Saving real $$

[wilburg]

Ok, so I have had my stove for one full electric bill and this is what I see. I have an electric house, that had a Kerosene Monitor heater in the living room, I took out the Monitor and I added a Harman Accentra. Last year I heated my Living room to 68 degrees and Bedrooms to 66. This year I heat my livingroom to 75 and the bedrooms to 70.

My average electric usage last year 108 kWh
This year it is 75 kWh

Better than 25% reduction in electricity

At $0.16 per KWH My electric bill was $401
Last Year using the same figres it would of been $501
Total reduction on the electric bill was $100

Last year I would of used approximately 50 gallons of kerosene at $3. p/g ... that is $150

Total reduction: $250

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I used about 1/2 ton of pellets at $168 p/ton - $84

Total 1st month savings ~$166

(stove was $2660 after Tax rebate - Using 4 months of prime heating weather, it will take about 4 years to pay off the stove - then rest is all mine!)

 

[save$]

Generally speaking, if payback is 5 years or less (any investment) then it is considered profitable. Look what you have done! Burning biomass not foreign oil, Carbon neutral. you are considerably warmer (how much more would you have saved if you kept the temperature down to the same level as you got with the monitor, not that you would want too). Pay back in 4 year Ka ching Ka ching. Can you just hear those coins piling up instead of falling away. Keep your cleaning schedule on task and you be rewarded many years to come. Congratulations. If you have the heating problem taken care of, why is your Monthly? bill still $401. If that is a monthly bill, I see an opportunity for more victory savings yet to come!

 

[briansol]

16 cents is huge. does mass not offer alternative energy co's? I pay like .089 or something.... and i'm not on the cheaper 'i hate electric heat' plan.

 

[Fsappo]

Your right on schedule for a great return on your investment. With fuel oil over $3.20 a gallon and pellets at $200 a ton or so (not thru us, were more) I'm shocked that folks arent looking towards alternative.

 

[lordgrinz]

16 cents is huge. does mass not offer alternative energy co's? I pay like .089 or something.... and i'm not on the cheaper 'i hate electric heat' plan.

16 cents is the total cost of the electric up here in MA, this includes the distribution cost, not just the cost for Kwh. My bill is only $60 a month for electric though, and I've been using very little oil for hotwater(maybe 30 gallons a month?), and about 45 bags of pellets during these super cold months. So I am going to guess my total for heat/hotwater/electric for the last month is about $375. <-----thats at current cost for fuels.....I paid less for the pellets and HHO, so actually its more like $296, at least until I run out of this batch of pellets and HHO.

 

[save$]

16 cents is huge. does mass not offer alternative energy co's? I pay like .089 or something.... and i'm not on the cheaper 'i hate electric heat' plan.

16 cents is the total cost of the electric up here in MA, this includes the distribution cost, not just the cost for Kwh. My bill is only $60 a month for electric though, and I've been using very little oil for hotwater(maybe 30 gallons a month?), and about 45 bags of pellets during these super cold months. So I am going to guess my total for heat/hotwater/electric for the last month is about $375. <-----thats at current cost for fuels.....I paid less for the pellets and HHO, so actually its more like $296, at least until I run out of this batch of pellets and HHO.

That cost you quoted is related to use in that month, but most of us budget for the year. If you can plan ahead, and I am sure you are, you have an idea what what your pellet use, electricity and oil will be for the year. Divided by 12 gives you a more accurate picture of usage. I bet even when you factor any air conditioning in, the average monthly rate will be considerably less than the 296-375 mentioned! Good work!

I have no idea how you keep your electric bill at $60. Mine, I am ashamed to admit, runs about $170. I do have well water, but that still is high. My Killowatt cost is about 15.5 cents.

 

[lordgrinz]

16 cents is huge. does mass not offer alternative energy co's? I pay like .089 or something.... and i'm not on the cheaper 'i hate electric heat' plan.

16 cents is the total cost of the electric up here in MA, this includes the distribution cost, not just the cost for Kwh. My bill is only $60 a month for electric though, and I've been using very little oil for hotwater(maybe 30 gallons a month?), and about 45 bags of pellets during these super cold months. So I am going to guess my total for heat/hotwater/electric for the last month is about $375. <-----thats at current cost for fuels.....I paid less for the pellets and HHO, so actually its more like $296, at least until I run out of this batch of pellets and HHO.

That cost you quoted is related to use in that month, but most of us budget for the year. If you can plan ahead, and I am sure you are, you have an idea what what your pellet use, electricity and oil will be for the year. Divided by 12 gives you a more accurate picture of usage. I bet even when you factor any air conditioning in, the average monthly rate will be considerably less than the 296-375 mentioned! Good work!

I have no idea how you keep your electric bill at $60. Mine, I am ashamed to admit, runs about $170. I do have well water, but that still is high. My Killowatt cost is about 15.5 cents.

I like to keep the lights off as much as possible, appliances are all energy star, and all the bulbs in the house have been replaced with energy saving 7-14 watt bulbs. In the summer the AC will increase the electric bill to about $90-$100 during the hot weather.

 

[lordgrinz]

Just by some of the numbers I have crunched right now, I am guessing utility cost(Pellets/Electric/Oil/Water/Sewer) comes to about $2.35 per square foot for the whole year. Or about $295 per month...

 

[Flammam]

16 cents is huge. does mass not offer alternative energy co's? I pay like .089 or something.... and i'm not on the cheaper 'i hate electric heat' plan.

Thats the way it is here in the republic of Massachusetts. I have a 1900 sq ft house Heat by pellets, hot water by oil, dryer and stove on propane all energy star appliances, a tyrant on turning off lights. Being held hostage by Wemco my average electric bill is 140 month. Thats just to pump water out of the ground and run the tv/computer. I have lived here for 18 years and NEVER had a electric bill below 120. There are no alternatives to Wemco in this area.

 

[wilburg]

I have WMECO, and .16 is total cost of generation and supply. My budgeted bill is $299 a month, soon to go down.

 

[Lousyweather]

16 cents is huge. does mass not offer alternative energy co's? I pay like .089 or something.... and i'm not on the cheaper 'i hate electric heat' plan.

16 cents is the total cost of the electric up here in MA, this includes the distribution cost, not just the cost for Kwh. My bill is only $60 a month for electric though, and I've been using very little oil for hotwater(maybe 30 gallons a month?), and about 45 bags of pellets during these super cold months. So I am going to guess my total for heat/hotwater/electric for the last month is about $375. <-----thats at current cost for fuels.....I paid less for the pellets and HHO, so actually its more like $296, at least until I run out of this batch of pellets and HHO.

That cost you quoted is related to use in that month, but most of us budget for the year. If you can plan ahead, and I am sure you are, you have an idea what what your pellet use, electricity and oil will be for the year. Divided by 12 gives you a more accurate picture of usage. I bet even when you factor any air conditioning in, the average monthly rate will be considerably less than the 296-375 mentioned! Good work!

I have no idea how you keep your electric bill at $60. Mine, I am ashamed to admit, runs about $170. I do have well water, but that still is high. My Killowatt cost is about 15.5 cents.

I like to keep the lights off as much as possible, appliances are all energy star, and all the bulbs in the house have been replaced with energy saving 7-14 watt bulbs. In the summer the AC will increase the electric bill to about $90-$100 during the hot weather.

AC?! you wimps! Im about 20 miles from Lordgrinz, and I dont use any stinking AC! I just think of days like today........

 

[chris288]

Sure there are lots of variables, but in the summer our electric bill is ~ 125.00 - 140.00 and in general heating 1,100 sq. ft. with electric was costing us right around 500.00 / month, so figure 350.00 just for heat in the winter thats 11.50 / day. I use exactly one bag / day in the dead of winter, so I figure i’m saving 7.50 / day x 30 days = 225.00 / month. figure 4 months of winter 1 each of fall and spring, i’m saving around 1,125 / heating season using pelelts. I had my first stove for 14 years so it paid for itself in 2 seasons, so in the remaining 12 seasons I saved 13,500….

 

[jtakeman]

Sure there are lots of variables, but in the summer our electric bill is ~ 125.00 - 140.00 and in general heating 1,100 sq. ft. with electric was costing us right around 500.00 / month, so figure 350.00 just for heat in the winter thats 11.50 / day. I use exactly one bag / day in the dead of winter, so I figure i’m saving 7.50 / day x 30 days = 225.00 / month. figure 4 months of winter 1 each of fall and spring, i’m saving around 1,125 / heating season using pelelts. I had my first stove for 14 years so it paid for itself in 2 seasons, so in the remaining 12 seasons I saved 13,500….

We moved into this house in December of 95. Our electric bill came in January and I almost passed out from shock. As it was over $380. We went out and bought the used wood/coal stove that weekend. Our next bill was under $90. I just about paid for the wood/coal stove that first winter with the savings. After 4 seasons with with wood we saved enough to get the first pellet stove($800 used). Pretty much also paid itself off the first season! After about 8 seasons with that pellet stove we are way a head of the game. I bought the bigE and the latest stove but basically called them free from all the electric savings cost. I have been tempted to shut the stove down for a month just to see what the electric would be. But I am too afraid we would have a heart attack or freeze!

I love my pellet stove!

 

[chris288]

I love my pellet stove! [/quote]

As do we, love the savings, love the looks, love watching the awesome flame out of the XXV and don't mind lugging pellets or cleaning the stove, " inspite of what my wife thinks "

 

[FordMastertech]

The electric bill stays pretty much the same year round, runs around $150 to $175 per month, family of 4 who don't shut things off, 2 refrigerators, clothes dryer, range/stove, 3 to 4 tvs on all the time, 2 computers on most of the time, hot tub outside in the back yard, 2 window ac's and dehumidifier in the summer and then all my power tools and compressors.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

The electric bill stays pretty much the same year round, runs around $150 to $175 per month, family of 4 who don't shut things off, 2 refrigerators, clothes dryer, range/stove, 3 to 4 tvs on all the time, 2 computers on most of the time, hot tub outside in the back yard, 2 window ac's and dehumidifier in the summer and then all my power tools and compressors.

Sounds like you need to just remove say 2 tvs and a refrigerator. See what happens ;-).

 

[FordMastertech]

The electric bill stays pretty much the same year round, runs around $150 to $175 per month, family of 4 who don't shut things off, 2 refrigerators, clothes dryer, range/stove, 3 to 4 tvs on all the time, 2 computers on most of the time, hot tub outside in the back yard, 2 window ac's and dehumidifier in the summer and then all my power tools and compressors.

Sounds like you need to just remove say 2 tvs and a refrigerator. See what happens ;-).

I would be happy if they just turned them off when leaving the room and going into another room to watch another TV.
Well I guess the BEER fridge in the basement could go and then it would make more room for pellet storage.

NAW I DON'T THINK SO :bug:

 

[ironpony]

I was lucky and found a really nice invincible for 1000 dollars
I installed it and the first winter pretty much paid for it
keeping the house the same 68 degrees
my monthly costs dropped 200 per month
so the four months i ran the stove I saved 800 dollars
this year is gravy already and I bought pellets direct and saved a bunch there
also with the learning curve this year the house stays at 71 degrees
burning the same amount of pellets,
running a floor fan to help move the cold air