Budgeting tips please

Our power is about $300 in winter & we use heaters. I am home most days & there is 5 of us. I am looking at changing power companies & that will save some.

So $300 / by 5 people is $60 a month each

$170 / by 3 people is $56 a month each...so kebakat we don't use much more power than you lol

I don't know how we get that high in winter . I have been trying to keep unused lights off, only use the dryer once or twice a week for the sheets etc etc but it still adds up. Although I do a warm (40C) wash each time in my front loader so that would add to it and I must do at least 10-12 loads a week

Have you tried getting one of those plug in meters from a sparky shop or the warehouse where you plug your appliance into it and input how much your power costs per unit and it tells you how much it costs to use the appliance. They are only $20-30 depending where you get it from. Really handy too, I found out that my dryer doesn't suck that much power at all so thats why I use it

jazzy wrote: kebakat wrote: Thats a silly way of working it out though.. cause even when number 4 comes along it wont add to the power by $50 odd. Going from 2 of us with both working to me being home all day every day plus Daniel has only added about $20 in winter Well then I would have to say you use a lot of power if yours is $170 a month for 3 of you

Yup we do, but like I was pointing out we don't try and save power at all by using the dish washer all the time, dryer all the time, deep baths every night while I'm preg, we also have an old big deep chest freezer which isn't energy efficient by any means. Thats why I'm shocked at $300 power bills when we make no effort.

$300 is still lots IMO. My parents bill is at the $220 mark and thats for 4 adults, an electric fence system as they have 20 acres, as well as all their contracting business stuff (so like compressers, power tools, welding equipment etc). We will have to agree to disagree.

But I am thankful we don't pay for water here, its included in our rates :)

We live in a huge house .. hence the power bill because it includes the granny flat and both Mum and I cook alot which uses the oven, apparently the oven uses a LOAD of power, more than most domestic appliances.

Also our kids bath each night ..

And I have a sunbed .. and treadmill ... and crosstrainer, that I use alot lol.

$300 is A LOT for 5people especially when some of them are only kids.

We live with my parents and aside from DD we are all adults all shower everyday use the dryer, heaters, computers are on modems on, tv and sky on all day and I think the powerbill gets up to a max of $400 but that's with two fridges and 6adults plus DD in cloth nappies and the fact that in the weekend at any one time there is upwards of 12people having showers, baths, playing games, watching tv. Oh and my bro has basically a mini recording studio in his room out in the sleepout. (we're a technology household) and dad, DD and I are home all day as well.

Edited to change that to $400 just spoke to mum. She said last months was $375 she says its less this year then last and theres more people here and we have the heater going in our room all night because of DD too, a heater in the hallway a heater in their room and a heater in the front of the house.

We do have an open fire but its not used every night. Oh and dehumidifiers!

Edited by HoneybunsMa

HoneybunsMa wrote: $300 is A LOT for 5people especially when some of them are only kids. We live with my parents and aside from DD we are all adults all shower everyday use the dryer, heaters, computers are on modems on, tv and sky on all day and I think the powerbill gets up to a max of $400 but that's with two fridges and 6adults plus DD in cloth nappies and the fact that in the weekend at any one time there is upwards of 12people having showers, baths, playing games, watching tv. Oh and my bro has basically a mini recording studio in his room out in the sleepout. (we're a technology household) and dad, DD and I are home all day as well. Edited to change that to $400 just spoke to mum. She said last months was $375 she says its less this year then last and theres more people here and we have the heater going in our room all night because of DD too, a heater in the hallway a heater in their room and a heater in the front of the house. We do have an open fire but its not used every night. Oh and dehumidifiers!

Were do you live...as I am wondering if it is AK that has higher power charges.

& how do you get away with $400 for 12 people, good thing tho if the bill is split between heaps of people you wont pay much at all...wow the washing pile must be huge & I have a lot with 3 kids

Our power bill in summer is around $100 and for winter including gas is around $200-300 a month.

For the last 2 winters there's been only 1 of us home so have kept it down around $200. Ours includes gas for heating.

I have my wages split so that my share of the fixed expenses - mortgage, rates, insurance, power etc goes into the house account and I have $200 a fortnight left in my own account - this pays for my cellphone bill and my petrol. Tank of gas lasts 2 weeks and costs $70.

I'll do the same with PPL and WFF when it starts will be paid into my account is a lot less but that will be money for the baby as I wouldn't be getting it if it weren't for her.

Won't be spending hardly anything on petrol once on maternity leave, as everything I need is in walking distance. Will do the weekly/fortnightly grocery shop with DH.

Stacey - my electricty bill in winter ranges from $290 (this last bill - over estimate tho) and $350. We have three adults, two kids, and three computers. i wash A LOT of clothes, and we have the dryer on. Must get one of those doo-hickeys you talk about though. we make no effort to save electricity apart from periods of me rushing around turning off bloody computers left on all day.