[Monthly Details Revealed] How much is the annual electricity bill for the first year of living together? Realistic monthly expenses and money-saving tips
Hello everyone.
This is Sato.
If you are considering living together or have just started, you must be very curious about how much the annual or monthly expenses will be, right?
Before I started living with my partner, I was also anxious because I had no idea how much I would spend or what the payments would look like.
So, I have decided to fully disclose the actual expenses incurred after one year of living together!
This time, it is the annual electricity bill edition ⚡
I have introduced the total annual expenses in the article below, so please be sure to read it!
[Prerequisites] Living Environment
Number of household members: 2
Residence: Tokyo (rental)
Room layout/size: 2LDK
Lifestyle characteristics:
Our work hours do not overlap. We keep the air conditioner on almost all the time during the seasons we use it.
[Conclusion] The annual electricity bill is approximately 113,000 yen
In conclusion, the results were as follows.
Annual total: 113,112 yen
Monthly average: 9,426 yen
What do you think?
Did you find it surprisingly high? Or did you feel it was cheap?
Recently, summers have been abnormally hot, and winters seem to arrive all at once; I feel like spring and autumn are disappearing as seasons.
I think the difference in electricity bills between seasons is narrowing, which is resulting in higher costs.
[Monthly Data] Expenditure Trends and Analysis for the Year
The monthly electricity bills were as follows.
*Since we started living together last May, the figures for January to April are for this year.
January: ¥6,768 / February: ¥7,812 / March: ¥6,235
April: ¥6,173 / May: ¥6,400 / June: ¥7,620
July: ¥12,834 / August: ¥17,832 / September: ¥18,241
October: ¥11,801 / November: ¥6,226 / December: ¥5,170
Looking at the data roughly, it can be classified as follows.
January to February:
It gets genuinely cold, and electricity bills tend to rise due to increased use of heating and kotatsu.March to June
These are months with comfortable temperatures, and you can manage just by changing your clothes or bedding.
Electricity bills tend to be kept low.July to September
It gets genuinely hot, and electricity bills tend to rise due to increased use of air conditioning and fans. Depending on the average temperature of that summer, the electricity cost for air conditioning can fluctuate significantly.October to December
October is near the end of summer, so electricity bills tend to be kept low.
From November to December, the heat subsides, and you can manage with just clothing and thick bedding.
[Factors] What I learned about what makes electricity bills go up/down while living together
I understand the data, but I will summarize specifically what kind of usage makes electricity bills go up or down.
Electricity bills go up
Increased frequency of air conditioning (cooling/heating) use depending on the season
Especially in winter, the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors is large, and heating power consumption surges, making it the most expensive time of the year.Discrepancy in lifestyle rhythms (individual room use)
The two people have different activity times, and they are using lighting, air conditioning, and TVs in separate rooms at the same time.High frequency of cooking at home
In the case of all-electric homes or IH stoves, they use a lot of electricity, so it can end up being expensive.Length of time spent at home / working from home
You spend a long time at home during the day, and PCs, monitors, and air conditioning are left on.Mismatch in contracted amperage or rate plans
You have a higher amperage contract than necessary, or you have chosen a time-of-use rate plan that does not fit your lifestyle.
Electricity bills go down
Replacing with the latest energy-saving appliances
Basic power consumption is significantly cut by using the latest refrigerators and air conditioners with high energy-saving performance, and by switching to LED lighting.A lifestyle where both people are out during the day or work at the office
You use almost no electricity during the day, limiting usage to only a limited time at night.
[Savings] "Our home's saving tricks" that were actually effective
I know the factors that make it go up/down, but you're probably wondering how to save money.
I will introduce the tricks that I have actually tried and feel are effective for saving money!
Spend more time in the same room
By gathering in the living room together, you can consolidate air conditioning and lighting usage to just one unit.
If you use air conditioning in every room, your electricity bill will simply double.
However, if you spend time in the same room, you can stay cool without significantly increasing your electricity costs.
Limit home cooking or keep it quick
I think many people try hard to cook at home because they think it saves money.
However, with all-electric homes or induction cooktops, cooking at home can actually end up being more expensive. It is a good idea to check which option is truly more cost-effective for you.
Use cooling sheets or ice pillows in the summer
It is important not to misunderstand: you should not endure the heat by avoiding air conditioning. It would be counterproductive to get heatstroke while trying to save money.
By using cooling sheets or ice pillows, it is important to set your air conditioner to a slightly higher temperature than usual. Even raising it by just one degree can lead to real savings!
Summary
Looking back on our first year of living together, I realized that electricity bills can be controlled through ingenuity.
When we first started living together, we were anxious about how much our electricity bill would be for two people, but by carefully tracking the data for a year, our lifestyle patterns and the causes of higher costs became clear.
Instead of building up stress through unreasonable saving, let's focus on saving wisely through systems and small adjustments!