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We live in a 3-bedroom 1,000 sq ft apartment and our hydro bills for baseboard heating averaged between last June and October to be $160 per month. In November it was $225, in December $275, in January $275...does this sound normal?  
 
We have had one of the bedrooms heat turned off and the door closed since the end of November. Most of our windows face south and the rooms heat up from the direct sunlight so we keep the heat fairly low and turn it down more at night. We wash our clothing in HE washer/dryer and I only use cold water wash and hang most things to dry. We run the dishwasher once a week and I do not use the heat dry setting. I just wondered if this is normal as we have never had baseboard heat before.  
 
The baseboard heaters are Dimplex Model 6001540340 Cat No LC4015W31  
 
http://www.dimplex.com/cms/publications/LC_LinearConvector_Sellsheet_E.pdf

Im no expert on apartment hydro costs or baseboard heating but I have a 3 level home and my hydro bills have never gone above 100.00 a month. So seems steep to me.

I rent a 2 bedroom house no basement . And this winter every bill was $200 range. I use in floor heat and occasionally supplement with baseboards. I'm away all day at work and in the evening I barely have anything on. I have 2 hot showers a day. So i think my issue is the in floor heating and /or the showers. Expensive. My old 2 bedroom apt was only $50 a month.

We lived in a brand new apartment a few years ago 3 bedroom pretty small.. Everything brand new HE and our hydro bills were ridiculous. One month was $395... I still think we somehow ended up paying for the whole building (it was a 4 plex). And every month it was over $200

Jaxon said "Im no expert on apartment hydro costs or baseboard heating but I have a 3 level home and my hydro bills have never gone above 100.00 a month. So seems steep to me. "

But what type of heat do you have? Is it gas or electric? That factors into hydro costs.  
I have gas heat, so my heat costs were $90 last month, BUT my hydro portion was $80 ( lights, electricity, etc). So my hydro is usually under $100 each month, but my gas (heat, etc) ranges depending on how cold it's been. So my total bill was $170 last month. That's for 680sq ft home. So yes to me the op's bill sounds right for baseboard heat PLUS electricity per month. Hydro bill is not just heat and hot water.

baseboard heat is expensive so honestly the bills sound about right  
 
things that can help are weather striping, plasticing your windows and using a space heater so you can keep the rest of the house cooler, if it was your home adding insulation, changing out windows and heating sources, you can also turn the hot water down a notch or two

Yes you are right it does make a difference. I have geothermal heating. So that would be part of it.

Based on your comment of June until November I am assuming this is your first winter in this apartment? If it is, check your bills and see how many are estimates and how many are actual readings as the people that lived there before you may have used more heat in the winter than you are and things may balance out in the long run. I hope this is the case for you as this winter has been fairly mild!

Sign up for equal payment plan with hydro. Sure helps with budgeting!  
 
We have an electric furnace in our 950 square foot home. Our equal payments are $210 a month.

That does seem very high but depends on what temp you like it.  
 
I have a very large one bedroom with large great room. I set it to sixteen while away and around 21 when I'm here. Including my lights and car plug I'm at $30 in summer and the most I've seen in a cold winter is $110with baseboards.  
 
I have a large window and the baseboard is right below it.

If running a wall thermostat check to see if it is a "triac" model. Basically means it pulses electricity instead of solid current all the time.

You can find Manitoba hydros residential electricity rate on the web, I think it's 7.46 cents per kilo watt hour. Then take a meter reading and then take one 24 hours later. Subtract the two numbers, be careful of the scale on your meter. Then multiply by the going rate and the number of days in a month. This should be a really good estimate.  
 
In perspective your using 4000 kilo watt hours per month, which is like 4 baseboard heaters running full blast 24 hours a day for the whole month. It seems to me like you have a serious heat leak or you're getting hosed. This did not include costs for other power consumption.  
 
Or by a current meter and measure the current incoming to your breaker panel and multiply by the voltage to find your instantaneous watts. Then divide by 1000 and multiply by 24 x 7 x 30 x .0746. If it is a time when all baseboards are on this will be the absolute max for your bill...  
 
The wall thermostat advice will be neglegable in terms of overall savings.  
 
Edited by fdsafdsa, 2016-03-03 17:32:55

Jaxon said "Yes you are right it does make a difference. I have geothermal heating. So that would be part of it. "

man. $200 for an apartment! wow. I'm glad I have geo heating and cooling. Have my heat on 23 in the winter, heating a 1575sq.ft home costs the highest $160/ month. Cooling costs $40/month.

if you are on the EPP and your "year end" is soon and you are behind then hydro may be just catching up so you are fully paid by the end of you year.  
 
if you are on line with hydro you can also pull your past usage and find out when your meter was read.  
 
or just go down to their office on 10th

high anyway when it was june through sept or so. no heat just electric lights on etc. maybe air con if you have it.  
 
then you add the heating season at $100 per month extra which for a 3 bedroom might not be out of line.  
 
ask hydro if you can see past years expenses even if you were not the tenant at the time.

Be happy you don't live in Ontario. My friend pays $600 a month for a 2 bedroom baseboard heat apartment.  
 
They have time of day charges, 17.4 cents per kw during peak hours.

in our apartment $78 seemed to the average. 2 bedroom, baseboard heaters, washer/drier, dishwasher, hot water tank, fridge are the main power hogs here. During the summer, it's been down in the $30's. Then we are in a building that's only a few years old.

Anyone that has electric heat as a primary will always pay more in the winter unless it is averaged. Gas heat is very cheap. I have a 3bdm house and just got my bill today. Gas and Hydro combines were only $100. I have a 98% HE furnace so my gas is usually under $40/month. My hydro was for 730kwh so it was the other $60. I am on equal payment plan so my bills are always the same and I am currently running a credit on both my hydro and gas usage since Sept when it started again. I know people that went and installed electric forced air in their home in Brandon when they had gas previously and I am sure it was a HUGE mistake since it must be at least $300/mo over winter to use. One good thing about Manitoba though is our hydro costs are one of the lowest in Canada.

My kids are in 3 bedroom condo, 2 cars plugged in and dishwasher going regularly as well as washer and dryer. They havent paid that much in the four plus yrs that have lived there! Mind you it is new condo and inside of 4 total. they read the meter every second month rather than estimate, because when we first moved them in the bill was over $300 estimated!! That is ridiculous hence the readings...(theylived on credit for few mths afterwards for paying that first $300)  
On other side, we live on farm, have geothermal for house but baseboards for upper bedrooms so can control temp for sleeping. We heat a dairy barn (and a bulk tank that spins and cools all the time pretty much) a shop and 3 livestock waterers as well as run aeration to bins etc. Never has our hydro been anywhere near $400 for all this. It usually runs in the $200-300 range. We do our own readings though as well!  
So to expect to pay this amt for an apartment seems like you are either living in very cheaply made and insulated building or there is some other reason for it. In comparison to our farm, and our three bedroom condo in Brandon....that is too much in my opinion