Welcome to the monthly installment of my energy costs series.  March 2008 marks my 5th electric bill since I purchased my first home last year.  Click on the thumbnail to your left for a full-size picture of my cost breakdown.  I’m happy to say that my bill came in at $127.10 – that’s the lowest it’s been since December!  It’s a solid 13% less than I paid just last month.  Let’s see what went well / wrong.

Gas usage way down

I used 47% less natural gas than I did in February.  That was due to a combination of milder weather, shorter showers, and refusing to use the heat unless I couldn’t feel my limbs.  With that huge drop, the gas portion of my bill fell by 37%.  I actually paid less for gas than I did for electricity.

Electricity bill strange

I did use 3% more electricity in March, which I’m ok with.  That’s just 19 kWH, and not really anything to be concerned with.  However, that 3% jump in usage translated into a 24% increase in the electric side of my bill.  If I didn’t know better, I’d say that there’s some funny math going on here.

Final Thoughts

Strange math aside, I’m pleased with March’s bill.  I’m afraid it may be the calm before the storm though, as we’re heading into spring.  Southern Texas isn’t known for mild springs or summers, and my A/C will be getting quite the workout.  That reminds me, I need to change out my A/C filters this weekend.  Have you been changing yours regularly?