What Are You Paying For Ac?

[desi]

When I first moved into this house my electric bill was around 4000+ baht. Then it climbed over 5000. Now for two months it's been over 7000. (I've been here 6 months so far).

When I first got here I ran the AC all day long and sometimes all night. Then after the hot season was over I reduced it to only once in awhile YET my bill keeps going up.

Each month I use less. I no longer sleep under AC, I use a fan. I do not run the AC throughout the day and if is on at all, it's in a closed room just to take the heat off.

Someone made a comment to turn off all electricity and check the metre. I'll be doing that in the morning when it's light. 7000+ baht is insane for one fan with a brief whiff of AC.

[Nam Kao]

You might have some Thais tapping into your line. Thats odd that your bill

would rise in 6 months that fast. Almost double. They probably saw a falang

move in and called their brother the electrician.

good luck

nam

[Bangkokbutcher]

EDITED - just realised it's already mentoned

Edited July 19, 2005 by Bangkokbutcher

[desi]

That's exactly what I was thinking. If this is so, then it's stupid of them when a line can be followed directly to their house. This is a small neighborhood, only six houses and most everyone has been living here for 20 years.

So, what is everyone else paying?

[loong]

I've had similar problems before, the meter was malfunctioning. Despite my insistence that something was wrong, I was basically ignore. Then 1 month I had a bill for 3 Baht.

Funny, then they told ME that there was something wrong with the meter and changed it.

That was in an apartment where I was paying the owners for electricity.

Are you paying the company or the property owner/manager?

You should be able to check the meter and get a new one , but you will probably have to pay. If you get a new one, make sure that is set to zero and new. Otherwise you maybe just get a faulty meter that someone else has complained about.

You can check your meter yourself, if you have something with a known consumtion rate. Ie if you have something that constantly uses 100 watt consumption (refrigerator or water heater no good as thermostatically controlled) ie 100 watt light bulb. Unplug and switch off everything else. In 1 hour should only use 1 tenth of a kilowatt hour. Obviously sometghing with a constant consumption of 1Kw hour would be better for an accurate test

[desi]

You can check your meter yourself, if you have something with a known consumtion rate. Ie if you have something that constantly uses 100 watt consumption (refrigerator or water heater no good as thermostatically controlled) ie 100 watt light bulb. Unplug and switch off everything else. In 1 hour should only use 1 tenth of a kilowatt hour. Obviously sometghing with a constant consumption of 1Kw hour would be better for an accurate test

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank-you. I was wondering how I was going to check the meter if it was faulty.

This is a house and I pay the electric company myself. I noticed they've just checked this week so I'll be prepared when I get the bill. Hopefully.

desi

[olaus]

I also am living in a small house with AC in three rooms. When it is warm, AC is on 2 - 3 hours in the afternoon in one room and one hour before bedtime to cool down the bedroom. During two years time I have never paid more than 800 baht per month.

Olaus

[lopburi3]

Six months ago was the cool season so a/c bills would have been minimal and price of electric was also lower that it is now. This is still the hot season even if we call it the rainy season. The electric usage now will be quite high except on rainy days (which is not all that often).

But your usage seems very high for one or two people. Do you have pool? Electric stove? Dryer? Other high wattage users? Do the air conditioners cycle or remain on cool all night? What temperature setting do you use? Do you have a defective water pump that stays on? Do you have high wattage lamps rather than florescent?

[Dragonman]

When I first moved into this house my electric bill was around 4000+ baht. Then it climbed over 5000. Now for two months it's been over 7000. (I've been here 6 months so far).

When I first got here I ran the AC all day long and sometimes all night. Then after the hot season was over I reduced it to only once in awhile YET my bill keeps going up.

Each month I use less. I no longer sleep under AC, I use a fan. I do not run the AC throughout the day and if is on at all, it's in a closed room just to take the heat off.

Someone made a comment to turn off all electricity and check the metre. I'll be doing that in the morning when it's light. 7000+ baht is insane for one fan with a brief whiff of AC.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have 1 air con going on average 18 hours a day, plus 3 fans going roughly the same time, have washer/drier and 2 electric showers, also 2 tv's on for about 12 hours and computer, 5 hours. My bill comes to roughly the same each month-1800 baht. If I have friends staying and run 2 air cons it goes up to 2500 baht.

[loong]

Dont' forget to let us know what happens

[trigz]

I pay on average 1400 baht/month for two bedroom aircons which usually run from around 10pm until 5/6am each day set at 26 deg C.

I presume you get the aircon condensers cleaned from time to time ? amazing how dirty they get in BKK and add to your elctric bill.

Chok dee krab

[The_Other_Mac]

It's the geckos. Cold-blooded, you see, so they soak up all the cooling you can give them. There's probably a nest of them just behind the vents. Try to stamp on their tails as you shoo them out, that'll teach them.

OR, ask your local air-con servicing bloke to top up the freon and/or check for leaks (nothing to do with the water that condenses outside though). Topping up freon is something that needs to be done every couple of years, they'll know what to do. Freon is the condensing liquid that makes air-con do its stuff, it evaporates very easily and will quickly disappear out the tiniest leak, leaving them spinning uselessly at full power to produce a slight cooling effect from the little bit that's left.

OR, check the house-building thread for ceiling insulation and other ways to keep your house cool.

[Queers for Fears]

A/C is expensive, very. In my old 1BR Apt my electric bills averaged 3000/mo! that was 60 sq mtr apt and elec@3 baht/unit. I used to run only one AC at a time for most of the day and slept with one on. I love AC but it costs me big. I doubt very much that anyone is tapped into your line.