In Reply to: So how low is your bill? posted by Curious on Fri, Aug 13 2021 at 05:12 PM CDT:
I have a 1200 sq ft home, built in 1982. I am the original owner and had extra installation installed at that time. I have a flat roof that was re-done about 7 years ago. New AC unit was 4 years ago.
We pay $133 a month this year. Most years it goes up by just one or two bucks a year, but two years ago it went up $12 a month. Still, living in Arizona that is a good price. (In Az it is over 100 too often for 4+ months and the "extreme" heat of over 110 for 13 days so far this year.)
Next door to me is the exact same house. She owns the home and two of her adult children still live there (disability issues, so they share caregiving). And they have 3 little adorable children that "come and go" out the doors all day long, plus one doggie door. I would expect their bill to be more. About 2 years ago her DH (now deceased) told me they were on the same "monthly plan" but theirs was around $152 a month! So glad to not have kids "coming and going" as that apparently makes a huge difference!! There are many days we don't open any door at all, certainly not at all more recently with Covid keeping us at home.
I believe that my 78 degrees helps us a lot with price. We didn't pick that temp for price, but it turns out that is a recommended temp for saving money. They say (on websites) that each 1 degree changes the price. I am comfortable where I am, but the OP is not comfortable and she really deserves to be heard.
So, again, if money is an issue then that is part of the discussion. But it can't be the whole discussion. Working at home is what many of us have done for years, but new to many others because of Covid. And if you are at home all day you can't turn it up while you are gone to work if you are "home to work". You HAVE to be comfortable to work efficiently. If you are not physically comfortable then your work product will suffer.
So, so, so .. again I say -- The OP needs to talk to her DH and he needs to listen. Somewhere there has to be a temp that she can live with and he can live with, physically and financially.
PS - I laughed when she posted about cooking -- the way to a man's heart is through is stomach??
Again, this seems to be an issue that should be mutual agreement.