Furnace eats all my electricity

bulldoglax said:

Says in the picture she took 10 and 12 water heater. Electric water heaters are gong to run about 60-90 a month to run. Add in the additional electric load and fees and delivery charges your right around 200

Paul48 said:

Except that doesn't fit with what she described. There is a constant draw on the furnace circuit.

She said it's a gas water heater.
This is why I asked for pictures.

Right now, everyone is shooting in the dark.

Or maybe if it is an electric HW, two apartments are fed from it?

That's why I said shut off the main breaker. Simple. If meter is still spinning something else is on her meter. Preferably do this at a time long when everyone in other apartments are at home, and after sunset. When people tend to use more electricity.

Once you have established the meter is not spinning with no power to apartment. Then turn on each circuit one at a time establishing what that circuit powers then turn it off, and move on to the next.

Yes establishing what appliances are fueled by gas, or powered by electric will help narrow things down.

200 bucks a month for a two bedroom apartment is very high. Even with an electric water heater if it is one occupant.

The op is trying to establish if there is power being charged to her meter from other sources than her own apartment.

Gordy said:

That's why I said shut off the main breaker. Simple. If meter is still spinning something else is on her meter. Preferably do this at a time long when everyone in other apartments are at home, and after sunset. When people tend to use more electricity.

Once you have established the meter is not spinning with no power to apartment. Then turn on each circuit one at a time establishing what that circuit powers then turn it off, and move on to the next.

Yes establishing what appliances are fueled by gas, or powered by electric will help narrow things down.

200 bucks a month for a two bedroom apartment is very high. Even with an electric water heater if it is one occupant.

The op is trying to establish if there is power being charged to her meter from other sources than her own apartment.

I had a 1100sqft 1 bedroom apartment.
Electric in the summer with their broken down half-baked central air was $220 +-. In the winter, less than $100.

I've got a feeling, we're about to find out she has an electric water heater and a heat pump with a heating element in the air handler.

Of course, That doesn't leave any room for a clothes dryer in that panel.

She's one step ahead of where I was when I had an apartment, all of ours had Federal Pacific fire starter panels and it didn't seem like anyone was in any hurry to change them.

Gordy said:

You have higher electric rates out your way Chris. 11.5 cents after all fees in Chicago. My past renters electric bill for august which I found after they moved out was 94.00. 3 5k window units ran 24/7. 50 gal Electric water heater, electric dryer,and lights always on. family of 5.

I was shocked actually. The tenant before complained that comed told her she had the highest electric bill in the area. It was herself, and 1 son. Never ran ac. Always dark in the place......

I believe our's are around 11 cents as well.

Clothes line.....

I was referring to Bob's low electric consumption to unit cost ratio.

It's just me here so a clothesline works fine for me. It lets me conserve my money for thing that count - like a nice jug of sour mash.

Bob

That's all worth a jug of sour mash

I hang clothes twice a week and cannot remember the last time a bird "gifted" me. Understand we have a lot of seagulls hereabouts so any hit would be VERY obvious.

Bob

BobC said:

I hang clothes twice a week and cannot remember the last time a bird "gifted" me. Understand we have a lot of seagulls hereabouts so any hit would be VERY obvious.

Bob

The birds around here tend to target shine objects, like vehicles in the yard I don't remember ever having the clothesline boomed?

Must be the way they are treated if the are a chronic problem with clothes on the line.

We keep the bird feeders well stocked.

there used to be a breaker in slot 8 - an open slot is against code in Maryland, and if so it is reason to have the apartment maintenance super have an electrician visit. Makes me nervous that it is right next to the suspicious breaker. I think it is important for not only the bill but for safety to have an electrician look inside that breaker panel.

I would ask the apartment maintenance to have it checked by an electrician for safety for the same reason @JUGHNE says, if someone were to stick a finger in there by accident it would be bad! When putting in a dummy breaker cover you could ask to be there and explain you think you have an unexpected draw on circuit #6 and for them to check it out.

You'd know where all the power was going if it was a FP panel...