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09-10-2008, 06:26 AM
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#41
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Central, Ohio, USA
Posts: 2,635
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Using the "all-in-one" or "true cost" concept (total bill including all taxes, surcharges, event charges and all other BS) divided by the energy used:
Last Electric bill (August): Total Cost $65.44 (when divided by total KWH used (617)) the cost PER KWH is $00.10606 (True Cost).
Last Natural Gas Bill (August): Total Cost $18.03 (when divided by the total Therm (6 adjusted to 7 (by some fancy, confusing, formula)) that comes to $2.5757 per Therm (or roughly $00.26 per Cubic Foot).
So Electric is $00.11 KWH and NG is $00.26 per CF.
__________________
Vietnam Veteran, CW4 USA, Retired 1979
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Sorry, couldn't get the Chart to Copy
09-10-2008, 06:28 AM
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#42
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Belmont
Posts: 160
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Sorry, couldn't get the Chart to Copy
Natural Gas bulk price is DOWN 50% since May/June 2008. When do we users get some bebefit out of this?
__________________
Work is the curse of the partying class!
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09-10-2008, 06:47 AM
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#43
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 982
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I'm surprised to see such low rates in comparison to this part of the country since my utility (Southern Co - Alabama Power) claims we have some of the lowest rates. My 1500 sqft house is all electric and average monthly cost is just under $80 (last 12 months $957.65). Cost per kwh was .1174 for an average of 680 kwh per month.
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09-10-2008, 07:18 AM
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#44
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 6,256
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Denver CO:
July 2008
Electric - $242.06/2,063 KwH = 11.7¢ per Kilowatt Hour
(Natural) Gas - $23.07/11 Therms = $2.10 per Therm used
July 2007
Electric - $141.48/1,694 KwH = 8.4¢ per Kilowatt Hour
(Natural) Gas - $17.44/12 Therms = $1.45 per Therm used
Yikes!
__________________
"It's tough to make predictions, especially when it involves the future." ~Attributed to many
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." ~(perhaps by) Yogi Berra
"Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge."~ Lau tzu
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09-10-2008, 10:22 AM
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#45
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 86
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Here I am paying:
Electric last month - .10/kWh
Gas last month - $2.81/Therm
I do budget billing with the power company (gas and electric), so they average my usage and charge me one price for a year. Each year they recompute and if I was underbilled (like last year) I have to make up the difference over the next year.
Last year I paid $88 a month (gas/electric), this year I will be paying $141 a month (to make up a shortfall that $88 a month created, since I added a hot-tub last year) . Still that isn't anything compared to what some of you are paying...
I think it helps that I am only heating/cooling 1350SF in a mellow climate.
Laters,
-d.
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09-10-2008, 04:20 PM
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#46
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,856
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
Yep, that's the only accurate way to do it. If all charges aren't included in your calculation you're just fooling yourself.
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We'd pay $16/month even if we didn't use a single watt, so I subtract that out.
We're also getting rebates from HECO overdoing their last couple rate increases, so I add those back in.
Then I divide the resulting charge by the number of KWhrs and get something close to the average rate that HECO advertises on their website.
__________________
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09-10-2008, 04:35 PM
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#47
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Central, Ohio, USA
Posts: 2,635
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Everything we do on the site boils down to "it depends". The longer these things go the more defined/refined they get, although if you do not read the entire thread you will be confused sometimes as to what is being discussed.
__________________
Vietnam Veteran, CW4 USA, Retired 1979
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09-10-2008, 04:44 PM
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#48
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,525
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Here in SW Oregon electricity averages out to about $0.105 a KWH. The summer heat is very dry so we don't have AC, a window swamp cooler is enough for the few warm afternoons so my electric bill is pretty low (less than $100). During the winter months use about two cords of wood from my property for heat which would be about $175/ cord if buying.
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09-10-2008, 08:51 PM
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#49
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,252
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Natural gas: $10.50 per month if you use nothing plus about $1.24 per one-hundred cubic feet (CCF). For August we used 12 CCF and the bill was about $27. We have gas water, gas dryer. We won't run the gas heat until December. February gas bill is about $200.
Electric averages about $160 a month with as high as $220 in summer and as low as $50 a month in winter.
This is for a 3000 sq ft McMansion near Houston. Our bills in 2007 and 2008 have been lower than in 2006.
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09-10-2008, 09:05 PM
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#50
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 897
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Wife turned the heat on last weekend too. (I know there's a joke in there).
So, this is for last month for electricity.
Basic service charge = $5.50
Fuel clause Adj. = $18.86
First 1000KWH summer rate = $0.062/KWH = $62
After 1000 = $0.053 /KWH (only 6 KWH at this rate) = $0.32
Interim Rate Adj. = $10.14 - no idea what this is. They undercharged in the past and now they're trying to make it up... is how I recall the explanation.
City fees (2%) = $1.94
Grand total = $98.76 for 1006 KWH. = 9.81 cents/KWH
The summer rate of 6.2 goes to 5.3 or 5.4 in the winter, everything else stays the same. Even though we heat with gas.
Nat gas is $19.04/mo. whether we turn it on or not. Used to be split up into delivery and gas charges plus fees. Now it's $19 + gas + fees.
Last Oct., it was $18.48 plus $0.635312/therm.
Used 32 CCF. They adjust for heat content but it doesn't change anything. 32 ccf = 32 therms. This equates to $20.33 for the gas.
Plus 2% for city fees ($0.78 ), 2% for state tax ($0.79).
Grand total is 40.38, = $1.26/therm or ccf. Again, this was back in Oct. Too lazy to dig out any other month unless someone requests it.
Eastern ND - where the hot is hotter and the cold seems colder, the hardiness zone chart for plants is lying.
-CC
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"There's those thinkin' more or less, less is more, but if less is more, how you keepin' score?
It means for every point you make, your level drops. Kinda like you're startin' from the top..." "Society" - Eddie Vedder
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09-11-2008, 05:51 AM
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#51
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 338
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LOL!
Natural gas: $10.50 per month if you use nothing plus about $1.24 per one-hundred cubic feet (CCF). For August we used 12 CCF and the bill was about $27. We have gas water, gas dryer. We won't run the gas heat until December. February gas bill is about $200.
Electric averages about $160 a month with as high as $220 in summer and as low as $50 a month in winter.
This is for a 3000 sq ft McMansion near Houston. Our bills in 2007 and 2008 have been lower than in 2006.
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Your about where I am at (utility cost and house size)
I have often thought that, with my houses high ceilings, if heating and cooling costs ever got ridiculous I could put up some walls and ceilings (portable and temporary) to heat and cool only the livingroom and a bedroom or two.
I mean selling a 3000 sq ft house if utilities doubled again would get harder and harder. (just like people trying to dump their trucks today)
What would others do if your utilities started to run 500/mo ?
__________________
USAF Veteran -- Retired Air National Guard -- OSW -- ONW -- OIF
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09-11-2008, 05:58 AM
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#52
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Central, Ohio, USA
Posts: 2,635
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Quote:
Originally Posted by militaryman
Your about where I am at (utility cost and house size)
I have often thought that, with my houses high ceilings, if heating and cooling costs ever got ridiculous I could put up some walls and ceilings (portable and temporary) to heat and cool only the livingroom and a bedroom or two.
I mean selling a 3000 sq ft house if utilities doubled again would get harder and harder. (just like people trying to dump their trucks today)
What would others do if your utilities started to run 500/mo ?
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Ceiling fans on LOW and set for Winter (air coming down the walls) - would do a better job IMO.
__________________
Vietnam Veteran, CW4 USA, Retired 1979
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09-11-2008, 06:24 AM
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#53
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 338
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OAG
Ceiling fans on LOW and set for Winter (air coming down the walls) - would do a better job IMO.
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Hmm with a 3000 sq ft house that has ceilings varying from 10 up to 20 ft in height I think that if I was able to change my heated/cooled space from 3000sq ft to under <800 sq ft (and bring ceiling height of that 800 to <8ft) I would drastically cut my bill.
Just talking about doing it if utilities went crazy ...
Existing gasfireplace could easily heat living room and bedroom by using a fan or two for circulating/dispersion of heat (window a/c unit in summer) Therefore the House heat and a/c could be set at say 82 in summer and 60 in winter and hardly come on.
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USAF Veteran -- Retired Air National Guard -- OSW -- ONW -- OIF
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09-11-2008, 06:27 AM
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#54
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,543
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my wife and i saw a few homes with vaulted ceilings
i told her no way because the heating costs will be sky high
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09-11-2008, 06:40 AM
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#55
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 338
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Quote:
Originally Posted by al_bundy
my wife and i saw a few homes with vaulted ceilings
i told her no way because the heating costs will be sky high
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It does make a difference. I Heat to 70 degrees at a height of 5ft. If I put a thermometer on a stick and check it at the 20ft height it is 86 degrees up there!
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USAF Veteran -- Retired Air National Guard -- OSW -- ONW -- OIF
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09-11-2008, 07:25 AM
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#56
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,068
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Yeah, ceiling fans will help a ton, circulating some of than 86 degree air back down to the floor.
We specifically made a choice for no vaulted ceilings for that reason and an open floorplan air flows well from downstairs to upstairs so we only need to use the in-floor heat in the winter).
For an existing house, the most effective things may be better insulation and ceiling fans.
Most utilities will offer cheap 'energy audits' which will give you a better idea of where your biggest losses are happening.
__________________
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
(Ancient Indian Proverb)"
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09-11-2008, 07:29 AM
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#57
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 338
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zathras
Yeah, ceiling fans will help a ton, circulating some of than 86 degree air back down to the floor.
We specifically made a choice for no vaulted ceilings for that reason and an open floorplan air flows well from downstairs to upstairs so we only need to use the in-floor heat in the winter).
For an existing house, the most effective things may be better insulation and ceiling fans.
Most utilities will offer cheap 'energy audits' which will give you a better idea of where your biggest losses are happening.
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Ok, Agreed. And that might save you say 20-30% (maybe) on your utility bills but what if a year from now your bill is 400/mo average and it looks like that will continue that way.
What drastic steps could you take other than downsizing the McMansion that noone wants to buy?
__________________
USAF Veteran -- Retired Air National Guard -- OSW -- ONW -- OIF
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09-11-2008, 08:31 AM
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#58
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Central, Ohio, USA
Posts: 2,635
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Look at #19. These costs are for a VAULTED three level home; with one ceiling fan (which we mostly only use on extreme days, in the summer for cooling). These costs are well below the AVERAGE costs as provided by the local Utility Companies. However, someplace like Florida (where we lived for 19 years) I definitely would never purchase a two level home or one with something called a BONUS room as the summer heat can be tough even with extensive insulation.
__________________
Vietnam Veteran, CW4 USA, Retired 1979
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09-11-2008, 09:27 AM
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#59
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,049
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
Yep, that's the only accurate way to do it. If all charges aren't included in your calculation you're just fooling yourself.
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Ah, good point.
That puts me at $.072/KWH.
Gas comes to $2.32/CCF. Most of that is due to fixed costs.
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09-11-2008, 02:34 PM
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#60
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,708
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Funny how wildly different the gas and electric rates are around the country. Electricity makes a lot more sense than gas...you'd think gas rates would be pretty darn close.
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Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
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