The envelope from our utility sat on the kitchen counter for a full day before I opened it. I had a feeling. When I finally slit it open, the number was $312. That's the highest electric bill we have ever paid, in any home, by a good margin. I read it twice, then went and stood under the ceiling fan in the living room for a minute, which felt about right.
I'm sharing the details because I know we're not the only household in South Carolina staring at a bill like this one. I'm not an energy expert, and this isn't advice. It's just an honest account of what drove our August number up and what we've changed, or plan to change, so next summer looks different.
Why this month was so bad
A bill like that rarely has a single cause. Looking back over the past month, it was several things stacking on top of each other.
The heat itself
This billing period covered the back half of July and most of August, which brought a long run of days in the upper nineties with heat index values well over a hundred. Our heat pump ran nearly nonstop from late morning until after dark. Some afternoons it simply couldn't keep up, and the house crept toward 80 degrees anyway.
We were home more than ever
This was my first full summer working from home. I left my job at the library in Columbia in January, and now I write and do part-time bookkeeping from the dining table. Lila was home too, until school started in mid-August. In past summers the house sat at a higher temperature most weekdays. This year, someone was always home, and the thermostat stayed down.
The house has some leaks
Our free utility energy audit back in May found two big problems: leaky ductwork in the attic and thin attic insulation. We had the ducts sealed in July for $380, and I do think it helped. But the insulation is still thin, and on a 98-degree day our attic becomes an oven sitting right on top of the bedrooms.
What we changed right away
Some of these cost nothing. Some cost a little. None of them are dramatic.
- Raised the thermostat. We had been at 72 most of the day. Now it's 76 when we're home and 80 when we're out, with ceiling fans running in whatever room we're in. Fans cool people, not rooms, so they get switched off when we leave.
- Kept the blackout curtains closed on the west and south sides during the afternoon. We put them in the bedrooms in June. I've started treating the living room blinds the same way.
- Moved the hot chores. The dryer and dishwasher now run in the evening. And I've mostly stopped using the oven in August, cooking on the stovetop, the grill, or in the slow cooker on the screened porch.
- Weatherstripping and door sweeps on the back door and the door to the carport. About $25 at the hardware store and an afternoon of Ben grumbling at a screwdriver.
- Looked at the filter. It was gray. We now change it monthly in summer, and I've set a phone reminder.
What we're planning before next summer
The biggest remaining issue is the attic. We've had a contractor out to measure, and the quote to bring the insulation up to a proper depth came to $1,450. We're planning to have it done this fall, once the attic is cool enough that nobody passes out up there. I expect that to make the biggest single difference to both summer and winter bills.
Beyond that, we're keeping an eye on the heat pump itself. It's from 2016, which isn't old for a system, but it worked hard this summer. A regular service visit is on my list for spring.
What I'm keeping in perspective
| Month | What I expect to move the number |
|---|---|
| September | Still hot, but fewer extreme days and the new thermostat habits |
| October | Mild weather, windows open some evenings |
| Next August | The real test, with insulation done |
I'll report back honestly next summer, whether the changes worked or not. If the bill goes down, I'll tell you by how much. If it doesn't, I'll tell you that too.
In the meantime, I've stuck the August bill to the fridge with a magnet, not as punishment, but as a reminder. Lila asked what it was. I told her it was the price of a very hot summer. She considered this, then went and turned off the fan in her empty bedroom. Small victories.
