Your bill goes up because of all the people using energy efficient lights and appliances. The electric companies need a certain amount of revenue and if usage goes down due to more efficient items being used the only way they can make up for that is raising the cost per kilowatt hour of usage.
Kilowatt question
- Thread starter blume357
- Start date
My electric bill has been 10.70 per month every month since April. Right now, MidAmerican owes me $342.13. That will pay for a lot of killowatt hours this winter at .07/per.
Solar?
What fires the gas. Do you need to run to t with a match or is electric?
Yes. Powering both my home and my 900 square foot kennel building. The 10.70 is taxes and meter fees, which can't be avoided and can't be deducted from my power surplus credit. However, I do have a LP furnace and water heater for the house. The kennel is heated and cooled by electricity. This is my first full year on solar, and the meter clock will reset April 1st. Anything left over in my account will be forfeit to the utility company. And we start again. I am watching very closely - if I determine I will have much extra at the end of March, I will know to switch to an electric water heater (perhaps on-demand) and run small electric heaters to help offset LP usage in the house.
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OP
It requires about .2 amps of 120 volts to run and I have an emergency power battery APC in line with it. so, if the power goes out and the generator is not running the hot water will still work. I really think these on demand units are over rated and really don't save enough over the standard tank units to warrant the cost of installation... I did my own... unit cost about $1400 and it took me two days to install... as compared to the cost of a standard gas fired tank $750 and about 3 hours max to install.
But there is a real advantage to the on demand ones... you don't run out of hot water if you like to take long showers or have a large bath tub.
dadstillsurfs
Single-Sixer
@DGW1949 "Bless her heart" oh goodness, y'all are Southern, aren't you?
Here in Commiefornia, the utility companies' (mostly PG&E) equipment failures are responsible for some of the most devastating wildfires ever. If it wasn't for Governor Gruesome Newsom granting them financial immunity, they'd be bankrupt.... but then the State would probably run it and it would be worse.
Newsom has run our state finances from a substantial surplus to a huge deficit during his term as Governor.
Here in Commiefornia, the utility companies' (mostly PG&E) equipment failures are responsible for some of the most devastating wildfires ever. If it wasn't for Governor Gruesome Newsom granting them financial immunity, they'd be bankrupt.... but then the State would probably run it and it would be worse.
Newsom has run our state finances from a substantial surplus to a huge deficit during his term as Governor.
And he wants to be president.....
But is it the electric company’s fault that your elected officials refuse to allow brush to be cleared , dead trees harvested, etc…? You’d go crazy down here. They clear under power lines and for 50’ on each side. Amazingly we don’t have wildfires from downed lines. Perhaps California should mandate personal solar energy only and ban electric companies.
I have virtually all LED bulbs in my house and have had them for years. I actually have been swapping some of them out recently because they have been dimming (I guess they don't die, they just dim until it gets too dark to see it).
Didn't make that much difference on my bill, still doesn't. 1200kwh is a good month for us.
I was going to try to get on budget billing but found out how our EMC does it: it's the average for that month over the past so many years. So instead of anticipating a certain amount per month it is going to vary per month, which kind of defeats the whole purpose.
My next house, and probably the one I die in, will be partially underground with 8-10 foot thick earthen walls. The inside will maintain a constant 76° regardless of the outside temperature. Skylights to bring in light. I've paid utility bills for my entire life. There is a way around paying these never ending unpayable bills.
These homes are called "earth ships" and are designed for complete off grid living.
These homes are called "earth ships" and are designed for complete off grid living.
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Richbaker
Blackhawk
I'm pretty sure it's the ecofascists, aka Sierra club-types doing that...
dadstillsurfs
Single-Sixer
And expand the Four Families legacy to the White House? Firearms sales will rocket!
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2019/01/gavin-newsoms-keeping-it-all-in-the-family/
Electric is cheap here in Iowa. Gas kills me in winter though. The fees etc drive most of my bill over the spring and fall.
Gas water heater
Gas boiler
Gas stove
Gas dryer
Electric well pump
Electric Fridge
Electric washer
Electric freezer
Electric sump pump (gray washer water and softener purge)
Oct was around 50 bucks all in. Nov is 65 (I turned on the boiler for heat, set at 65) Going to get real cold soon so it will go up. I think worst is around 400 bucks.
To the question at hand. I only use 100 - 300kW. I shut stuff off and use a lot of led bulbs. I was going to say your usage seems way high but other commented high too. Must be more to the story. If you really want to know you can start turning off breakers and see what your meter does. A buddy of mine always said his was high but I think he had a short to ground on his main pulling extra or something.
Gas water heater
Gas boiler
Gas stove
Gas dryer
Electric well pump
Electric Fridge
Electric washer
Electric freezer
Electric sump pump (gray washer water and softener purge)
Oct was around 50 bucks all in. Nov is 65 (I turned on the boiler for heat, set at 65) Going to get real cold soon so it will go up. I think worst is around 400 bucks.
To the question at hand. I only use 100 - 300kW. I shut stuff off and use a lot of led bulbs. I was going to say your usage seems way high but other commented high too. Must be more to the story. If you really want to know you can start turning off breakers and see what your meter does. A buddy of mine always said his was high but I think he had a short to ground on his main pulling extra or something.
OP
Speaking of a short to ground... I once put 40 ft of metal scaffolding up beside a chimney... adjustable metal feet on wood 2x8's on the ground and no extension cord on the scaffolding... about halfway up while climbing if you did not have gloves on you would get a tingle in your hands and arms... I'd estimate about 20 volts at 60 hertz.... none of the experts could figure it out... I suspected this was just electricity bleeding out into the air.... oh you also had to be sweaty for it to happen. The power to the house was underground and the chimney had been struck by lighting and house was on top of a hill... with no trees around.
I've hooked a meter to both my 4 gallon electric water heater and the on demand gas one to see how much electricity both use over the next month....
So far after two days... the 4 gallon has used 2.55 kWh and the on demand gas is at .15kwh. The on demand gas one not only has an electric pilot but also a fan to supply air and remove exhaust.
I've hooked a meter to both my 4 gallon electric water heater and the on demand gas one to see how much electricity both use over the next month....
So far after two days... the 4 gallon has used 2.55 kWh and the on demand gas is at .15kwh. The on demand gas one not only has an electric pilot but also a fan to supply air and remove exhaust.
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