$141M Bel Air mega mansion’s electric bill reaches $50K a month: report
The most expensive home ever bought is a 105,000-square-foot California mansion in the hills of Bel Air whose electric bill can reach up to $50,000 a month, according to a report.
The $141 million home known as “The One,” which is considered the largest modern home in the country, would need considerable amounts of energy to cool it down during the intense heat waves that have gripped Southern California in recent weeks.
Lawrence Castillo, the president of air-conditioning company Brody Pennell, told the Los Angeles Times that an electric bill at the home would be around $50,000 when operating at full capacity.
Castillo based his estimate on the fact that the mega mansion at 944 Airole Way includes a pantry, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a candy room, a 4,000 square-foot guesthouse, a sky deck with cabanas, a nightclub and a full-service beauty salon and spa.
In total, the residence has 21 bedrooms and 42 full bathrooms.
According to the LA Times, a court-appointed receiver who was tasked with finding a buyer for the home estimated that the monthly electric bill was $27,000. At the time, there was air-conditioning for just one level of the house.
Castillo told the LA Times he would estimate that a home the size of “The One” would need around 50 HVAC systems.
“In theory, a 100,000-square-foot home would have the same energy bill as 40 2,500-square-foot homes,” he said.
“That’s two city blocks’ worth of houses to cool one property.”
Not only does the person residing in the home need to consider air-conditioning, but there’s also the energy needed to power the various appliances and machines, including the pool filters and pumps, the water fountains, the elevators and the refrigerators.
California is emerging from a torrid summer that saw extensive heat waves which prompted the state government to urge its residents to cut back on the use of electricity for fear it would exhaust the power grid.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom took to Twitter earlier this month and asked residents to “save energy” while he wore a fleece coat in what appeared to be an air-conditioned room — prompting charges of hypocrisy.
“Our energy grid is being pushed to its max. The risk of outages is real. We need everyone to double down to save energy after 4 p.m. today,” Newsom said.
In March, Richard Saghian, the founder of retail company Fashion Nova, placed a $141 million bid for the home, which was approved by a US Bankruptcy Court judge.
Saghian snatched up the home at half its listing price of $295 million.