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Over the last couple of years, there have been a few mentions of the average cost of electric bills in Costa Rica. Members have posted figures that range from $35/month up to $500/month. It would be VERY helpful to those of us who are looking at real estate purchases/rentals if some of you who already live there would “chime in” with some figures. However, these estimates would only be helpful if you would also state what appliances and usage comprise those numbers AND the general size of your home. This is the sort of detailed information that I’m sure many of us would greatly appreciate! Thanks!
Well, lessee . . . We’re a family of two living outside Grecia. We have all electric appliances – range, refrigerator, washer and dryer – and a solar water heating system. Most of our lighting is fluorescent. We have neither heat nor air conditioning and rarely run the ceiling fans. We do have a large screen TV.
Our monthly electricity bills run around $100US. And rates are due to go up in January.
[quote=”sueandchris”]Over the last couple of years, there have been a few mentions of the average cost of electric bills in Costa Rica. Members have posted figures that range from $35/month up to $500/month. It would be VERY helpful to those of us who are looking at real estate purchases/rentals if some of you who already live there would “chime in” with some figures. However, these estimates would only be helpful if you would also state what appliances and usage comprise those numbers AND the general size of your home. This is the sort of detailed information that I’m sure many of us would greatly appreciate! Thanks![/quote]
We are probably atypical with 11 persons ([b]7 school kids[/b]) in our 2500 sq ft home but have most of what you would consider American needs. No heat or air conditioning and our clothes dryer and kitchen stove are gas.
Washer, hot water heat, computers, 2 refrigerators, 7 cuft freezer, 3 sterios 4 TVs and all the small things that usse little juice individually but combine for quite a bit.
Our bill runs [b]about 70,000 colones ($125)[/b] per month.I live and work in an apartment (just under 2,000 square foot) on the outskirts of San Jose with two computers and a printer running all day and over the last year, my average electricity bill is $81 per month.
We live just north of San Ramon at 4000 ft.. Our house is 1500 sq ft. with 3 laptops running all day, electric washer & dryer, electric ref. ,2 “on demand” hot water units, 2 dehumidifiers running 5 hours a day ea, deep freezer, 2 large plasma tvs and lots of led’s on 24 hrs. Our electric avg is $200.00 mo.
Bob
and i live across the street from bob and my average electric bill is $40 — but i don’t have a dryer, and i don’t have a TV, but i do now have internet and a computer, so that will up my bill a bit this month. i have a gas stove but i have an electric water heater, the tank kind, which is on a timer and only runs about 3 hours a day total. i tend to go to bed really early so i don’t use very much juice after it gets dark — we are usually in bed and asleep by 8. i run the dehumidifier about 4 hours a day, sometimes less, or sometimes not at all.
We have 2 small houses both using one meter so not exactly what you wanted.
There are 4 fridges, one commercial oven that is very cost efficient, 1 ‘suicide shower, 2 small plasma TV’s, one hardly on and 1 hardly off, 1 computer on 50% of the day, printer/fax occasional use, 4 fans running 24 hours, 2 washing machines, 1 dryer only used occasionally, 1 radio on 50% per day, water pumps, indoor & outside lighting. Interior lights off in our house usually by 8PM
Average $55 per month and we are in the interior of Guanacaste with an average temp. of 80%.Gee whiz! These detailed responses are exactly what I need! Thanks so much to everyone AND to anyone else who may still respond.
I can easily find “our” future use in these responses and plan. Also, are the ICE rates the same for every part of the country? Sue
Oh, forgot to ask if those of you who have the “on demand” hot water systems have been happy with their performance?
We have the [ http://www.gineselectric.com/e_calentador.htm ] on demand hot water system (propane) up at our mountain home and it’s been fantastic!
Scott: Is the Gines available and serviced locally? Do you have the 12 gpm unit or the smaller unit? And lastly, is your propane tank actually in your apartment? Thanks!
The Gines units are 5- or 12-[b]liters[/b] per minute, not gallons, Sue. That’s about 1.3 or 3.2 gallons per minute. If you have any fantasies about using such a unit for either a washing machine or a dishwasher, I think the larger unit is the only choice. And even 3.2 gallons per minute would take a while to fill a top-loading washing machine if you were doing a full-size load with hot water only. A front-loading washer would be a better choice for a number of reasons.
Keeping in mind that the electric bill we will pay at the end of December will actually be for the month of November, here is what we are experiencing: We have a new, cement block home, approximately 1500 sq. ft. We have an electric water heater (40 gallon), gas stove, washer, electric dryer, large fridge, five ceiling fans, two tv’s, stereo on all day, and a hefty window unit air conditioner (220 volt). When we paid our last bill, the end of November (in other words, actually for the electric used in October) we paid nearly $200.00 (about $196). This month, we are deliberately not using the air conditioner (which I feel is essential to help maintain lower humidity in the bedroom/closet), to see if this makes a significant difference. We won’t know if it does, though, until the end of January. So, I guess, if this thread is still going, I’ll update, if/when.
Oops…….we also have one large dusk to dawn street light, and two security, motion sensor light fixtures outside, and of course, the computer/printer is on a good part of the day, but not as long as it would be if I had a real internet connection.
[quote=”jdocop”]Keeping in mind that the electric bill we will pay at the end of December will actually be for the month of November, here is what we are experiencing: We have a new, cement block home, approximately 1500 sq. ft. We have an electric water heater (40 gallon), gas stove, washer, electric dryer, large fridge, five ceiling fans, two tv’s, stereo on all day, and a hefty window unit air conditioner (220 volt). When we paid our last bill, the end of November (in other words, actually for the electric used in October) we paid nearly $200.00 (about $196). This month, we are deliberately not using the air conditioner (which I feel is essential to help maintain lower humidity in the bedroom/closet), to see if this makes a significant difference. We won’t know if it does, though, until the end of January. So, I guess, if this thread is still going, I’ll update, if/when.
Oops…….we also have one large dusk to dawn street light, and two security, motion sensor light fixtures outside, and of course, the computer/printer is on a good part of the day, but not as long as it would be if I had a real internet connection.[/quote]
John Dugan: Do you live near the ocean? Just wondering about the air conditioners! Thanks, Sue
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