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quote:
Originally posted by Glen
I think you are right. It's a perfect storm where only the people of independent means and the very poor who will be able to hang out in Hawaii. Airfares are very high, there is no plan for alternative energy and oil is going through the roof. Don't blame HECO. Blame policymakers, who, of course are elected, and so we have seen the enemy and it is us.
One word - Malibu:
Mansions and trailers.
I said 5 years ago that in 100 years that would be San Diego.
Hawaii might become Malibu sooner.
___________________________
Whatever you assume,please
just ask a question first.
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My bill dropped FINALLY! We did as many things as Hotcatz and others mentioned that we could do! Down to 24 KWH this past month from a high of 50 earlier in the year. (Yes we have too many visitors at our house at times!! )
Helco actually came out and checked it because it had dropped so low... 12 days later still holding at 24! (course that still is $300 but better than Feb!)
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Cat, that is 24 KWH/ day, not /month. right?
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Our monthly usage runs about 280-290 KWH. This month it was 288 and cost $116.00. We do use gas for cooking, drying, and hot water. 100 pound tank last us about 4 months and found out today that it cost $108.00 to fill now.
Royall
What goes around comes around!
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quote:
Originally posted by DanielP
Cat, that is 24 KWH/ day, not /month. right?
Yes 24/KWH a day..[|)] but.... we have 4 20 somethings here until mid Aug with us and their friends a night here and there. I asked my brother - since almost all his kids were here for the summer - when is his checkbook coming to visit?? hahaha So $300/6 = $50 a piece which is about where punamom said she was at.
We still do have a elec water heater but we are adding a solar homemade system for the outside shower. We pretty much quit doing any hot water laundry 'cept for socks. Since we have a elec range and havent swapped it out yet, we have been BBQ'ing a lot and it has a burner on the side that we use. Personally, I am glad to BBQ then the house doesnt get hot too! (and SB and my nephew seem to love to do it so I cook less!! haha)
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I'm shopping for a new washer and dryer and this topic caught my eye since i'm on the fence on weather to get an electric or gas dryer? I thought at first I should get a gas one and then I spoke to the young lady that works for the gas company and she said with the price of gas. I think you would save money on an electric one??? now i'm confused..any thoughts or words of wisdom?
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Johnnycake, I am somewhat surprised by what the lady at the gas company told you. I always thought that even though the gas is ultimately a petroleum product, it was still less expensive because of all the infrastructure and transmission costs added to the petroleum cost of electricity. In any case, I highly recommend a front-loading high efficiency washer. We got one, and it not only uses less electricity, but less water, which means more electric savings since we are on catchment.
Cheers,
Jerry
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AND they spin out more water, so less drying needed.
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Almost all electricity is generated by running what is called a heat engine. You burn fuel to heat up a working fluid which then expands, doing the work that runs the generator. You then throw out the warm working fluid if it is air as in a turbine or diesel engine and take in fresh cool air or recondense it if it is water as in a steam plant. The most efficient systems are not even 50% efficient. Lets call it 33% efficient. Your car is only 20% to 25% efficient.
Where I am going with this is that when electricity is made from fossil fuels 2/3 of the fuel is literally thrown away into the atmosphere as heat. Only 1/3 gets turned into electricity. I don't know how electricity can be competetive with propane for heating. Most of the time it isn't. If you take a strongly pro environment or anti-global warming view, you should not care, either. If you advocate making decisions based only on what is reasonable consumption there is no possible way that you can justify using an electric dryer or electric resistance water heater if the electricity is generated from oil because, cost per unit energy aside, you would be generating three times the thermal and chemical pollution by making electricity first than if you burned the fuel directly to make the required heat.
I myself have an electric resistance water heater and an electric dryer. I live in a townhouse and I haven't yet found workable alternatives. I do hang my wet laundry around the house to dry instead of using the dryer. I literally feel like I am comitting a crime or a sin when I do use the dryer. I never run an air conditioner. I ventilate the house at night when it is cool outside. The only electric water heater that is not an abomination is a heat pump. It takes heat from the air and puts it into the water, making both cool air and warm water.
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Our two-year-old electric stove has a broken oven coil. It came with the house so we have no warrantee.
We are switching to propane because of the future rise in cost of electric.
Stove $1,350.00
3 year ext. Warrt $ 280.00
Conversion from
Natural gas to propane $ 140.00
Plumbing $ 200.00
Electrician $ 150.00
$2,100.00
Savings on new stove
Rebate $100
Not making the
repair to the old stove $270
Savings $370.
So the conversion will be around $1,750 and I don’t think that’s bad.
I also understand the conversion of BTU’s is the best using propane, but I’m not an expert on that.
But, because of all the cooking my beautiful wife does I need to do something.
I didn’t factor in that I will try and sell the old stove (Very good condition/black and SS glass top) and if do maybe I can knock another $200 the cost. The coil is only $100 and the stove cost $1300.
Oh, did I mention 5 weeks until it will be ready for P/U.
The extended warrantee provides a once a year service call and no charge for any service call you need for the stove. I use to gamble and not get them but on the Island it’s really proven to be worth its value with my other appliances, mowing and garden equipment.
The same time the electrician is here we are installing a timer on our gas hot water heater.
"Many dreams come true and some have silver linings, I look for my dreams and a pocket full of gold" Led Zeppelin
If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it cost when it’s free...now here come the taxes.....
