Posted on 01/03/2015 3:37:59 PM PST by knarf
I got an e-mail that had one of those, "I'm just a regular guy but I've discovered the secret ... " type message ...
OK .. I've seen a hundred of these before, but I'm in an all-electric mobile home for the first time in my life (fire destroyed my wood/fuel oil mobile home in March), and my October bill was $78 and my Nov. bill was $97 and my Dec bill is $271
I'm NOT looking forward to electric costs this winter ... soooo
Is anyone REALLY off the grid here and is the alternative energy deals hype or not ?
My wife says there will never be another fire in this house again (woodburner) but if we have a couple of 400 - 500 dollar bills back to back she might see the wisdom of returning to supplementing our built in heat
This is a serious attempt to get some information and leading as to what to do
Guess what ?
He was right
Electrical costs DID nessesarily sky-rocket
Cheap electricity is a large scale thing. It just is.
Johnny, just calling your attention to the thread.
BTW, the SSGT and my youngest just had their first baby today, my second granddaughter.
Not if you have the ever elusive flux capacitor.
Anyway, you might be better off with that electric home. Since mid-November, I've been getting deliveries of oil every three weeks averaging around $700 per delivery. Even with the low prices, it's still very expensive to heat a home with oil or gas in the frigid Northeast.
I have baseboard electric heat which was costing me a mint to run....I got two of those oil filled raditor electric units and what a huge difference in my bill...additionlly warmer heat stays steady...you no longer have it warm up shut off and cool down as with baseboard.
Works well for me! Does my entire apartment...and i never turn the heat down...just maintain the same temp. Wonderful!
Thing is, electrical power will be just like driving.
They made so much money on the gasoline tax, all the while urging people to go EV type stuff... now, people have listened, so they are urging “alternative” funding for road tax.
It’s got the EXACT same flavor as electrical power! As more people go off the grid, or drastically reduce their juice, they will fond a way to charge you! Raising rates, other fees and charges, various flat-rate subscriptions, you name it!
And it sounds and feels like hucksterism to me!
Yes! I’m surfing on the Non-grid connected internet as we speak.
This whole thing of small scale electrical generation has been thought about by so many engineers for so long I believe it is an impossibility at this time. You are never,( never say never ), going to beat the cost of 10cents/K-H coming off of the grid.
Check out propane.
It’s pretty cheap most places and can be cheaper than electric.
Look on your bill and see what the kw hr price is.
I have seen wood burners that are stored outside the home. Is that a possible approach?
Study Nicola Tesla ... free electricity, if you can replicate his work.
Not quite yet. I have a woodstove going right now and that really puts a dent in gas costs. Wood costs are zero aside from the gas and energy to produce split and stacked wood. In the future, with PV costs about $1.00/watt, I plan to put together a system in the 9 kW range. I consider pay-back a side benefit. The liberty of being an independent producer is worth it to me. Besides, as we all know, with socialism taking hold, energy costs are going to skyrocket and that will kill many folks who have made retirement preparations without considering escalating costs and a government war on independence.
There is some information on this thread, that will help you reduce your electric bill during the winter.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3236992/posts?page=48#48
Several years ago a friend invested $50,000 in solar cells. The taxpayers, federal and state, reimbursed him $45,000. (It took a huge effort on his part and the program had to be re-funded before he finally got paid. In Tampa, the government told everybody they’d pay for their new water efficient toilets. My Dad called to find out if it was true. It turns out the money had run out months ago and they knew that but kept telling the lie so people would convert. Consequently, I simply don’t believe in these ‘we’ll pay you” programs. But this guy did get paid.) His electric bills run about $5/month, unless he runs his air-conditioner. So, is he off the grid, yes-and-no. Is it worth it? I suppose, if you’re willing to take the risk of believing what an agenda driven government official tells you.
You might install one of those pellet stoves. If you don’t want to go through the roof, then run it out through a wall. Best of luck.
You’d have to burn a heck of a lot of wood to produce enough steam for electrical generation!
BTW...My heat bill difference went from $257....down to $157 at coldest months....and I that was turning the baseboard heat down before...no more cold mornings now!
disclaimer - I am not off the grid but do have a number of friends who either are off grid or are very close to it.
Considering your situation, you might want to take a look at a wood pellet boiler for heating your house. The pellets and boiler can be located outside of your home in a shed and the heat brought into the house via hot water. This keeps the fire outside but still heats the house. Harman makes a solid product (http://www.harmanstoves.com/Products/PB105-Pellet-Boiler.aspx)
However, this can be expensive on the installation depending on the heat exchanger and vents within the house. As always, make sure that thee is someone who knows what they are doing to do the install.
Heating and cooling are often the two most expensive parts of an electric bill. Working those down first will then leave you with your “base” usage. When you plan your off grid solution, build to this base usage plus 10% with enough storage capacity to carry you through a number of days without your energy supply (sun or wind).
I am but I had to get back on the grid to post this reply.
D’oh!
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