Our electric bills are slightly higher than average, but we don't have a gas bill. We also don't burn any wood, oil, propane, coal, corn, alcohol, or anything else for heat. The electric bill represents our total home energy consumption.

Here's a summary of our electricity use since we moved in:

2011

• Annual Total: $1397 for 11,085 kWh
• Monthly Average: $116/month for 924 kWh
• Average rate: $0.126/kWh
• Estimated annual cost of space heat: $372 for 4245 kWh ($0.088/kWh [low winter rates])

2010

• Annual Total: $1406 for 10,951 kWh
• Monthly Average: $117/month for 913 kWh
• Average rate: $0.128/kWh
• Estimated annual cost of space heat: $319 for 3969 kWh ($0.08/kWh)
• Estimated annual cost of air conditioning: $74 for 502 kWh ($0.147/kWh)

2009

• Annual Total: $1313 for 11,504 kWh
• Monthly Average: $109 for 959 kWh
• For comparison, $105 for 908 kWh was the average monthly U.S. electric bill in 2009.
• Our average rate: $0.114/kWh
• Estimated annual cost of just space heat: $279 for 4134 kWh ($0.067/kWh)
• No significant air conditioner use.

Second Half of 2008

• Half-year Total: $452 spent for 3608 kWh
• Monthly Average: $75 for 601 kWh
• Average Rate: $0.125/kWh
• We had no air conditioner yet.

I arrived at the annual space heat estimates by subtracting the low warm-month bills from the high cold-month bills. I factored out a July/August spike for air conditioning in 2010.