Future: DC yes, AC no?

Quote: petroglyph

We shut rooms and closets and close the vents in the spare rooms not being used. .

I think central air is the most inefficient
way to cool a house there is. The cold
air has to go so far from the source
before it's actually put to use, it's
loses a lot of it's cooling energy.

A window unit loses nothing, it blows
the cold air into the room with no
wasted travel. I could tell it was better
than central air immediately in my
wife's house.

Quote: Evenbob

I think central air is the most inefficient
way to cool a house there is. The cold
air has to go so far from the source
before it's actually put to use, it's
loses a lot of it's cooling energy.

A window unit loses nothing, it blows
the cold air into the room with no
wasted travel. I could tell it was better
than central air immediately in my
wife's house.

There is a lot of energy lost in the duct work as well. I am lucky that the house is so well insulated. I have a window unit in my woodshop, and a personal air conditioner at my crap table, but the house doesn't have the kind of windows that would accept window units. Our bedroom has glass doors instead of windows, as does the living area. As of 3 weeks ago until sometime in Sept. people around here can literally shut their hot water heaters off and still take well over 90 degree showers, with exposed copper water pipes all over town.

Quote: Face

I can't even begin to literally can't even.

Just paid mine today. 205kwh at $33 for June.

Looking at an entire year of data (24*366 days =8784 hours of data) I found one hour where we used 460 Watts. And you are AVERAGING under 300 Watts (205,000/24/30=285 Watts).
.
I find it hard to believe you run a full size freezer.

My guess is a computer, a TV, a fan for a few hours a day, and a handful of LED lights. A refrigerator with a very small freezer (ice cubes only).

Quote: Evenbob

That's 1/3 of a KWH per hour, how is that possible.
$20 of your bill will be for taxes and access fee's.
Do you not have a fridge or electric lights? That's
the bill we got 50 years ago.

I told ya.

Quote: Pacomartin

Looking at an entire year of data (24*366 days =8784 hours of data) I found one hour where we used 460 Watts. And you are AVERAGING under 300 Watts (205,000/24/30=285 Watts).
.
I find it hard to believe you run a full size freezer.

My guess is a computer, a TV, a fan for a few hours a day, and a handful of LED lights. A refrigerator with a very small freezer (ice cubes only).

Thanks for the compliments, and good guess =)

Not sure what you mean by "full size freezer". I don't have a chest you can put a side of beef in, no. It's what I consider a "regular fridge". Roughly 2'x2'x2' on the top for freeze, and then the 2'x2'x4' below for cold. Old, too. 20yrs? 30?

MOST of my bulbs are proper, IE NOT those horrible, pigtail, white-blast BS things. I DO have those in the kitchen, where they're behind some sort of stained glass to alleviate the harshness, and I do have LED in the garage, which is about the only place I ever have extended periods of illumination. Inside, I only use them when I can't find something, and even then I'm more apt to grab a flashlight or phone. I've lived here 30yrs; I don't need to see where I'm going so I almost never have a light on.

TV's are LED, too. The "yellow sticker" (forgot the technical term) said they cost $12 a YEAR to run. I got two of those on about 4hrs a day, and same for PC / Xbox. So...yeah. Fridge, entertainment, charge my phone... and that's about it.

It's my prep for when I go full Kaczynski (only sort of kidding). Mostly it's a result from my year in poverty. I was forced into a lot of changes and found I like them better. And as a (perpetually) single man with no education living in the rust belt, it's about my only way I can slide into "higher living". I could not have my ass stick to a vinyl chair OR I could go sail the BVI. I could eat everyday OR go race cars.

Minimalism. It's the biggest raise I've ever gotten.

Quote: Face

Minimalism. It's the biggest raise I've ever gotten.

In the winter the furnace fan must
triple your bill.

Quote: Face

, too. 20yrs? 30?

MR Electricity's advice is :
If your fridge was made before 2001, then yes, you should almost certainly trade it in. Older fridges are wildly ineffecient. The best modern models use less than half of what 1993-2000 fridges used. For older fridges it's even more striking: Replacing a 1992 fridge with a modern Energy Star model could save $1400 in electricity costs over the useful life of the fridge. So if you've got an old fridge, yes, trade it in. You might even be able to get a state rebate for buying an energy-efficient fridge. Your city or utility might have a rebate program, too.

You didn't mention any kitchen appliances from simple ones like can openers to the fairly ubiquitous microwave. I assume your stove is gas?

I assume you have a washing machine, but some people do dry on a clothesline. Perhaps your dryer is gas powered? I assume you have a vacuum cleaner as well.

Generally people in the northernmost portions of the USA have the lowest electric usage, primarily because they don't use air conditioning, and it is too crazy cold to heat with electricity.

Pre WWII my mother grew up without much electricity. She said there was maybe two lines in the house for a single light bulb and a radio. Her mother was very happy to finally get an immersion water heater to warm up water for the children's bath instead of carrying it from the coal stove pan by pan.

Quote: Evenbob

In the winter the furnace fan must triple your bill.

I think our much admired race driver is more the type to put on a light sweater and engage in some sort of temperature raising physical exercise such as chopping ice in the sink for his morning coffee rather than even have a furnace, much less actually use it. Perhaps some wood chopping and a fireplace to keep the aqarium warm. As long as his hockey skates don't get frozen to the floor he will be fine.

Face: did you ever get a replacement for that ancient RV with its instant on interior heater that ran off engine oil rather than engine coolant? I bet you could have a sideline installing such things in your area. Or perhaps selling kits to DIY'ers in Wisconsin and Minnesota?

Quote: Pacomartin

Pre WWII my mother grew up without much electricity. ]

Both my dad and my wife's parents had no
electric at all till they were adults, after
WWII. My wife's parents are wonky about
it to this day. Never leave a light burning
or open the fridge without knowing
exactly what you want. Why get a window
air unit when a fan will do. A small fan.
No electric lights on the Xmas tree for
them. The electric bill looks small to
us in the 40's, but more of their disposable
income went for utilities percentage wise
than today, a lot more. Any little bit they
saved on usage was money in their pocket.

Quote: Evenbob

My wife's parents are wonky about
it to this day.

Exactly. Is it really "convenient" to stand with the fridge open, or go all Tom Bodett and leave a light on for ya? Sure, it's a pittance compared to what it used to cost, but damn, man, that s#$% adds up. It's kind of like hyper-mile'ing. Sure, taking the jug of washer fluid out of the trunk might give ya 0.07 more mpg. But do that, and pump up your tires, and go easier on the pedal,... all the littles turn into a big.

Quote: Pacomartin

You didn't mention any kitchen appliances from simple ones like can openers to the fairly ubiquitous microwave. I assume your stove is gas?

I assume you have a washing machine, but some people do dry on a clothesline. Perhaps your dryer is gas powered? I assume you have a vacuum cleaner as well.

Generally people in the northernmost portions of the USA have the lowest electric usage, primarily because they don't use air conditioning, and it is too crazy cold to heat with electricity.

Pre WWII my mother grew up without much electricity. She said there was maybe two lines in the house for a single light bulb and a radio. Her mother was very happy to finally get an immersion water heater to warm up water for the children's bath instead of carrying it from the coal stove pan by pan.

You're nailing most of it. Dryer, stove, heater, hot water, all gas. I wouldn't consider myself a spinster on the gas, but I'm still only hitting $1XX in February. No real tricks here; I keep the house at about 70*. I did double the insulation in the ceiling, but I don't even wrap windows or nothing.

Appliances are few. A vacuum, sure. Can opener is analog, microwave serves as a clock only. I would imagine my biggest appliance draw is the 220 compressor or welder, but I don't exactly have a bustling shop. I dunno, there's no real story here other than I don't use stuff. Think camping without bugs.

Quote: Fleastiff

Face: did you ever get a replacement for that ancient RV with its instant on interior heater that ran off engine oil rather than engine coolant? I bet you could have a sideline installing such things in your area. Or perhaps selling kits to DIY'ers in Wisconsin and Minnesota?

Not sure, haven't seen the Sheriff in a minute. But a different guy on the team did indeed get a different RV, this with much less vintage. They still broke down on the northern run and wound up stuffed and partied up in a U-haul again lol.

It'll be the traveling party wagon for race season, assuming that's on, so will have details someday.

Quote: Face

I dunno, there's no real story here
.

I think the real story is the heavy duty
extension cord you have buried that
runs to the street lamp out front. I
knew a guy that did that for years
and never got caught. Theft of
service is a much bigger deal now.