The Energy Thread

[Uncle Ted]

I have two coworkers that have had bills that reach as high as $1,000 a month for July/August/September, because they keep their house around 73 degrees.

It seems a solar system there would pay for itself relatively quickly especially if you install it yourself. Labor costs for installing solar are too high, IMHO.

[BigPiney]

I have two coworkers that have had bills that reach as high as $1,000 a month for July/August/September, because they keep their house around 73 degrees.

Sheesh, not worth it.

My wife freaks when our power bill goes over $200. We use a swamp cooler up here in the desert, so that is way cheaper than AC. Of course the temps will often not drop below 80 in the house, but you get used to it.

[Bo Diddley]

I have two coworkers that have had bills that reach as high as $1,000 a month for July/August/September, because they keep their house around 73 degrees.

I might be in that boat if I lived there. The missus hates the heat.

[Uncle Ted]

Idaho Power:
June - August
First 800 kWh - 8.5005¢
801 - 2000 kWh - 10.2214¢
Over 2000 kWh - 12.1424¢

September - May
First 800 kWh - 7.8894¢
801 - 2000 kWh - 8.7077¢
Over 2000 kWh - 9.6437¢

Monthly service charge of $5 per month

https://www.idahopower.com/accounts-...for-your-home/

I guess it helps to have so much of the power generated from hydroelectric sources.

Yeah, those hydroelectric states have the cheapest power. Maybe there should be a fish tax for killing all the salmon.

[The_Tick]

I think we just figured out how the national average is so high. Damn.

I have two coworkers that have had bills that reach as high as $1,000 a month for July/August/September, because they keep their house around 73 degrees.

[Pelado]

California is gross.

PG&E

Baseline - $0.24986
101%-400% of Baseline - $0.31443
High Usage Over 400% of Baseline - $0.39304

Baseline is 585 Kwh.

I live in an area where we will go over 100 Degrees for a 90-100 day stretch.

We also pay a $10 a month surcharge.

Imagine keeping your A/C at 80 degrees and still getting a $650 bill for 3 months.

I think we just figured out how the national average is so high. Damn.

[The_Tick]

California is gross.

PG&E

Baseline - $0.24986
101%-400% of Baseline - $0.31443
High Usage Over 400% of Baseline - $0.39304

Baseline is 585 Kwh.

I live in an area where we will go over 100 Degrees for a 90-100 day stretch.

We also pay a $10 a month surcharge.

Imagine keeping your A/C at 80 degrees and still getting a $650 bill for 3 months.

[Pelado]

Idaho Power:
June - August
First 800 kWh - 8.5005¢
801 - 2000 kWh - 10.2214¢
Over 2000 kWh - 12.1424¢

September - May
First 800 kWh - 7.8894¢
801 - 2000 kWh - 8.7077¢
Over 2000 kWh - 9.6437¢

Monthly service charge of $5 per month

https://www.idahopower.com/accounts-...for-your-home/

I guess it helps to have so much of the power generated from hydroelectric sources.

[BigFatMeanie]

Utah (Rocky Mountain Power):

Billing Months - June through September
9.2802¢ per kWh first 400 kWh
11.9733¢ per kWh all additional kWh

Billing Months - October through May
8.2126¢ per kWh first 400 kWh
10.5959¢ per kWh all additional kWh

Fees and taxes and stuff on top of that.

[Uncle Ted]

From that article, it sounds like there are several areas in Texas where purchasing energy from a regulated utility is not an option. Is that right? Do you Texans have a public utility option where you are? Have you done a cost comparison?

The national average for residential electricity is 13.31 cents per kWh. I am currently paying about 8-9 cents per kWh.

Austin is not deregulated has only a public power option. They pay 10.814 cents per kWh plus customer charges (overhead) plus regulatory charge (ERCOT's 2-3 cents per kWh) plus power supply adjustment plus $10/mo plus 1% austin sales tax.

[Moliere]

From that article, it sounds like there are several areas in Texas where purchasing energy from a regulated utility is not an option. Is that right? Do you Texans have a public utility option where you are? Have you done a cost comparison?

No public utility option in Houston. I can buy power from one of several dozen retail energy providers, however all power is delivered over the same poles and wires so the infrastructure is still regulated like a utility.


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[Pelado]

I was a fan of deregulation but the wsj article today makes it clear the Texans are paying more for power under deregulation than they would have under a regulated structure

https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-e..._copyURL_share


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From that article, it sounds like there are several areas in Texas where purchasing energy from a regulated utility is not an option. Is that right? Do you Texans have a public utility option where you are? Have you done a cost comparison?

[Moliere]

There was a nice article about this in IEEE Spectrum... https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise...re-of-the-grid

I still like having the "freedom to chose" when it comes to power providers... I am currently with a power provider who gets its energy all from green sources. Each month they tell me how many "virtual trees" that I have planted and that gives me lots of "warm fuzzies". However, there needs to be a choice for the people that are too dumb to chose. Maybe the government could be one of the power providers and we could call it the "public option".

I was a fan of deregulation but the wsj article today makes it clear the Texans are paying more for power under deregulation than they would have under a regulated structure

https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-e..._copyURL_share


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[Moliere]

If you can look at what happened and not realize that the whole system is FUBAR, I don't know what to say to help you see it. Some truths are just self-evident.

It’s not FUBAR. There are things to be done to make sure this doesn’t happen again but I don’t think it’s as messed up as you claim. The focus of the power grid has always been hot summers and hurricanes. I think Texas is now realizing they need some additional focus on cold winter weather given the possibility of more extreme winter weather. I have confidence they will adapt and make regulatory changes that are necessary. The biggest change being more regulation (come on PUC!) of winterizing power plants and wind turbines.

But the real question is whether all that cost is even worth it. We don’t bury all transmission and distribution lines even though some of them always get knocked down in hurricanes. We don’t do that because the price tag is too high and people feel that going without power for a week is better than spending $7 billion to bury lines, not to mention the increased cost in servicing those lines.


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[Uncle Ted]

If you can look at what happened and not realize that the whole system is FUBAR, I don't know what to say to help you see it. Some truths are just self-evident.

There was a nice article about this in IEEE Spectrum... https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise...re-of-the-grid

I still like having the "freedom to chose" when it comes to power providers... I am currently with a power provider who gets its energy all from green sources. Each month they tell me how many "virtual trees" that I have planted and that gives me lots of "warm fuzzies". However, there needs to be a choice for the people that are too dumb to chose. Maybe the government could be one of the power providers and we could call it the "public option".