[kittyranger]

I got scared at some of posts i read showing ac /electricity osts. i see that price per kw less than northeast where i am so i under assumption people leaving either heat or ac on all day. but being that i wil l spend most of day in 1 room isnt it cost effective just cool my 1 room when i am in it? will that give me much lower bills. Also the gas bills will be high the months elec low so is there an avg yearly? i am confused a bit,lol

[jfkIII]

in a nut shell, yes.

[mojavedxer]

I am confused why you posted such a stupid question

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by mojavedxer

I am confused why you posted such a stupid question

Probably because people get weird ideas about other parts of the country that they aren't familiar with, then they take insignificant differences between "here" and "there", and they blow them way out of proportion. I think we all have done it from time to time, and that's why there are so many silly questions on this forum. Check any of the forums for any other state and you'll see the same thing. I almost gave up on a trip of a lifetime last year because of other people's negative ideas, and once there found out none of it was true.

To the OP: No you probably won't save anything by closing off the other rooms and only using one. What you would do in that case is make yourself miserable if not claustrophobic. You might even do harm to your heating and a/c unit. You can adjust room by room for your own comfort, but most a/c-heat units are balanced when first installed. We don't actually use the term "central air conditioning"; it's just "the air conditioner". You might find a few really old homes that still have swamp coolers, and you might find a few that use wall mounted a/c, but you won't find many because it is so inadequate. All homes that I know of built in at least the last 45 or 50 years have heat and a/c ducts throughout the house. Some have two units that either sit on the roof or on the ground. All apartments have a/c. At least 99%, I would guess, combine heat and a/c in one unit. How much electricity you use is up to you, but you can, and should, get a digital thermostat to control it automatically. Those babies save more money than any other thing you can do. Also the Power Company has programs where you let them take control of your unit during peak usage periods, and if you sign up it can save you some money. I doubt if your utility bills will even be as high here as wherever you live now. Our utilities have always been cheaper than elsewhere, but who knows how long that will last? It's only lasted 105 years so far.

[Buzz123]

By the way, I have known people who would rather suffer through the heat than run the a/c. Those people are very strange. You also need a/ in your car.

I hate to say this but it kind of sounds like you might be on welfare or one step away. If you are coming to Las Vegas to live on welfare, you are probably better off to stay where you are. Las Vegas is not very welfare friendly. Sorry if I misread your post, but thought you should know that.

[Tanque Verde]

Don't be so down about Nevada's welfare programs. If Rory Reid gets elected governor later this year, he'll be more than happy to take your money and give it to those who don't have as much as you have.

[MediocreButArrogant]

You're looking at a condo, correct? The high power bills are for single family homes, usually with pools. If you get a lower-floor condo, facing east, your neighbor's units will insulate your unit from heat gain due to IR absorption.

Your winter heating bills could be high if all you have is electric resistance heating. You'll want either a gas furnace, or heat pump for heating.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by Tanque Verde

Don't be so down about Nevada's welfare programs. If Rory Reid gets elected governor later this year, he'll be more than happy to take your money and give it to those who don't have as much as you have.

That's OK. I ain't got nuthin.

[212david51]

The most efficient way to cool your home is to use a swamp cooler, AKA evaporation cooler. All that requires is a water supply and a 110 volt electric fan to blow the air into the house. The down side is it makes the humidity in the house really high. This can promote the growth of mold.

This can be handled by installing an AC or de-humidifier. They will pull the humidity out of the air, leaving the cool air behind. If you really want to be efficient, you will use the water collected in this manner to help refill the cooler. Most people do not do this as most homes have either a swamp cooler (older homes) or an AC (newer homes.)

Of course, having a well insulated house is a good idea.