The eclectic musings of a bitter software engineer.

An inconvenient bill

Thursday May 24, 2007 @ 09:48 PM (PDT)

Yesterday we got our first electricity bill since moving to California. After reattaching my lower jaw and popping my eyeballs back into their sockets, I turned off the air conditioner and ran around the house unplugging gadgets and scaring the cats, who aren't used to the silence or the lack of glowing LEDs.

If anyone needs me, I'll be in my back yard trying to build a fusion reactor.

Comments

Blimey...

How much was the bill????
Friday May 25, 2007 @ 12:03 AM (PDT) Posted by Dar2000

I live in Indianapolis, IN and it costs me about 160 bucks a month to run 6 servers and keep the 3200 sq foot house a nice crisp 65F. I'm curious what it costs over there.

Friday May 25, 2007 @ 06:42 AM (PDT) Posted by Joshua Starr

The bill was about $200, and that's for a 1500 sq. foot home with just a few computers and the AC set at 71.

Friday May 25, 2007 @ 09:42 AM (PDT) Posted by Ryan Grove

Welcome to California! We don't have AC in our home, so we won't run into the AC thing. But, during the cold winter, we had our heater on almost 24/7 because we had a newborn at home. Our PG&E bill was quite jaw-dropping back then also.

Saturday May 26, 2007 @ 08:03 PM (PDT) Posted by mookie
I have a 4000 sqft home in Fort Worth, TX. Two computers running 24/7, and a pool pump that runs 6 hrs a day. I keep the A/C at 74. Our bill ranges from $350 to $1000 depending on the time of year. Last month was $368.

Why don't you come to Texas for a while. ;)
Sunday May 27, 2007 @ 03:42 PM (PDT) Posted by Mike
Like Mike, I used to live in Ft. Worth, Tx.
I moved over from the UK to work for (M), and my first summer bill was more than I paid for the whole year of Electricity in the UK.
We sooned turned the air con to a much more tropical temp.
My only biggest mistake was turning the aircon right off when we went to San Antonio for a week.
I returned to find ALL of the upper floor ceilings rippled and the LCD's in the house totally black from the heat. It must have taken 3 days of full on aircon just to get the temp below 90...
Didn't do that again...
Had to come back to the Uk 3 years ago, but can't wait to get back. Did get the chance of a job in California back then, and its still tempting.
I'd just got used to the heat and the storms in Tx, not sure I would be able to hand heat+storms+quakes, sheesh...

Move to the UK, good point is that your bills will be cheaper, bad news is that its a really crap place to live :(

(I am a Brit btw)...

Chris
Tuesday May 29, 2007 @ 01:11 PM (PDT) Posted by Chris

Gone are the day of cheap Hydro power for you! A lot of PNW residents don't realize just how cheap those dams make the electricity. My monthly electric bill averages $100.

Wednesday May 30, 2007 @ 08:28 AM (PDT) Posted by lissell
Lillis! Long time no see.

Yeah, I'm definitely missing that hydroelectric power. My typical Oregon bill was $90 or so for a house bigger than the one we're in now, with several energy-hungry computers running 24/7, and with the AC set at a chilly 68 degrees.
Wednesday May 30, 2007 @ 09:47 AM (PDT) Posted by Ryan Grove
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