Hit $450 on my electric bill last month in rural Maine and nearly fell over

Living off-grid-ish and still got slammed, mostly from a busted well pump heater I forgot to unplug. Anyone else get caught off guard by a random appliance spiking their bill this winter?

2 comments

2 Comments

rileyl987d ago

Holy SHIT, a well pump heater? That is a brutal hidden culprit. I mean I knew those things could suck power but $450 is INSANE for just one appliance. I'm honestly impressed you even pinpointed it before the bill hit again next month. I'd probably be blaming the new space heater or my old fridge but nope, it was the thing keeping my water from freezing. That must have been a nasty shock when you opened that envelope, especially living in Maine where the cold is already trying to steal your money.

emerycarr7d ago

Did you ever figure out if there was any way to insulate that pump better or maybe put a timer on the heater? I had a buddy @rileyl98 up in northern Vermont who went through something similar with his basement sump pump heater last winter. His bill jumped almost $300 and he was tearing his hair out checking everything from the dryer to the well pump itself. Turned out the heater was running 24/7 because the insulation around the pipe had fallen apart. He ended up wrapping it with that foam pipe insulation and a heat tape that only kicks on when it drops below freezing. Still cost him a bit more to run but nothing like that brutal $450 shock. That kind of hidden energy suck is like a ghost in the house, just quietly stealing your money while you're worried about the obvious things.