Curious about Northeasterners and large amounts of non electric furnaces

[Mr. Jones]

Wondering why there seems to be so many boilers of anything besides electric furnace. Does the power constantly go out over there due to storms? Is it because most posters have old houses, and haven't switched over to electric? Is electricity outrageously priced? The reason I ask is because over here, I would actually save money with my electric furnace by simply using my finger to turn up the heat, vs spending $200 or $300 a cord of wood. That's not including all the work involved with wood, and constant attention to the fire. I've got multiple cords of wood, but it's all free, and wouldn't make financial sense if I paid for any of it. My bills in the winter months before having a constant fire was around $150 a month. Now it's around $95 to $100 a month with fires. So basically I've saved $250 over 5 months on my electric bill. I have mine pro rated at every 6 months, so the first 6 determines the price of the next 6 months. $250 is the price of one cord of wood around here for the better stuff. I burn through 4-5 cords in this old leaky 3,000 sq foot house. So it wouldn't make financial sense to spend over a grand for 5 cords of wood a season.

If it's because of storms, then I understand why one wouldn't want electric. I guess we lucked out, and have never in my almost 40 years had a power outage longer than a few hours, and usually due to a squirrel getting fried and popping a transformer.

 

[maple1]

Price of electricity combined with colder climate.

Electricity here is $0.18/kwh. How much is it there?

 

[Mr. Jones]

Price of electricity combined with colder climate.

Electricity here is $0.18/kwh. How much is it there?

$0.0684 per kWh. Daily system charge of 52 cents a day.

 

[Fred61]

$0.14741 per KWH
Daily customer charge = $0.43
Energy efficiency charge = KWH used X $0.01173
Electrical assistance program fee for those who cannot afford = $1.50

Cold as hell here!

 

[Bad LP]

First 50 KWH is 11.51 then it's .063 per with Central Maine Power. Average cost was .113 on my last bill.

 

[Bret Chase]

First 50 KWH is 11.51 then it's .063 per with Central Maine Power. Average cost was .113 on my last bill.

what? power + delivery is waaaaaaaaaay more than $0.063/kw w/ CMP.

 

[Bret Chase]

Wondering why there seems to be so many boilers of anything besides electric furnace. Does the power constantly go out over there due to storms? Is it because most posters have old houses, and haven't switched over to electric? Is electricity outrageously priced? The reason I ask is because over here, I would actually save money with my electric furnace by simply using my finger to turn up the heat, vs spending $200 or $300 a cord of wood. That's not including all the work involved with wood, and constant attention to the fire. I've got multiple cords of wood, but it's all free, and wouldn't make financial sense if I paid for any of it. My bills in the winter months before having a constant fire was around $150 a month. Now it's around $95 to $100 a month with fires. So basically I've saved $250 over 5 months on my electric bill. I have mine pro rated at every 6 months, so the first 6 determines the price of the next 6 months. $250 is the price of one cord of wood around here for the better stuff. I burn through 4-5 cords in this old leaky 3,000 sq foot house. So it wouldn't make financial sense to spend over a grand for 5 cords of wood a season.

If it's because of storms, then I understand why one wouldn't want electric. I guess we lucked out, and have never in my almost 40 years had a power outage longer than a few hours, and usually due to a squirrel getting fried and popping a transformer.

Here, if you are unfortunate enough to be renting an apartment w/ electric baseboard heat.... you're looking at easily $350 a month in the winter for power. Electric furnaces are pretty much unheard of here, I only ever saw one installed during my 25+ years of commercial construction... and it got ripped out after two months due to it's astonishing cost to run.

if we open up the definition to ASHP's.... they are becoming more and more common, particularly in new construction... partially due to the strict "Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code" being adopted state wide a few years ago. GSHP's are still comparatively rare... probably due to the high install costs due to frost having the potential to get 5' thick (meaning the ground loops need to be DEEP).

So simply put, electricity is too expensive... and it's too cold here... unless you want a 400A service.

 

[Mr. Jones]

Do you all over there generally lose power once or more a year due to storms? Is it the cost of electricity? Still trying to figure out why so many posters here have boilers and non electric furnaces. It sounds like a cord is about the same price as here for wood.

Edit. Bret beat me to post as I was typing this question. Thanks bret. Makes sense. Had no idea electricity was so expensive there.

 

[Fred61]

Had no idea electricity was so expensive there

You either missed my post above or perhaps you misplaced your calculator.

 

[Mr. Jones]

You either missed my post above or perhaps you misplaced your calculator.

Sorry fred, you're right. I did miss your post when viewing from my old phone. I now see it on my laptop.

 

[Bad LP]

what? power + delivery is waaaaaaaaaay more than $0.063/kw w/ CMP.

Average cost per page 3 of last months bill is what I was referring to at .113. Electricity Maine LLC is my supplier.

 

[Mr. Jones]

Just got back from another truck load of wood. Got one last night too. Only problem is it's more poplar or cotton wood. Not sure what the difference is, but it's super light. The difference is, it's free though. Is free wood hard to come by over there on craigslist, since power costs so dang much? Once in awhile, I'll find some not cotton/poplar for free, but it is usually green.

 

[Kingdoc]

Does the power constantly go out over there due to storms? Is it because most posters have old houses, and haven't switched over to electric? Is electricity outrageously priced?

Sometimes, yes and yes.

So i just looked at my bill last year for electric heat.

Delivery was .048 per Kwh
Supply was .045 Per Kwh
Plus taxes... fees... so on.

Average kilowatt hours over dec, jan, feb last year was 5950 a month. For my old drafty 2800 square foot house.

 

[Brian26]

The electricity rates dropped substantially this summer here in CT due to lower fuel costs. At the beginning of the year there was a rate increase and I was paying .22 kwh total cost delivered. Here in CT we are 2nd to only Hawaii with the highest rates in the U.S. I believe.

Half of your bill is just for delivery charges, energy efficiency charges, etc. They tried to get a 30% rate increase on delivery charges recently but the state regulatory board didn't approve it. I think they are losing money to the massive amount of people installing solar panels.

Looking back in Feb for example I was paying .22kwh. $153.47/693 kwh. Almost a quarter a kwh!

(broken image removed)

 

[Mr. Jones]

The electricity rates dropped substantially this summer here in CT due to lower fuel costs. At the beginning of the year there was a rate increase and I was paying .22 kwh total cost delivered. Here in CT we are 2nd to only Hawaii with the highest rates in the U.S. I believe.

Half of your bill is just for delivery charges, energy efficiency charges, etc. They tried to get a 30% rate increase on delivery charges recently but the state regulatory board didn't approve it. I think they are losing money to the massive amount of people installing solar panels.

Looking back in Feb for example I was paying .22kwh. $153.47/693 kwh. Almost a quarter a kwh!

(broken image removed)

Did you take a month vacation or something in January? $39 bill?

 

[beatlefan]

Wondering why there seems to be so many boilers of anything besides electric furnace. Does the power constantly go out over there due to storms? Is it because most posters have old houses, and haven't switched over to electric? Is electricity outrageously priced? The reason I ask is because over here, I would actually save money with my electric furnace by simply using my finger to turn up the heat, vs spending $200 or $300 a cord of wood. That's not including all the work involved with wood, and constant attention to the fire. I've got multiple cords of wood, but it's all free, and wouldn't make financial sense if I paid for any of it. My bills in the winter months before having a constant fire was around $150 a month. Now it's around $95 to $100 a month with fires. So basically I've saved $250 over 5 months on my electric bill. I have mine pro rated at every 6 months, so the first 6 determines the price of the next 6 months. $250 is the price of one cord of wood around here for the better stuff. I burn through 4-5 cords in this old leaky 3,000 sq foot house. So it wouldn't make financial sense to spend over a grand for 5 cords of wood a season.

If it's because of storms, then I understand why one wouldn't want electric. I guess we lucked out, and have never in my almost 40 years had a power outage longer than a few hours, and usually due to a squirrel getting fried and popping a transformer.

My electric bill averages $200 per month. I can't imagine what it would be with electric heat. The winter of 2013, I spent over $4,000 on propane. I've been heating with wood ever since...