My brother and I are energy suckers, so when our bill started to go above $200 we had to pay for it, and if it was under he would split the difference and pay us. So far, in a family of 4 he is paying us about 20 dollars each sense then.
The animal shelter where I volunteer uses woody pet as kitty litter. I use this in my chicken coops too, and one bag covers my 6x8 area comforably, so a bag should last you a while