Summary of gas and electricity consumption and cost
to the Strawbale House tenants

(Presented for Czech Cottages 2005 Annual Membership Meeting)

Attached is data on the monthly gas and electricity consumption and expense for each of our six tenants.  Midwest Energy, Inc., and Rolling Hills Electric Cooperative, Inc provided this data at my request.  For privacy reasons, individual tenant information should be kept confidential.

I will summarize the data provided in terms of expense to our tenants.  The data reported for gas is through May 2005.  Appliances that use gas are the furnace and water heater.  Tenants’ monthly gas expense has ranged from a low of $10.81 to a high of $44.77.  The monthly average of all tenants is $22.35.

Appliances that use electricity include the refrigerator, garbage disposal, clothes washer and dryer, stove/oven, furnace blower, air conditioner, ceiling fans, lights and appliances such as TV’s and microwave ovens tenants may possess.  Consumption varies greatly between tenants; one tenant has a small chest freezer and a computer.

The total electricity cost includes not only usage but also a power cost adjustment, franchise tax and sales tax.  The data reported for electricity is through April 2005.  Excluding partial months, tenants’ monthly electric expense has ranged from a low of $12.80 to a high of $60.80.  The monthly average of all tenants (excluding partial months) is $28.55.

Combining the average monthly gas and electric bills of all tenants, the average total monthly gas and electric expense per tenant is $50.90.

Tenant attitudes toward gas and electric expenses have been consistently positive.  Tenants are pleased to experience significantly lower bills than they had prior to moving to Czech Cottages.  Relatively low utility bills contribute greatly to the overall affordability of Czech Cottages.