Electric Bills During The Hot Season

[hellodolly]

I didnt say i was running 4 aircons on turbo charge all night, just read and absorb my comments.

I am using a 2kw aircon as an example for the OP to assess what her maximum nightly usage is likely to cost. And 2kw is an average bedroom size unit.

Anyway, I like to save costs and prefer to open the window

this is what you said and that's what justifies to be called not only bullshit but bullshit² !

I run 4 aircon units here, like you one is on all night, electric showers and a washing machine on almost every day, and more 50w spots that I can believe.

now make up your mind. are you running 4 aircons or do you open the windows?

You are in a snarly mood today. Two home runs. Any chance of maintaining this mood and playing base ball for the Seattle Mariners. They could use you in there line up.

[chiang mai]

We've been here almost four years and track our expenses pretty closely. There is a huge difference in electric bills during the year, with the ones in the hot season (now) being about four or even five times what they are in the cool season. The first year we had the same shock and disbelief as the OP and did everything recommended here -- had the meter checked, aircon cleaned, etc. Now we've lived in three different places and have had the same usage pattern in all three places.

That being said, it's a good idea to clean your aircon filters monthly and have them professionally serviced just before the start of the aircon season.

It's simple thermodynamics really. The aircon works much harder to maintain your comfort when the outside temp is 42 vs. 28. The aircon is a huge consumer of electricity, along with anything that generates heat like hot water heaters, irons, cooking appliances. Appliances like TVs, fans and computers don't use very much.

Another cost saving idea is check your light bulbs florescent bulbs cost a lot to turn off and on but not munch to run so leave them on. Incandescence bulbs cost little to turn on and off butt a lot to run so turn them off. Turning the TV or other similar appliance off by remote still lets them drain power shut them off with the on off switch on the appliance it's self.

I know these things will not amount to a lot but they do help. Of course the use of lights at this time of year will decrease.

And none of them come close to explaining the OPs problem

It is a proven fact that turning a flurocent light on or off does not increase usage over and above leaving them turned on continuously.

[doggie888888]

Air conditioners don't suddenly become dirty. So this does not explain the sudden increase one month to the next and 6x increse a dirty aircon could not do that.

my 159 sq.m home is insulated and with air conditioners running and cooking and multi hot showers, TV's etc. my bill is just a few hundred a month

I am truly impressed that your air conditioners can run and cook at the same time!

[chiang mai]

I didnt say i was running 4 aircons on turbo charge all night, just read and absorb my comments.

I am using a 2kw aircon as an example for the OP to assess what her maximum nightly usage is likely to cost. And 2kw is an average bedroom size unit.

Anyway, I like to save costs and prefer to open the window

this is what you said and that's what justifies to be called not only bullshit but bullshit² !

I run 4 aircon units here, like you one is on all night, electric showers and a washing machine on almost every day, and more 50w spots that I can believe.

now make up your mind. are you running 4 aircons or do you open the windows?

I can beat that, I run four air conditioners continuously and leave all the windows open and my bill is never more than 200 baht a month.

[Naam]

I didnt say i was running 4 aircons on turbo charge all night, just read and absorb my comments.

I am using a 2kw aircon as an example for the OP to assess what her maximum nightly usage is likely to cost. And 2kw is an average bedroom size unit.

Anyway, I like to save costs and prefer to open the window

this is what you said and that's what justifies to be called not only bullshit but bullshit² !

I run 4 aircon units here, like you one is on all night, electric showers and a washing machine on almost every day, and more 50w spots that I can believe.

now make up your mind. are you running 4 aircons or do you open the windows?

I can beat that, I run four air conditioners continuously and leave all the windows open and my bill is never more than 200 baht a month.

why don't you mention the refund of 250 Baht which you get every month?

joke aside! presently i run some, but not all, of my aircons 18-20 hours a day. my last bill (mar 21 till apr 20) showed a consumption of 3,343 kWh / 13,878 Baht. without rain and clouds i wonder what my next bill might be. alltime high was april-may 2010, consumption 3,828 kWh / 15,791 Baht. during the hot season the share of airconditioning is approximately 60% of my electricity bill. it drops to 40% when it's "winter" in Thailand.

p.s. i do open windows every day before sunrise and air the house with a huge whole-house exhaust fan.

[jaideecm]

Here in Chiang Mai the price varies. During the rainy and cool season price for electricity is cheaper as they use lots of hydro electric power. They have to burn fossil fuels when there is not enough water which costs more.

I used to have my air conditioners cleaned every year and now I do it every 6 months and that made a big difference. The price for cleaning the air conditioners can be from 300 to 500 Thai baht depending on who you use.

Randy

[eyecatcher]

I didnt say i was running 4 aircons on turbo charge all night, just read and absorb my comments.

I am using a 2kw aircon as an example for the OP to assess what her maximum nightly usage is likely to cost. And 2kw is an average bedroom size unit.

Anyway, I like to save costs and prefer to open the window

this is what you said and that's what justifies to be called not only bullshit but bullshit² !

I run 4 aircon units here, like you one is on all night, electric showers and a washing machine on almost every day, and more 50w spots that I can believe.

now make up your mind. are you running 4 aircons or do you open the windows?

you are just being a total arse, trying to find a loophole in my wording. Well get your specs on boy and read again, that i run 4 units ONE being on at night.

So regardless of your pathetic faceciousness, its still easy enough to calculate the likely consumption of an aircon unit so the OP has a general idea.

[Naam]

you are just being a total arse, trying to find a loophole in my wording. Well get your specs on boy and read again, that i run 4 units ONE being on at night.

So regardless of your pathetic faceciousness, its still easy enough to calculate the likely consumption of an aircon unit so the OP has a general idea.

a total arse and eyecatching bullshitter is somebody who claims

"I run 4 aircon units here, like you one is on all night, electric showers and a washing machine on almost every day, and more 50w spots that I can believe.. My highest monthly bill was around 1850bt."

and when he is caught bullshitting he keeps on ridiculing himself with irrelevant yada-yada-yakety-yak.

[lukeskywalker]

I have found, even on the hottest of days, that once you use the aircon too cool the sleeping room down before bed, you can then switch over to fan and the room will stay cool. The only problem is once the sun comes up (and unless you get up with the sun which I most assuredly do NOT), and especially if your bedroom faces east, the room will get uncomfortable by about 8 or 9 a.m.

Of course there's always that other good reason to turn on a/c, fan and anything else to keep room occupants comfortable regardless of the time of day.

[Ulysses G.]

I have found, even on the hottest of days, that once you use the aircon too cool the sleeping room down before bed, you can then switch over to fan and the room will stay cool.

It depends on how well insulated the room is. Mine gets hot 5 minutes after I turn the air-con off.

[PoodMaiDai]

Some great advice in this thread, thanks to all.

I'm going to start with the suggestion of turning everything off and running things one at a time and checking the meter, which I may add is locked away in a room but they will open it. That will at least pinpoint what is costing what.

[chiang mai]

I have found, even on the hottest of days, that once you use the aircon too cool the sleeping room down before bed, you can then switch over to fan and the room will stay cool. The only problem is once the sun comes up (and unless you get up with the sun which I most assuredly do NOT), and especially if your bedroom faces east, the room will get uncomfortable by about 8 or 9 a.m.

Of course there's always that other good reason to turn on a/c, fan and anything else to keep room occupants comfortable regardless of the time of day.

+1

[Naam]

I have found, even on the hottest of days, that once you use the aircon too cool the sleeping room down before bed, you can then switch over to fan and the room will stay cool. The only problem is once the sun comes up (and unless you get up with the sun which I most assuredly do NOT), and especially if your bedroom faces east, the room will get uncomfortable by about 8 or 9 a.m.

Of course there's always that other good reason to turn on a/c, fan and anything else to keep room occupants comfortable regardless of the time of day.

+1

-3 !

switching on the (ceiling) fan will not let the room stay cool but heat it up as the fan will move warmer air from the ceiling down and if the ceiling is not insulated it will act as a heater.

i humbly apologise for being such a pain in the àss.

[Gonsalviz]

My electric bill to cool the bedroom 24/7 is 3 to 400 baht a month. With the recent heat I am expecting 450. Shocking.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

My electric bill to cool the bedroom 24/7 is 3 to 400 baht a month. With the recent heat I am expecting 450. Shocking.

+

Edited May 2, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Gonsalviz]

My electric bill to cool the bedroom 24/7 is 3 to 400 baht a month. With the recent heat I am expecting 450. Shocking.

+

Actually I am telling the truth. I live way up north in a small viilage. Bangkokians are subsidizing my comfort.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Gonsalviz

[Naam]

My electric bill to cool the bedroom 24/7 is 3 to 400 baht a month. With the recent heat I am expecting 450. Shocking.

simple solution: add another cube to the two ice cubes you are carrying in your underpants.

[haybilly]

Definitely [ or should I write "defiantly"--?? as someone wrote on more than one occasion] the OP should follow the advice to turn everything off and check the meter--he/she has either got a short going on somewhere or someone is pulling his/her electric for their own use--sounds like whatever it is has only just started this last month.

[justcruisin]

One point that needs to be established.

Are the units of electricity billed by the apartment management or charged directly by the local provincial power provider?

If it is the former, it is wise to check the meter on the same day they are read by the unit manager/handy man.

I have seen a few times where the management "defiantly" charge more for services to line their own pockets.

BTW the power cost doesn't change per unit, unless the power cost has risen in line with inflation on a national scale and nothing to do with seasonal weather variances.

[masuk]

I've just had a very large power bill, whereas my neighbour/owner had a very small one, yet his AC is on a lot.

So we did a quick and simple test, turned off my power board and discovered that both his and my AC were running through my power board. I'm sure it was a genuine mistake, and it's going to be fixed. It was a shock though, to get a bill of almost 3000THB.

[barefoot1988]

my bills are at 2k region at 7baht/unit. 4 hours aircon daily, 2 laptops and 1 fan on 24/7, is this normal?

[haybilly]

I've just had a very large power bill, whereas my neighbour/owner had a very small one, yet his AC is on a lot.

So we did a quick and simple test, turned off my power board and discovered that both his and my AC were running through my power board. I'm sure it was a genuine mistake, and it's going to be fixed. It was a shock though, to get a bill of almost 3000THB.

He's not your Landlord, as well as your neighbour, is he, perchance???

This is a light hearted comment BTW.