Damn, My power bill jumped

[mmoore0803]

Re: Damn, My power bill jumped

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6964419#post6964419 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WarDaddy
In December it was about $100 for my tanks...

Bill I got today wass $258 higher than my pre tank norm. Did rates go up?

That is crazy!!!! are you running the AC on top of your chiller? Imagine what summer is gonna bring....yikes!

 

[NicoleC]

Mine really didn't go up but a little bit, a little under 15%.

Delivery baseline for Jan was 0.07546, Feb was 0.07579; over baseline fees were similar minute incremental amounts.

DWR generation fees were much higher 0.07981 in Jan and 0.10369 in Feb.
SCE generation fees were lower at 0.02374 in Jan and 0.01232 in Feb. (All baseline figures.)

 

[GTR]

When I set up the current system at my shop the monthly cost of operation was far more important than the initial expense. I need only justify the purchase one time whereas the electric bill comes every month along with the associated "noise".

What we are discovering now is what most of the world has been experiencing for years and why you see so much of the European equipment with low watt/fuel usage by comparison.

SteveU

 

[fish_fanatik]

I am very very interested.....has anyone had this installed.

 

[raskal311]

Well this explain a lot, my mom was just asking me why our electric bill for the month is so much higher then the norm. Our water and gas was also slightly higher, has anyone else also notice this?

 

[HenryTran]

we just got a bill for $300 and last month was $200..........man everything is so expensive now.

 

[GTR]

Compare the daily cost and not the total bill. Billing cycles can have more or less days. I have some here with 29 and others with 33 and at over $10.00 per day that makes a big difference.

I was comparing my home-vs shop bills and my average cost at home is .16 per kwh and at the shop it's only .15 per kwh. That's the total incuding taxes. At my shop we have a 7.9% utility tax and still the cost per kwh is lower. And both accounts are direct billed by SCE.

SteveU

 

[raskal311]

Man so does that mean that the jump was even bigger then we thought since Feb only has 28 days?

 

[NicoleC]

No, because the billing cycle does not necessarily equal the number of days in the month. It's not a calendar cycle. You have to look at the bill for the dates the meters were read and see how many days the bill covers.

 

[ricka]

I just looks at my bill, it went up and I used less electricity this month.

Would installing a new A/C system help. My system is quite old.

--Rick

 

[Hurgoth]

Interested in a Photovoltaic System?

One of my clients installs solar. He is now one of the largest in the country. I believe they may be moving away from residential and focusing more on huge commercial installations, but its worth a shot to call them up and see.

Here is a website:

www.n-v-t.com

 

[GTR]

It'll lower your monthly bill but it will be a long time until that savings equals the cost of the unit and installation. We put a new unit in last year and who knows what it did to my bill. We did it only because we thought we should since the old one came with the house built in 1978. We also wanted the unit relocated so it didn't set right outside the bedroom and those old compressors are real loud.

SteveU

 

[GTR]

As soon as someone takes this to China for manufacturing you might be able to buy these systems for a song. :lol:

SteveU

 

[NicoleC]

I'm waiting until the summer heat hits to see what the new energy efficient windows will do for my bill. Hopefully a lot!

I need a new AC, too, though.

 

[dznuts007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6966834#post6966834 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NicoleC

When in Sac, a friend put one in. SMUD has some major incentives for homeowners to do so; it only ended up costing her about $5k. However, since the cost was financed, it will end up costing her a lot more than that. She lived alone and was a very low-usage household, and most months made about $5 selling electricity back to SMUD.

Wow. If it were around $5k with incentives, I would seriously consider installing something like this, but then again, I guess would be dependent upon my consumption. Bill is around $200 a month, so ~$2400 a year and that's with 2 roommates. If this installation were to bring that bill to $0, few years and it would pay itself off...but not sure if it would work that way...

 

[NicoleC]

SMUD = municipal utility, i.e. non-profit, community owned utility. They had way bigger incentives at the time than I saw on SCE's site last night. SMUD also was paying for extra power and SCE just gives out credit. That was a few years ago; I don't know what the status up there is now.

SMUD is the BEST. When everyone i knew outside the municipal district was struggling with $500 and $600 electrical bills during the so-called energy shortage a few years ago, SMUD was still sending me the same 100% renewable sources service for about $20 a month. (No fish tank then.)

To think I got mad that in lieu of a rate hike at one point, they leveed a surcharge of $5/month on everyone's bills. I was annoyed because that was a 20% rate hike for me (low use customer) and next to no rate hike at all for energy hogs. Now I miss 'em and wish $5 were all I had to complain about.

Ah well, to get SMUD back I'd have to take Sacramento back, too.

If you spend $15k for a 20 kW unit installed, you'd pay for it in just a few years. If you plan to stay in your house that long and that size of unit will meet your demand, it would definately be worth it. And it would no doubt be a nice selling point when you move. It just doesn't make sense for me right now (even if the HOA would approve it, which I doubt) -- I'd have one paid for in about 12 years, and I don't plan to be there more than for another 2 or 3.

Anyone know what the maintenance costs are in upkeep on these units?

 

[Morgman]

SoCal Edison is a joke. In April of 2005 my electric bill was 430 kwh higher. Some how this April, with a lower consumption, it was 167 bucks more! What real business could do this to their customers within a year? SoCal Edison sucks. What a monopolistic conspiracy. I can just picture those executives laughing all the way to the bank. Yeah right, there is such a shortage.

 

[Hurgoth]

If you guys really want some information on the PV systems let me know. Like I mentioned, a client of mine is one of the leading PV installation companies in the US.

As far as maintenence is concerned, here in SoCal is is virtually maintenance free. I would imagine you would have to wipe them off occasionally to keep the absorbtion potential maximized. I am pretty sure that I remember them mentioning that they could re-install the existing unit on to a new home if you were to move (for a fee of course). Another factor to consider is if your home has a south facing roof or not. As far as the HOA's are concerned, there are ways around that.

I can tell you the tax benefits, etc... of the units. As far as the actuall installation/maintenance, those are questions I should refer back to my client.

 

[simon.007]

Interested in the PVS!

Interested in the PVS!

I am soo interested in the Photovoltaic System! I will check the website and if Super NooB can help explain the tax benefits, I may be able to get the system. How about Group Buy for the Photovoltaic System!

Simon

 

[NicoleC]

Yeah, but HOA issues are a little different when you share a roof.