"Kravynn" wrote in message
oups.com...
I finally convinced my
landlord to get a new AC unit. I was anxious to see my "new" electric
bill, only to be devastated when it came in at $465! I started turning
off my water heater during the day, desperate to save money. I keep
the AC set at about 80-82, and it stays pretty cold in the house. This
leads me to believe that the thermostat may not be working properly.

I have to wonder if the AC is sized properly. If it is set to 80, it shold
be 80. Take a reading with a regular thermometer and see what it reads. Of
course, 80 degrees, properly de-humidified, wil feel much colder th an what
you are used to. Only way to tell for s ure is to take actual readings of
temperatures since one person's hot is another person's cold.


At
any rate, another month has passed and this bill came in at right
around $400.

My brother is an electrician, he said I probably need to
have the breaker box updated, to much power running off a 150 amp main.
I know that there have been 2 rooms and an AC unit added to the house

Your brother does not seem to know much about electricity. Did he do a load
calculation or take readings with an Amprobe? The meter reads the amount
of energy passing through the wires. It does not give a damn about hte size
of the box and number or size of breakers inside of it. Undersized can
cause problems, but not high bills.


since it was built. I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas,
input....My electric bill is more than my rent at this point. I'm a
single mom and I'm in a state of panic.

Use less AC as a start. That has to be the biggest culprit. Do you know
what sized the unit is? How much current the compressor takes? That will
give you an idea of the cost of running it for an hour with a simple
calculation. Keep setting the thermostat higher u ntil you get to the stage
of dis-comfort, regardless of w hat the numbers on hte setting are.

If the $450 electric bill is more than your rent, do not move to New
England. Small house would be $1000 or more.