[crafts]

My power line from my meter to the electric panel runs in a pvc conduit with several house wires from the old panel box.This was apparently done several years ago during a remodel. Since I have owned this house my electric usage has been 3 times the average for this size home. My question is can the power lines induce an increase in the normally low power in the house wires?

[tkrussell]

While inducing EMF is possible, transformers do it all the time, it is very unlikely this is the cause of your power bill.

How did you determine what the average usage is for your size home?

List all of your major electric appliances, heat, cooling, etc.

What is the size home?

What size service?

Cost per KWH of power? Total KWH?

[crafts]

My house has 100amp service, all major appliances are gas except for 2ton ac and 4 yr old refrigerator everything else is gas, hot water, stove, dryer. I have one 5,000 BTU window air in shop, normally during the day there is running 5 ceiling fans, 1 TV old style,1 computer with lcd monitor 19 inch, gable end fan set to come on at 130 degrees for the attic, 4 low energy style lite bulbs. During the summer here in Florida I very seldom work in the shop too hot.Yesterday I checked the meter and in 1 hour I had used 7kilowatts, average the last two months daily is 115 kilowatt. While the cost is $15.00 a day my usage over the years has gone up from one year to the other, even when I replaced the old ac,air handler, compressor, ducts, new double pane windows, new refrig. Insulation, I know it does not seem possible that electromagnetic current is causing the problem but I have had our local power company come to look because of the high usage they thought we are a drug grow house, even though I was the one complaining about the bills. We have had 19 electricians out in the last 9 years each one has done some work but it continues to get worse each year.

[tkrussell]

That is 7 KiloWattHour's correct? Not KW. In one hour you consumed 7 KWH, which means you used 7000 watts in one hour.

What was running? A 4 ton AC would do this, plus the other misc things running in the home.

I did not get cost per KWH. This is on your electric bill.

So your monthly bill is $450.00?


What did 19 electricians do?

Has the utility checked or changed the meter? Have you confirmed that you are being billed for the correct rate?

[crafts]

Yes, sorry it was KWH. I have a 2 ton forced air that seems to pull about 12amps, a 5000 BTU window shaker and a 18,000 BTU window unit that was not turned on. The cost per KWH is 5.56900 for first 1k usage and then 6.56900 above that. Fuel surcharge is 5.6000 for first 1k then 6.60000 after that. My last bill was for 32 days I consumed 3730 KWH and the bill was $512.88 for a 1400 sq. ft. house. The first 5 where sent out by the utility co. One was with a fraud investigator I guess to see if we were growing pot, since I was the one who called in complaining about high usage the must of thought I am a really stupid pot head.They came out to check the meter to see if it was working OK and found nothing, after that one there was a private electrician who discovered that when the previous owner did a remodel and moved the electric panel the kept the old 60amp main line and just attached it to the new 100 amp panel. He also discovered that if he disconnected the main line from the mast to the meter the meter was still turning ,really slow but turning at a rate tha to me would be a couple of lites on. This brought out another power company guy who did a creep test, by the was this was the old electro mechanicl meter they have since gone to the digital,he pulled the meter put some type of collar on and then replace both of them back to the mast panel.The rotor hardly moved at all compared what it had done the week before. I said that so a couple of days later they sent out a new electro mechanical meter and sent the old one back to their shop to be tested, it came back with no problems it appears in Florida the meters only have to be accurate to within 2% according to the power company letter.Annother came out and did a re-grounding of the panel another was the 220 line to the 18k window unit was not in balance. One was out but did not find anything except that I was out of code because the main power lind was more than 6ft. From mast to electric panel, the power company was the one that replaced the 60 amp old line with the new line for the 100 breaker panel and the never said anything about the 6ft code. I have a inside wiring contract with the power company but they refuse to come out any more saying my service is out of code,