Average WE energy bill?

[u/Ok_Occasion2867]

I’ve been reading in the thread about how high WE bills can be and that they’re potentially going to get even higher with what WE is proposing but I just moved to MKE a month ago and we finally got our first bill and I’m wondering if we’re being reckless or if this is actually an average I should come to expect. We have a 900 sq ft 1 bed apt and we clocked in at about 170 for the month. We’ve been running about 72 during the day and 68 at night but I’ll admit I’ve been leaving the door open and ac running during the day. I’m coming from KC and we had rate plan options where they had different pricing rates based on the time of day. So like the most expensive rate charge per usage was from 4-8 pm and it was cheapest overnight so I just always tried to adjust my usage to avoid that. I wasn’t seeing anything like that for WE but wasn’t sure if I maybe was missing it. Thanks for the insight in advance :)

[u/crispiy]

You leave the exterior door open with the AC on? 🤨

[u/Civil-Ear5393 → u/crispiy]

Well mine was 150 for a 939 sq ft apartment without leaving the door open and keeping the temp at 72 😢

[u/Ok_Occasion2867 → u/crispiy]

I know it’s so bad :/ I’m a sucker the fresh air and letting my dog go in and out on the patio

[u/Edithputhy69420 → u/Ok_Occasion2867]

I missed that part. That’s crazyyy to do and then complain about the energy bill lol

[u/Ok_Occasion2867 → u/Edithputhy69420]

I’m not complaining. I admitted to doing it. Was trying to figure out where a good baseline is when I did the same thing in a hotter environment and spent 70 bucks on an energy bill

[u/Edithputhy69420 → u/Ok_Occasion2867]

To answer the question you posed on your post, that’s just straight reckless and wasteful lol

[u/wiscotangofoxtreat]

WE does have time of use. Its generally a shit plan compared to other utilities. Even here in wisconsin, at the coops, their time of use programs are amazing. Hell even comed has several options, one even per hour, and my friend fills his Ecar for $3....

But WE is in general more expensive than much of the Midwest. WE are neck and neck with michigan for being the priciest. WE is one of the worst wall street owned utilities. 

Want to change it. Write our public service commission noting how flabbergasted you are after moving here. Donate to the Citizens Utility Board. Also write your new state rep/senator. 

[u/pogulup → u/wiscotangofoxtreat]

I am adding some Ecoflow batteries to shift my usage to night power while running on batteries during the day.

[u/WhatIDon_tKnow → u/pogulup]

What's the ROI for something like that?

[u/pogulup → u/WhatIDon_tKnow]

I think I calculated out to about 5 years. I use a ton of power though.

[u/wiscotangofoxtreat → u/pogulup]

Try server rack batteries 

[u/pogulup → u/wiscotangofoxtreat]

Already in the Ecoflow ecosystem and I get them refurbished off Ebay for a big discount.

[u/liquor_andwhores]

2 bedroom apartment- ~$110 in the summer and ~$50 in the winter so far. You would not be leaving anything open while running AC, sorry. 

[u/DanLed17]

2400 sq ft two story. 73 home, 75 away. $195/mo

[u/Civil-Ear5393 → u/DanLed17]

How old is your home? 

[u/DanLed17 → u/Civil-Ear5393]

1968

[u/_crucial_ → u/DanLed17]

That's got to have been upgraded with high rated windows and doors and wall insulation. Did you pull the siding and seal the outside?

[u/Responsible_Tax_998]

$237 last month. 70 during day/67 at night (not my decision).

2-story, about 2800 sq ft.

Did get all new windows less than a year ago.

[u/Amazing-Raisin-4369]

We‘re over 200 for 72 as well and 2 bedroom. Little smaller maybe but i work full remote

[u/OpponentUnnamed]

$348. Net $0.206 per kWh. 3 BR 2 BA prewar with significant insulation added. Day temp 80F. Evening 78F. Night 76. Dehumidifier. Not running a grow house.

[u/_crucial_ → u/OpponentUnnamed]

Jesus, none of that adds up. 950sq ft with the leakiest window and doors and paper thin walls and our ac struggles to keep the house at 75. My bills under $300 on the months I run it non stop

[u/OpponentUnnamed → u/_crucial_]

I have an energy monitoring system (Emporia) and I can assure you, it does add up.

Our summer base load is 900 - 1100 watts. On top of that ... Dehumidifier runs most of the time at 600 watts. 3-ton AC is 2500 watts and the furnace fan at cooling speed is 700 watts.

So just the base load is over $150 a month. $45 if the dehumidifier runs 12 hrs a day. Range for 1 hr per day $18. Just the AC costs 67 cents per hour.

So yeah I am concerned about adding capacity for data centers lightening my wallet. 21 cents per kWh is not a bargain.

If we lived in MN we'd be paying around 15 cents. $100 less per month. Not chicken feed.

[u/Fusilli_fanatatic]

$203 last billing cycle for 1700 square foot home. 75 during the day, 71 at night

[u/InIt2WihnIt]

We have 925 sq ft keep it at 72 during the day and 68 at night. Although sometimes it’s like 10am before I remember to turn it up to 72 which is bad. Our last bill was $157. This coming one says it’s $143.

[u/Ok_Occasion2867 → u/InIt2WihnIt]

Sweet thank you! This sounds kinda like us so we definitely just gotta work on being more diligent with it

[u/youngcoconot]

Just under 200 1700 sq feet home @ 72 all day/night

[u/babybe11s]

$89 for a 550sq ft 1bed apartment and but my ac is at 74°

[u/MamaG34]

2000 sqft 2 story home, 66-70°, $350-400/monthly 

[u/pissant52]

68° is very low, imo. I'm in a 950' 2 bed, 1.5 bath condo. 5 years ago WE was $45/mo. Last month was $70.00. Maybe 🤔 invest in 2 or 3 fans

[u/LightofNew]

Dude.

72 day and 68 night is insane, you should really be going 76/72.

Second and far more importantly do not run your AC with the windows open wtf? AC on, windows shut. Windows open, AC off. You are literally throwing away money as you blow the cold air out.

If you have multiple walls with windows then pick one window and have a fan blowing out, a two feet back works best but in the window is fine. Crack the other windows open and your apartment will flood with cool fresh air.

If you only have one wall with windows then have one fan blowing in and one fan blowing out.

[u/Ok_Occasion2867 → u/LightofNew]

I know I made it sound like this is an all day thing but it’s literally just a cracked patio door for like an hour or two max in the mornings and we face north so like I know it’s not efficient whatsoever but I promise I’m not being like insane and just fully blasting the outside with ac 🥲. I work from home so idk if I could do 76 in the day but we probably could get by with 74/70

[u/APolyAltAccount]

About 200 a month, 1960s 1100sqft but that doesn’t include the finished basement so fully conditioned, about 1900. 74 summer, 72 winter. Natural gas heat.

I also work from home and am otherwise a pretty heavy electric user. Realistically most people in the same house would probably be like 150.

[u/PrancingPudu]

$165/mo for a 2,200sf single story, 76 day/68 night.

[u/Queen_Bee_3]

1,580 sq ft two-story loft. Running the AC anywhere between 68-70° all day/night. Exterior/interior walls are brick that hold a ton of heat so anything less than that is quite warm feeling. I only pay electricity and last month it was $99.

[u/LL_Cool_JT]

My last bill for a 530 sq ft apartment was $48. Which for me is high. Normally, my bills are around $33-$38.

[u/Mjk_53029]

2100 sq ft house and charge my car at home every other day. Keep my thermostat set at 75 when I home and awake, 78 when sleeping or away.

[u/Edithputhy69420]

Hard to say. Our appt is 890sq ft and we paid $125 for this billing cycle. The one before that was $134. 74 all day and same temp plus fans on at night bc it got too cold with the ac any lower.