Rising power costs.

[Tank-Girl]

I just got my e-bill from my power provider and just as well I was sitting down.
$289.56 for the quarter which is double my last bill.
I'm a single person household and the only three things that are on 24/7 are two small chest freezers and a portable 90 litre camp fridge.
I make sure that all appliances when not in use are pulled out of the wall and the switch is turned off.
When I was paying triple payments to get out of debt I used to use my solar oven to cook my main midday meal.
If I boiled the kettle for tea the extra hot water in the kettle went into a coffee flask so I could make another cup of tea without starting the kettle again.
I don't use mains power for my lighting instead I use solar LUCI lights and the torch in my phone.
I was planning on getting a clip-on cap head lamp that runs on AA batteries.
Things were and are pretty rough here in the North during the summer and some years I had so little money I
couldn't even afford to run the ceiling fans.
Instead I had a cold shower and only roughly towelled off and slipped on a caftan.
Going outside under a shady tree means either getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and sandflies or dousing yourself in poison.

I'm going to have to set up my solar system earlier than I thought.

 

[Pearl]

My electric has been triple what it used to be! It's sad, doesn't have to be this way!! I'm on a co-op and they will be out of their contract with the current provider in March. The bills should just be double then!

 

[Magus]

My bills went from $80 to $120. On a fixed income, that's murder!
FJB!

 

[Tank-Girl]

My bills went from $80 to $120. On a fixed income, that's murder!
FJB!

I'm on a fixed income (pension) myself.
It's a head kicker.
Both my chest freezers are full.
I might see if I can rig up some insulated covers for them out of duvets and duct tape that I find from the thrift store.
That way I can shut the household supply off at the box overnight and not have my food defrost and spoil.
I can easily fit a large frozen bottle of water in the camp fridge to keep it cool during the night.
I've had a cooler instead of a fridge for many years.

 

[Supervisor42]

My electric has been triple what it used to be! It's sad, doesn't have to be this way!! I'm on a co-op and they will be out of their contract with the current provider in March. The bills should just be double then!

I checked mine.
We're still holding at 11¢/kwhr.
They added on a $1.48 per month 'hurricane rider' fee a few months ago though.
If it will get more people's power feeds put in the ground (where they belong), I will happily donate.

 

[LadyLocust]

Our rates have not increased, but we are near to the power dams. Our power was the lowest I think it's been since living in this house and I recently got another freezer. Just paid the bill $57: we have the fridge/freezer in the house and 4 freezers (1 is small) in the summer kitchen.
I've done like TG and unplugged anything I could but have not gone to the extent she has re. cooking. It will be more next month since we've used the heat this past week.

 

[Pearl]

I checked mine.
We're still holding at 11¢/kwhr.
They added on a $1.48 per month 'hurricane rider' fee a few months ago though.
If it will get more people's power feeds put in the ground (where they belong), I will happily donate.

You CAN donate DIRECTLY to my electric bill! I'll send you a P M with the necessary info!

 

[Curmudgeon]

Mine too! My light bills are ridiculous.

 

[Supervisor42]

You CAN donate DIRECTLY to my electric bill! I'll send you a P M with the necessary info!

...If you think $1.48 would make a difference, sure.
You noticed they couldn't even slide that by this tight-wad without him noticing.

 

[UrbanHunter]

We got notified that our rates have gone up 20% this month. I am looking at switching to hard kills on all my smart appliances. The oxygen concentrator and the freezers are beyond my reach... But, I have my work computer (+3 monitors and a printer), my personal computer (+2 monitors and a printer), and a big smart TV that could all be controlled with a remote controlled outlet and power strip. My goal is to trim 600 kWh off my monthly usage, That would be about $90 saved per month.... It might be worth the effort....

I think adding battery powered motion sensor controlled lights in critical spaces would save my shins while reducing my power bill too....

 

[dademoss]

I don't even want to know what is coming this winter

 

[UrbanHunter]

I don't even want to know what is coming this winter

The good news about winter is you can layer up... In the summer you can only go so low...

 

[Neb]

The good news about winter is you can layer up... In the summer you can only go so low...
Without risking being arrested when you go outside your house.

Ben

 

[Neb]

We got notified that our rates have gone up 20% this month. I am looking at switching to hard kills on all my smart appliances. The oxygen concentrator and the freezers are beyond my reach... But, I have my work computer (+3 monitors and a printer), my personal computer (+2 monitors and a printer), and a big smart TV that could all be controlled with a remote controlled outlet and power strip. My goal is to trim 600 kWh off my monthly usage, That would be about $90 saved per month.... It might be worth the effort....

I think adding battery powered motion sensor controlled lights in critical spaces would save my shins while reducing my power bill too....

600 kWh is 3/4 my consumption.

Now you gone and done it...

I have to think.

Ben

 

[Magus]

I'm on a fixed income (pension) myself.
It's a head kicker.
Both my chest freezers are full.
I might see if I can rig up some insulated covers for them out of duvets and duct tape that I find from the thrift store.
That way I can shut the household supply off at the box overnight and not have my food defrost and spoil.
I can easily fit a large frozen bottle of water in the camp fridge to keep it cool during the night.
I've had a cooler instead of a fridge for many years.

We had a plastic tub full of ice we kept in our freezer as a kid, when power went out up there, sometimes it was out a couple of days after a bad storm. KUB/TVA serviced the big cities first. nowhere towns of less than 1000 people were last on the list unless they were on the way to a big one.

 

[Pearl]

...If you think $1.48 would make a difference, sure.
You noticed they couldn't even slide that by this tight-wad without him noticing.

Ok, I'll take your 1.48$!

 

[dademoss]

I remember the old days, frankly they sucked. Been in the cellar with the fan blowing hot air. Just wait till the sunny states don't have affordable power for AC or a swamp cooler. I got mosquito netting for the redneck porch, it will suck, but I have lived with it before.

Suddenly, people will discover WHY they designed houses like they did 120 years ago.

 

[Supervisor42]

600 kWh is 3/4 my consumption.

Now you gone and done it...

I have to think.

Ben

Shoot, in February we have no problem hitting 3100kwhrs.
...but this month and next month are the 'get even' months for us.
We will use less than 1/2 that much.
(Remember, I haven't even broken out 'the rod' down here, see other thread)

 

[Magus]

I wonder if a deep freeze could be "super insulated" with some plywood and
fiberglass or Styrofoam?

 

[UrbanHunter]

I wonder if a deep freeze could be "super insulated" with some plywood and
fiberglass or Styrofoam?

I guess you could wrap everything but the exhaust vents with metalized bubble wrap.

Thinking back to when I was in college we had a small freezer in our apartment dining area, they were not allowed by the rental company, so the wife made a quilt to cover it. I imagine that a quilt with a zipper along the door seem would do a good job of both hiding and insulating the freezer.

But in any case you would not want to cover the condenser coil vent.....

 

[montanabill]

All this conservation is good practice for going solar.....We are living in a "all electric home" but fortunately it was built back when they still put in chimney's. Starting this winter we will be heating a considerable portion of the house with wood. Already have the wood and the wood stoves.
We have two deep freezers but not counting on them so I am busy freeze drying anything and everything. We have a small ice chest that runs on 12 volts at a fairly low draw and enough batteries and solar panels to run it when we run out of generator fuel.
There are dams generating power here in montana but that power will get exported to the big cities or at the very least we will pay the same price the big markets pay.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I am moving forward with trying to reduce my power consumption. I think I am going to add remote control modules to my primary big use outlets. I have a set of wireless remotes that we used to use at Christmas time, simple 15amp switched outlets that can be turned on and off at the push of a button. It will help as I am lazy and all I have to do is remember which number (1-5) I am turning on or off....

 

[UrbanHunter]

Well, I installed the remote control switches for 3 outlets. Now I can turn off all the devices near the TV and my personal computer with just the push of a button. I don't know if it is saving power, but I do know that it is giving me time because I have to want to use them and I can't just get distracted by their presence.

I am thinking about switching to LED Christmas lights, every year we outline the house and roof using 12 strands of multi-color C9 lights, but that would be 300 lights, at over $1 each is a lot to invest for a little savings....