work to your advantage.
Should we contact a lawyer? Is it even worth it? We didn't strap ourselves but the extra money for electric is coming out of our "cushion" or possibly savings. We asked for every detail ahead of time so we could budget. Shame on us for thinking there were honest people out there!
Any suggestions?! Please be serious. I don't need a teen commenting on something they know nothing about.
THANK YOU!
Ya know, I completely agree! We should have asked for bills. We were actually going to and they were so slooooow w/the regular paperwork, they were holding up settlement (costed us a mortgage rate to go higher in 1 day), we would have locked in and obviously did then when we realized they were not quick movers. There were so many hold ups on their end, we decided to just ask for utilities via email/text. We'll probably have to sell it. $60.00 vs. $200-$250 is a big difference. We never had electric heat so we had no idea. I heard if you're reasonable and cautious it can work to your advantage.
Answer
Nothing to do. Your fault for not checking into it. You really though a house with electric heat in the mountains where it gets really cold could possibly had an electric bill of $40? I would have called BS on that the second I heard it.
Nothing to do. Your fault for not checking into it. You really though a house with electric heat in the mountains where it gets really cold could possibly had an electric bill of $40? I would have called BS on that the second I heard it.
How to save on electric bill?
Future Die
My husband and I moved into a house that is all electric. Our old house had gas heat. So far, we HATE electric heat! It doesn't heat the house very well at all. The temp at night has been in the 40's and the heat seems to always run!
We have shut off the vents in the upstairs, because no one is ever up there. The heat is set on 65. What else can we do to save on our electric bill?
Answer
Insulate your attic and basement
Maintain glazing in window panes and caulk around windows to prevent air leaks. Use weather stripping where needed.
Use the damper in your fireplace
Weatherstrip around doors.
Install insulated drapery on your windows. Open drapes in the morning to let the sun in. Close when the sun goes down to keep the warmth inside.
Unplug all electronic chargers when not in use.
Use Smart Strips on all electronic equipment. This is a multi outlet devise you plug a bunch of things into and turn the strip off to cut off the current to all those electronics that are drawing electricity even when not turned on.
Use a Smart Strip in your kitchen for your microwave and small appliances. Turn it off after every meal.
Change all light bulbs to Compact Florescent Lights.
Wash only full loads of clothing in cold water. Do several loads in a row so you take advantage of the warm dryer.
Take shorter showers.
Is your dryer vent air tight?
Are all storm windows down?
I turn my heat down to 60 degrees at night and sleep under a cozy down filled duvet. It is heavenly.
I turn my heat down to 60 degrees when I leave the house.
Watch television in the dark at night.
Moist air keeps a house warmer than dry air. Add humidity to your home in the winter time.
If you are using your oven tonight, bake the potatoes for tomorrow night's dinner. A toaster oven uses less electricity than a conventional oven and I am a convert since a friend cooked some really delicious meals in that toaster oven of his. I now believe in toaster ovens.
Do not be fooled into thinking you are saving money on your electricity bill if you run appliances in the evening. The fact of the matter is that, yes, electricity is being saved, but the savings is only for the electricity company. Your electric bill is one flat rate per usage and it does not change rates according to the time of day you use your electricity. This is a common misconception most people are lead to believe, when, in fact you pay the same rate morning, noon and night.
Yeah, it is wise to use appliances on off peak hours, but it saves you not one dime on your bill.
Insulate your attic and basement
Maintain glazing in window panes and caulk around windows to prevent air leaks. Use weather stripping where needed.
Use the damper in your fireplace
Weatherstrip around doors.
Install insulated drapery on your windows. Open drapes in the morning to let the sun in. Close when the sun goes down to keep the warmth inside.
Unplug all electronic chargers when not in use.
Use Smart Strips on all electronic equipment. This is a multi outlet devise you plug a bunch of things into and turn the strip off to cut off the current to all those electronics that are drawing electricity even when not turned on.
Use a Smart Strip in your kitchen for your microwave and small appliances. Turn it off after every meal.
Change all light bulbs to Compact Florescent Lights.
Wash only full loads of clothing in cold water. Do several loads in a row so you take advantage of the warm dryer.
Take shorter showers.
Is your dryer vent air tight?
Are all storm windows down?
I turn my heat down to 60 degrees at night and sleep under a cozy down filled duvet. It is heavenly.
I turn my heat down to 60 degrees when I leave the house.
Watch television in the dark at night.
Moist air keeps a house warmer than dry air. Add humidity to your home in the winter time.
If you are using your oven tonight, bake the potatoes for tomorrow night's dinner. A toaster oven uses less electricity than a conventional oven and I am a convert since a friend cooked some really delicious meals in that toaster oven of his. I now believe in toaster ovens.
Do not be fooled into thinking you are saving money on your electricity bill if you run appliances in the evening. The fact of the matter is that, yes, electricity is being saved, but the savings is only for the electricity company. Your electric bill is one flat rate per usage and it does not change rates according to the time of day you use your electricity. This is a common misconception most people are lead to believe, when, in fact you pay the same rate morning, noon and night.
Yeah, it is wise to use appliances on off peak hours, but it saves you not one dime on your bill.
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