Winter electricity bills...

[Swedishchef]

Hey guys

It has been a damn cold winter where I live (and everywhere else from what I have seen in the media and heard on this forum).

I just got my electricity bill a couple of weeks ago. It was from December 5th until Feb 20th (approximate dates..). It was for 75 days.

I paid $368 (for 75 days). I find that quite reasonable. I burned about 2 cords of wood during that time. My wife is home with my 2 kids and I need to keep my 1300 sq ft bungalow warm on both floors (my oldest son loves going downstairs in the day). Considering I had 4800 watts of christmas lights (outdoors and indoors) that were on 8-14 hours a day for 2-3 weeks, the Holidays involved mad cooking, we do a fair amount of laundry (2 kids) and the heat is always on in their rooms (doors are closed while they sleep), I can't complain at all.

How about you guys?

Andrew

 

[ChipTam]

Hey guys

It has been a damn cold winter where I live (and everywhere else from what I have seen in the media and heard on this forum).

I just got my electricity bill a couple of weeks ago. It was from December 5th until Feb 20th (approximate dates..). It was for 75 days.

I paid $368 (for 75 days). I find that quite reasonable. I burned about 2 cords of wood during that time. My wife is home with my 2 kids and I need to keep my 1300 sq ft bungalow warm on both floors (my oldest son loves going downstairs in the day). Considering I had 4800 watts of christmas lights (outdoors and indoors) that were on 8-14 hours a day for 2-3 weeks, the Holidays involved mad cooking, we do a fair amount of laundry (2 kids) and the heat is always on in their rooms (doors are closed while they sleep), I can't complain at all.

How about you guys?

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Here in Michigan we heat with natural gas so the electric bill doesn't change all that much from summer to winter. Now, the gas bill......that's another story. Last month, we paid $250 which is one of the highest one-month gas bills we've ever had. In Nfld we have electric heat as back-up for our wood stove. If we were there in the winter I would hate to open the electric bill.

ChipTam

 

[Swedishchef]

Ahhh..natural gas. It is 3 times the price of 2 years ago back in New Brunswick...

As much as electric is a PITA in some places, at least you know what you're going to pay ahead of times and it doesn't go up in price because someone in the middle-east farted

chip, just move to NFLD!!

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Households that have changed their generation supplier to PA gas and electric were served with quite a rate hike due to a variable rate plan. paying as much as 28C a KWH for generation alone. One resident had a $1881.00 December electric bill.
(broken link removed to http://newsitem.com/news/ranshaw-man-one-of-1-500-to-file-complaint-over-jump-in-ppl-bill-1.1646324)

 

[Swedishchef]

Holy fook. That is insane. I guess that's where you need to read the fine print when switching utility companies. Oil would cost half of that!

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Holy fook. That is insane. I guess that's where you need to read the fine print when switching utility companies. Oil would cost half of that!

Even half of that is almost what i pay to heat for the whole season. So far this year i burned About $800 worth of fuel in 5 heating months starting in Oct 13 in a poorly insulated 3000Sf 100 yr old house.

 

[johneh]

One resident had a $1881.00 December electric bill.

And I though it was bad in Ontario
236.03 for Jan. 107.02 of it for power 108.50 delivery the rest debt reduction 8.71
regulatory charge 7.86 and tax and a few incidental charges
Ontario Hydro and generation like to nickel and dime you to death.
Just a note they sell power south for less than it costs to make it
GO FIGURE

 

[Swedishchef]

Quebec has cheap electricity. That's about the only thing they have that is cheap. Everything else is the most expensive in the country (car registration, marginal income tax rates, etc etc).

 

[flyingcow]

been using the heat pump this winter.and still burning wood with the gasification wood boiler. did not keep track of the hours the heat pump is running. But the bill increased $55.00 over the same month last year with no heat pump. I think Im saving at least a half a cord? Not really sure. At the worst is easily a wash.20 years ago I never thought I would be using electricity to heat my house?nor did I put a wood boiler in my house at that time, oil was 85 cents a gallon

 

[johneh]

Quebec has cheap electricity. That's about the only thing they have that is cheap. Everything else is the most expensive in the country (car registration, marginal income tax rates, etc etc).

Quebec also has the cheapest beer in Canada

 

[Swedishchef]

True...I forgot that one. SO we have cheap electricity and beer. I guess I can survive a while.. lol

 

[woodgeek]

My bill for a very cold February came in at 2667 kWhr, with 100% electric heat using my HP and electric backup. My baseload is ~600kWh/mo, so I used ~2000 kWhr for heat, costing me $250. About 2/3rds goes to a wind farm in western PA, and the other 1/3 goes to my local utility for delivery.

Heating 2250 sq ft at an average outdoor temp of 30°F for the month, I think $250 is aok. Its prob close to what CSD would cost me with a EPA stove. In 2005, I would have needed ~250 gallons of #2 fuel oil, $1000 at current rates, and 3 tons of CO2 emission.

The bill says I used nearly the same amount as Feb 2013, despite that month being 6°F warmer. This is consistent with my energy retrofit last summer reducing my usage by at least 20%. I figure it more like a 25% reduction, and I still called more aux due to the cold weather.

 

[blades]

Dec - Jan $125, Jan - Feb $130 combined ng and electric, About $30 higher than last year- weather considerably colder than last year. Additionally truck was plugged in about 2/3thirds of that time which added a significant jump to the electric. Due to all the other charges it is almost impossible to get below about $25 as a base cost just for being hooked into the grid. 1960 2000sq ft split ranch. Insulation in attic was increased back in the 80's and is decent but could use more. Windows - all had new double pane insulated sashes installed , hot water NG new higher eff unit, ng furnace new about a 90 +% unit, all about 3 years ago.Ng gas dryer Higher eff unit installed in place of older electric, same for washer last summer. Total results of these improvements plus using the NC30 for 90+% heating apx 75% reduction in utility bills for shoulder to shoulder heating season. Never fired the wood furnace in the last 2 years only use it if I am going to be in basement for extended time. Ac electric use is not unbearable ( system replaced same time as furnace old Ac was failing was from 1972- I installed back then ) but it will require some serious insulation installs to reduce further- sidewalls for one as this winter showed just how bad the transfer rate was. Also a redue of the sill plate in the basement is in order( basement avg temp 45-50 during winter) , currently stuffed with fiberglass to be replaced with foam 2" boards edges sealed with the spray cans. NG furnace duct runs need to be insulated as loss is significant to basement. Yes I know that side wall Insulation is not the best return investment wise. The side walls were showing a 10+ deg difference free air than the median for a more central temp reading. side wall situation will need more investagation.

 

[Woodman37]

My last two bills were 175 then 195. I talked to some guys I work with and one had a bill for 700 and the other 550. Sure glad I burn wood.

 

[Doug MacIVER]

My bill for a very cold February came in at 2667 kWhr, with 100% electric heat using my HP and electric backup. My baseload is ~600kWh/mo, so I used ~2000 kWhr for heat, costing me $250. About 2/3rds goes to a wind farm in western PA, and the other 1/3 goes to my local utility for delivery.

Heating 2250 sq ft at an average outdoor temp of 30°F for the month, I think $250 is aok. Its prob close to what CSD would cost me with a EPA stove. In 2005, I would have needed ~250 gallons of #2 fuel oil, $1000 at current rates, and 3 tons of CO2 emission.

The bill says I used nearly the same amount as Feb 2013, despite that month being 6°F warmer. This is consistent with my energy retrofit last summer reducing my usage by at least 20%. I figure it more like a 25% reduction, and I still called more aux due to the cold weather.

great rates for wind. nasty grid in Mass would be around $450 traditional electricity. if you bought only from the future cape wind project your rate would be$.1825/kwh. that is before other distribution costs, another $.075/kwh

 

[Swedishchef]

My bill for a very cold February came in at 2667 kWhr, with 100% electric heat using my HP and electric backup. My baseload is ~600kWh/mo, so I used ~2000 kWhr for heat, costing me $250. About 2/3rds goes to a wind farm in western PA, and the other 1/3 goes to my local utility for delivery.

Heating 2250 sq ft at an average outdoor temp of 30°F for the month, I think $250 is aok. Its prob close to what CSD would cost me with a EPA stove. In 2005, I would have needed ~250 gallons of #2 fuel oil, $1000 at current rates, and 3 tons of CO2 emission.

The bill says I used nearly the same amount as Feb 2013, despite that month being 6°F warmer. This is consistent with my energy retrofit last summer reducing my usage by at least 20%. I figure it more like a 25% reduction, and I still called more aux due to the cold weather.

That's not bad whatsoever woodgeek. Around here you pay $250 for a cord of wood. I presume to heat your house with wood for that period would have taken a cord??

I wish my average temp would have been 30F. I think it was along the lines of 10F.

 

[Swedishchef]

Don't forget though: my $368 was for 2.5 months and it included electricity and heating (plus I burned about 2 cords of wood).

 

[Swedishchef]

great rates for wind. nasty grid in Mass would be around $450 traditional electricity. if you bought only from the future cape wind project your rate would be$.1825/kwh. that is before other distribution costs, another $.075/kwh

Quebec is king of hydroelectricity and windmill farms. We sell our electricity that is generated by wind for LESS than it costs to produce. Great marketing....

 

[woodgeek]

Doug: burning 1 lb of oil requires ~3 lbs oxygen and makes about 3 lbs of CO2 and 1 lb of H20.

Burning about 80 gallons of oil makes a ton of CO2. Back when I burned 1350 gallons of #2/year, I was making close to 17 tons/year.

 

[Doug MacIVER]

Doug: burning 1 lb of oil requires ~3 lbs oxygen and makes about 3 lbs of CO2 and 1 lb of H20.

Burning about 80 gallons of oil makes a ton of CO2. Back when I burned 1350 gallons of #2/year, I was making close to 17 tons/year.

not a great question, the ole sum of the parts answer. after asking I refreshed this old brain. you still have a tremendous rate for your power, would love to trade.

 

[Doug MacIVER]

Quebec is king of hydroelectricity and windmill farms. We sell our electricity that is generated by wind for LESS than it costs to produce. Great marketing....

new England buys a lot of it

 

[Swedishchef]

Hydro Quebec tried to buy NB Power for $5 billion (the debt of NB Power). It would have given Hydro Quebec a straight pipe to the New England States. SIlly New Brunswickers said NO. Hydro Quebec had promised a rate freeze of 5 years...guess what: the following year NB Power hiked the rates...

A

 

[ChipTam]

Hydro Quebec tried to buy NB Power for $5 billion (the debt of NB Power). It would have given Hydro Quebec a straight pipe to the New England States. SIlly New Brunswickers said NO. Hydro Quebec had promised a rate freeze of 5 years...guess what: the following year NB Power hiked the rates...

A

Hey Andrew,

You can thank Newfoundland and Labrador for your cheap electric rates. Hydro Quebec steals it from Churchill Falls and then resells it further south. OK, numb-skull Newfoundland politicians were also to blame for agreeing to a long-term fixed price contract with Quebec thirty years ago.

ChipTam

 

[Swedishchef]

I call that well planned by HQ There's a great article on wikipedia about that.
But the James Bay development is twice that of Churchill Falls.



Andrew

 

[flyingcow]

I'm located in Aroostook County, Maine. Our power grid is tied into New Brunswick's. We are not part of ISO New England. We have a wind farm in Mars Hill Mtn, the power generated from that goes into NB.