Residential electricity consumption dilemma?

[SCadaddle]

My late sister left it up to me to take care of her Estate and her home towards the end of 2018. Her home is a small place; it is more or less a condominium of about 900 square feet and is the end unit of 4 like units under the same roof, as in the end 1/4 of a rectangle. Mid 1980's construction. Single story brick veneer on slab with a gas log fireplace in the corner of the den. The gas log chimney has a 8" or so round plate for a flue that has always been open. In fact I can't find a way to close it. All the windows shut and fit tight, the doors maybe a small gap from settlement of the foundation over time. Electric HVAC and the water heater is gas. No one is living in the home. Furniture and belongings still intact, although I did pull up the 600 square feet of carpeting this past summer.

The only electric usage is a fairly new small refrigerator/top freezer with settings at default, a pair of 48" fluorescent tube lights over the kitchen and the HVAC system. Since this fall the HVAC has been set on heat at 60F. During the summer, it was set on AC at 80F.

Summer power consumption was on the order of 5 kwh/day.
Winter power consumption is currently averaging 18.5 kwh/day?!

I've read the meter over the course of the last month and determined this is what is going on. It reflects with what the bill is. I've discussed it with the power company. They were supposed to re-read and check the meter a couple of weeks ago. I've enlisted the services of my neighbor the retired electrical engineer and we've shut off ALL the breakers except for what I noted above.

Anybody got a clue? Where is this electricity going?!

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

Electric HVAC

That would do it

[SCadaddle]

Originally Posted by red-beard

That would do it

The average temp for the area in January is 48F. The thermostat is set on 60F.
The average temp for the area in August is 92F. The thermostat is set on 80F.

The electric usage to heat the area is nearly 4X to cool the same area?

[VincentVega]

Electric HVAC

does that mean resistance heat or a heat pump for heat?

[pwd72s]

Get the max power draw figure for everything left on. Do the math. Could be the power company meter is trying to tell you you're consuming more than possible.

Sort of like a gas pump saying you bought 25 gallons when you know the car's tank holds 16...

[MBAtarga]

Using this link:
Energy Use Chart | Sheridan Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Smallest standalone unit on their list is a 1.5Ton AC which uses 2.3KWH
and 10KW furnace - well - it uses 10KW. 4X on heating vs AC.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

The average temp for the area in January is 48F. The thermostat is set on 60F.
The average temp for the area in August is 92F. The thermostat is set on 80F.

The electric usage to heat the area is nearly 4X to cool the same area?

If the heat is electric resistance, then it will be on the order of 3 times.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by red-beard

If the heat is electric resistance, then it will be on the order of 3 times.

Rented a place with 110V baseboard heat in Anchorage in the 80's.

Just kill me. $450 per month and we froze our ignorant young butts right off.

[red-beard]

If you see his temps, they are 12 degree differentials for both heating and cooling. Heat pumps use 1/3 the energy for the same temp differential.

[john70t]

Any way to obtain historic rates going back a decade?

Her checkbook should match.

Utilities will charge a basic connection fee.
Some will "average" out charges, despite actual use..

[SCadaddle]

Historic rates are no good as she was on a "bill averaging plan" for the prior 20 years. I had it changed over to pay for the actual consumption early last year. The electric company claims they aren't using an average billing and the meter readings as far as consumption between them and myself agree on the usage. We're talking a $75 monthly electric bill, that being said, I asked her neighbor (in the same building on the other side of the party wall) what his electric bill was recently and he told me "not much, about $25". That's when my neighbor the retired E.E. and I decided that we'd flip off all the breakers in her breaker box with the exception of the kitchen and the HVAC----if the neighbor was somehow wired into her circuit we were going to cut him off unless of course he was on the 2 circuits we left on.

[unclebilly]

Get one of these. They are cheap and you will figure it out.

https://www.theenergydetective.com/

[biosurfer1]

Why not just shut off the HVAC for a couple days and look at the meter data (assuming you have AMI data there) or just read the meter yourself?

Better yet, why is the HVAC on at all if no one is living there and the temps dont get all that low?

[GH85Carrera]

If no one lives there why run the AC at all? Houses can get hot and not hurt anything. And get a thermostat that can be set for 45 degrees, and leave the cupboards open under the sinks. Even better, shut off the water, drain the pipes and the water heater, and let it get cold.

My parents had a cabin at the lake for years. It only had a fireplace for heat so no heat if they were not there. Shut off the water at the meter, drain the pipes, and fill to toilet with some antifreeze.

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by Zeke

"What is Freezing Pipes"

Pipes won't freeze at 48F. Plus you will be sucking some heat from your neighbour.

I'd just shut it down. Turn the water off if you want. No one is living there.

Why not sell the place?

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

Pipes won't freeze at 48F. Plus you will be sucking some heat from your neighbour.

I'd just shut it down. Turn the water off if you want. No one is living there.

Why not sell the place?

If the average is 48, there can still be days of below freezing in many places. I am assuming it is in Mississippi somewhere. It is unlikely to get real cold very often, but it can happen.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

If no one lives there why run the AC at all?

If Mississippi is humid, swampy, (which I believe it is) you'd want to run AC to prevent mold.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

If Mississippi is humid, swampy, (which I believe it is) you'd want to run AC to prevent mold.

That is possible with a locked up house. and it makes sense. People have lived in Mississippi for hundreds of years with no AC and not had mold issues, but they had the windows open.