Merry Christmas from the power company

[mathjak107]

we are getting a 30% increase at our home in PA in january...that will bring us to .15 a kwh... at our new york place we pay .21

[FIREd]

We are paying $0.075 this year down from $0.095 last year.

[jazz4cash]

We had a 62% bump 2 yrs ago after many years of rate caps and we're now at about .15/kwh which breaks down to .1197 for power and the rest for "distribution"...we're supposed to have "Electric Choice" here in MD, but there's not any real competition.

[ERD50]

Considering the national average is 12.05 cents/KWH, I'd say that 10.7 cents is a present, and you could consider the 7.5 cents you have been paying as an early Christmas present that you have enjoyed all year!

-ERD50 (lucky enough to be paying ~ 10~11 cents KWH currently)

[FUEGO]

Never realized how lucky we are to have our 7.5-8.5 cents per kWh rates. That's probably why it doesn't make financial sense for me to conserve or get energy efficient things done (ac, furnace, fridge, dryer, windows, etc) vs the general advice among the rest of the nation.

[clifp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathjak107 we are getting a 30% increase at our home in PA in january...that will bring us to .15 a kwh... at our new york place we pay .21

.21 is pretty expensive. Of course I pay between .24 and .25 KWH. hit $.30 a KWH when oil prices went over $100 a few years ago. Of course, at a lovely 82 degrees today I didn't need to run the furnace.

[eridanus]

I'm paying 5.25 cents/kWh for using <500 kWh. I was fortunate enough to lock in wind rates for 10 years, and my utility isn't participating in the "free market."

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eridanus I'm paying 5.25 cents/kWh for using <500 kWh. I was fortunate enough to lock in wind rates for 10 years, and my utility isn't participating in the "free market."

Interesting, can you tell us more? -ERD50

[eridanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 Interesting, can you tell us more? -ERD50

In Texas, municipal and co-operative utilities didn't have to join the deregulated electricity market. They could remain a monopoly in their area of service. This has been, in general, a boon to those in the still closed markets.

As for the wind power locked rates, they offered and I accepted. That only affects the "recovery" charge. The rate excluding recovery is 3.55cents/kWh.

[Zathras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUEGO Never realized how lucky we are to have our 7.5-8.5 cents per kWh rates. That's probably why it doesn't make financial sense for me to conserve or get energy efficient things done (ac, furnace, fridge, dryer, windows, etc) vs the general advice among the rest of the nation.

The reason rates go up is utilities need to produce (or buy) more electricity. If yours is the common conclusion in your area, you are more likely to see rate increases.
If everyone (or enough people) do the painfully simple things now, they will not have to pay later. No luck involved.

[JOHNNIE36]

I haven't been on the portal in quite some time but just returning, this thread peaked my interest. I can't get over some of the monthly bills y'all are talking about. Ref my own: For a 2025 sq ft house in west central Florida, and I'm on the "equal monthly payment plan", my levelized bill is $211/mo for the year. We used 1185 kwh last month. Our rates are $0.053 for the irst 1000kwh and $.063 for the additional 185 kwh. However, those charges are for what it cost Tampa Electric to produce that energy. The charges for the fuel used by Tampa Electric are in addition to that. The fuel charge for last month was $.048/kwh for the first 1000kwh and $.058 for the additional 185 kwh. Sound confusing? In a nut shell my average electric cost and taxes is $200.14 per month year round. This is a totally electric house with the biggest usage being A/C. I'd love some of those $45 monthly bills y'all are getting.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOHNNIE36 I haven't been on the portal in quite some time but just returning, this thread peaked my interest. I can't get over some of the monthly bills y'all are talking about. Ref my own: For a 2025 sq ft house in west central Florida, and I'm on the "equal monthly payment plan", my levelized bill is $211/mo for the year. We used 1185 kwh last month. Our rates are $0.053 for the irst 1000kwh and $.063 for the additional 185 kwh. However, those charges are for what it cost Tampa Electric to produce that energy. The charges for the fuel used by Tampa Electric are in addition to that. The fuel charge for last month was $.048/kwh for the first 1000kwh and $.058 for the additional 185 kwh. Sound confusing? In a nut shell my average electric cost and taxes is $200.14 per month year round. This is a totally electric house with the biggest usage being A/C. I'd love some of those $45 monthly bills y'all are getting.

I can't get over your monthly bills either! My house is 1558 square feet, my electric rates are much higher than yours, and my average bill this year has been $69. It was over $100 for only one month this year, July, when it was $127 due to A/C usage during all those stifling hot days over 100 degrees in late June.

I do have natural gas service and even though I do not have a gas stove, I have a gas water heater and the usual gas heat in the winter (that uses more gas than electricity), and a gas dryer. So, maybe that is the difference. My natural gas bill averages $29 so far this year, with the highest being $65 last January (due to the heating needs).

On the other hand I use all the electricity that I want or need, though I do have a nice big "Energy Star" refrigerator that I bought in 2005 after Katrina ruined my old one. I also have a 3-year-old Goodman HVAC system and I think the newer A/C systems are more energy efficient than older ones. Even though I live alone, I am a homebody who is home almost all the time and I wash enough clothes for three people (not sure why I change clothes so much! Just a nice luxury). My TV is on constantly when I am awake, with the sound off if I am not watching it. I have two computers that are always on, and I haven't shut my Wii off since I bought it a year and a half ago. So theoretically I should be using more electricity.

I do shut off all the lights except one, in whatever room I am in. I don't use my outdoor floodlights and I don't have Christmas lights up.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I do shut off all the lights except one, in whatever room I am in. I don't use my outdoor floodlights and I don't have Christmas lights up.

Edweena Scrooge? Is that you?

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Edweena Scrooge? Is that you?

ROFL!!! I have lived 61 years this way so I just can't imagine keeping all the lights in the house on, and providing an extravagant display of Christmas lights as well. And my neighbors keep their floodlights on, so my back yard isn't totally dark.

Edited much later to add: If I had young kids, or grandkids, you'd better believe that there would be Christmas lights! My ex and I did have one string of the big, colorful lights outside around the eaves even in our "churchmouse days" when our daughter was small and we didn't have much money. Our daughter thought those lights were the most wonderful, awe-inspiring display in the world when she was a tiny tot. But these days there are no kids at my house, and none of my immediate neighbors have them either.

There is some social pressure from the neighbors, who seem to compete to see who can have the more extravagant display each year. They probably think I adhere to some unusual faith that doesn't allow Christmas lights.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zathras The reason rates go up is utilities need to produce (or buy) more electricity. If yours is the common conclusion in your area, you are more likely to see rate increases. If everyone (or enough people) do the painfully simple things now, they will not have to pay later. No luck involved.

I wish it was painfully simple to make my house much more energy efficient. I guess I've done all the simple things: CFL's, change furnace filter regularly, turn off lights/appliances when not in use, keep doors closed when the heat/ac is on, etc.

The expensive fixes are new windows, new very high efficiency HVAC.

My individual decisions will continue to be made based on what is most economically efficient in my individual situation. I assume most other customers of my utility companies will act in a similarly rational manner, the current popularity of "green" everything notwithstanding.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUEGO The expensive fixes are new windows, new very high efficiency HVAC.

Someday your HVAC will crater, though, like they all do eventually. When that happens, you will be very pleased with the new one. I am not sure but I think that probably most new HVAC units are amazingly efficient compared with prior versions.

As for windows, I think I would want new windows when I move north, more to avoid having freezing cold drafts in the house rather than just for overall energy efficiency. In other words, even if the house is nice and toasty warm, who wants a cold draft blowing in on your neck?

[JOHNNIE36]

We must really be screwed up when it comes to being energy efficient. We keep the stat set at 79 degrees in the summer but don't let the house get below 72 in the winter. We have CFL's in every light fixture and tinted all the windows to reflect the sunlight. On the other hand, we have seven TV's and four cable boxes (which are on all the time) and a new six-phone system in our house in addition to one land line. Other energy gobblers may be the two fridges and one freezer and a waterfall with lights in the back yard. Also, we are bad for not turning out lights and the TV when leaving the room but we can downplay that because the lights are at least CFL's. So, I cannot complain about the electric bill when it shows up.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOHNNIE36 We must really be screwed up when it comes to being energy efficient. We keep the stat set at 79 degrees in the summer but don't let the house get below 72 in the winter. We have CFL's in every light fixture and tinted all the windows to reflect the sunlight. On the other hand, we have seven TV's and four cable boxes (which are on all the time) and a new six-phone system in our house in addition to one land line. Other energy gobblers may be the two fridges and one freezer and a waterfall with lights in the back yard. Also, we are bad for not turning out lights and the TV when leaving the room but we can downplay that because the lights are at least CFL's. So, I cannot complain about the electric bill when it shows up.

Sounds pretty good to me. I don't know what the problem could be, unless your refrigerators and freezers are really old and from your description of your lifestyle, I doubt they are. I am as mystified as you are and wish we could figure this out.

Right now is a typical night for me. I have one recessed canister light on over my chair, and (just for fun) I also have a nearby Tiffany style lamp turned on with a 40 W bulb. These are incandescents and I don't even own a CFL. My plasma TV is on, my Wii is on, my two computers are on, and my thermostat is set for 77 (higher than usual in the winter - - usually 75, but I'm cold). I have no window tinting and I have 12 feet wide of poorly insulated French doors with no curtains leading out into the back yard, that are about 15 feet from where I am sitting. It is 46 out there (brrr).

I must have some really great Karma! I do think it has something to do with lifestyle because my moderately low electrical usage has followed me from house to house, even when I was married and had a husband and kid at home.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Someday your HVAC will crater, though, like they all do eventually. When that happens, you will be very pleased with the new one. I am not sure but I think that probably most new HVAC units are amazingly efficient compared with prior versions. As for windows, I think I would want new windows when I move north, more to avoid having freezing cold drafts in the house rather than just for overall energy efficiency. In other words, even if the house is nice and toasty warm, who wants a cold draft blowing in on your neck?

When we replaced the old unit 6 years ago upon buying the house, there was a noticeable decrease in energy consumption because the old unit was rusted, previously flooded and only rated at 80% efficient I think.

Our HVAC is fairly efficient - 10 or 12 SEER on ac and 92% on the furnace. And I keep a close eye on electricity and gas consumption year to year, and neither are dropping off in efficiency yet. The higher efficiency units just don't pencil out right now. Maybe when these 6 year old units finally die, tax credits, rebates etc plus energy savings may make 14-15 SEER ac's worth it. We spend $1200 a year on heating and cooling, however that will likely drop below $1000 this year with the decreasing energy rates (mostly nat gas).

We don't really have breezes blowing through the house, so I guess our 37 year old windows are ok. New windows would probably cost thousands, and result in a modest energy savings that would not justify the expense of upgrading the windows.

[Urchina]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOHNNIE36 I'd love some of those $45 monthly bills y'all are getting.

Live in a 980 sq. ft. all-electric house, with 4 people and lots of energy-efficiency upgrades (and no AC) and you can!