utility costs.

[Gary Allan]

If I ever can navigate a genset that is practical, I'll declare my whole house a 220 hard wired device to the interruptable service.

I had though of the simplicity of a transfer switch ..but that's illegal ..and while I could probably rationalize the violation and shed some conscience in the doing ...

..they're hip to that stuff

 

[Audi Junkie]

I recently re-installed a new gas heater and did a bit of extra work with fabricating a pre-heater system.

I ran a section of baseboard pipe (copper w/ aluminum fins) adjacent to the central heater and into a tank to sit and preheat until it comes out to the waterheater itsellf, passing through another baseboard pipe first. The tank is just an old hw heater with all the insulation stripped off.

It definately takes the cold bite out of the water before hitting the heater.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: SecondMonkey
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: SecondMonkey
All day sunday and holidays are considered "off peak".

Believe it or not, on Sunday and Monday mornings really early, Australian coal fired power stations have to pay the grid to take electricity


Yeah, I've heard the startup costs are very high. Around here much of the water comes from hydroelectric, so they can just close the dam and keep the coal fired plants on full blast.


About 100,000 litres of diesel for a normal restart on coal fired.

Those mornings, the cola fired are paying the hydros to pump electricity up the hill, so that the hydros can profit later.

 

[Shannow]

LOL, cola

 

[Virtuoso]

During the winter we're paying (after taxes) 7.95 cents/kwh; Summertime is around 10.8 to 11.5c/kwh.

I think the first 500kwh is at one rate, and the rest is at a higher one. Unfortunatly our city bills are pretty vauge to that stuff.

As far as natural gas goes, we pay about $1.25/therm in the summer, and $1.08/therm in the winter. Perhaps that has to do with the proportion of fee's and taxes beefing up the per therm price on the small use months. Nat gas is cheap this year from my understanding too..

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Virtuoso
As far as natural gas goes, we pay about $1.25/therm in the summer, and $1.08/therm in the winter. Perhaps that has to do with the proportion of fee's and taxes beefing up the per therm price on the small use months. Nat gas is cheap this year from my understanding too..


Natural gas is used in many "peaker" plant to generate electricity during summer, so it is more expensive in the summer as well.

 

[benjamming]

I don't have natural gas available where I am located so use propane. I usually pay < $2/gal. Electricity is ~ $0.10/kWh.

 

[fsskier]

Natural Gas in Iowa is the cheapest its been in years. Two years ago, our supplier - Mid American benefited when the Hedge fund (Marantha?) bought tons of gas hoping the price would go up.. then it collapsed and we got it all cheap. Of course the Hedge fund lost billions and collapsed much to our benefit. Assuming that you did not lose your retirement!!

Anyway, the Dec bill is: 48CCF X .988 pressure factor X 1.014 btu factor, = 48 therms. (My CCF and therms are always identical) Then 48 CCF X 72 cents =$ 34.73 + 10 bucks for the privilege of having a gas meter and pipes to my house, a couple of fees and we have $45.18 total. Avg Temp for the month was 31 degrees. Not a bad bill, but its just now starting to get cold, so next month will be around $75.
These bills also include a gas grill, gas dryer and gas water heater. I use 10 ccf in the summer.

Yes, my house is well insulated, Walls are as high as R30 (most around R20) Ceiling R 40 and quite a bit of triple glass windows.