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Alabama OKs utility option to cut air conditioner
www.forbes.com ^ | 01/06/09 | PHILLIP RAWLS

Posted on 01/09/2009 4:01:17 AM PST by TornadoAlley3

Alabama Power Co. will give customers a way to save $20 annually by allowing the electric utility to cut off their home air conditioners for brief periods on the hottest weekdays of summer.

(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Alabama
KEYWORDS: alabama; utility
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How long before Obama makes this mandatory nationwide
1 posted on 01/09/2009 4:01:18 AM PST by TornadoAlley3
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To: TornadoAlley3

Saves $20.00 annually? No deal.


2 posted on 01/09/2009 4:02:34 AM PST by maxter
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To: maxter

Not nearly enough to suffer through one nasty, hot, muggy southern afternoon, much less the whole summer of them.


3 posted on 01/09/2009 4:04:18 AM PST by USMCWife6869
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To: TornadoAlley3

Stupid idea, when it comes back on it will work harder and take longer to recool.


4 posted on 01/09/2009 4:05:51 AM PST by dforest (Is there any good idea out there that Obama doesn't lay claim to anymore?)
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To: indylindy
Stupid idea, when it comes back on it will work harder and take longer to recool.

It isn't stupid for the electric company then. :)

With all these people signing up, I imagine the electric company would be making a fair amount of profit out of such a gimmick.

5 posted on 01/09/2009 4:07:31 AM PST by pnh102 (Save America - Ban Ethanol Now!)
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To: TornadoAlley3

20$??

someone should tell the utilities that we here in the US, sit on the largest natural gas deposit on the planet and we have one of the largest coal deposits in existance....

we next need to start building more nuke plants.

$20 to sweat in the summer? they can have my AC when they pry it from my dead COLD hands....


6 posted on 01/09/2009 4:09:52 AM PST by Vaquero ( "an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: maxter

I would never do this...you could ruin the air conditioner.


7 posted on 01/09/2009 4:12:11 AM PST by bronxboy
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To: TornadoAlley3

A plan similar to this was offered on our utility bill recently. Get a $25 check now and $25 check at the end of the year if we allow our utility company to take control of our A/C during “periods of heavy use”. The pitch was that they’d change the setting a few degrees, “something most people wouldn’t even notice”. HAH - for $50? I think not!


8 posted on 01/09/2009 4:12:34 AM PST by leapfrog0202
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To: TornadoAlley3
Didn't he say we will no longer be able to keep our thermostats at 72, eat what we want and drive our big SUV's on the campaign trail? And, was it not Michelle my belle who said Barack will not let you live like you once did before?

Lok out folks, it may only be a matter of time....

9 posted on 01/09/2009 4:17:05 AM PST by Born In America (Warning: Use liberals only under close conservative supervision.....)
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To: TornadoAlley3
Smart meters could also allow for a similar program that could cut off homes' hot water heaters in the afternoon, said John Free, manager of the PSC's electricity section.

Coming soon..no hot water.

10 posted on 01/09/2009 4:35:21 AM PST by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin is a smart missile aimed at the heart of the left!)
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To: TornadoAlley3

It is also more intrusive into the private doings of your own home. The meters “communicate directly” with the power company meaning there is an overseer who can override the wishes and operations of the homedweller.

I don’t think so and I will fight its installation on my home. Private solar power is looking much more inviting.


11 posted on 01/09/2009 4:46:26 AM PST by Jemian
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To: TornadoAlley3

I work for a utility in NJ that has been doing this for years-customers volunteer for it. The first time we “cycle” the boxes on the hottest summer days, the customers usually demand its removal.


12 posted on 01/09/2009 4:59:50 AM PST by jughandle
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To: TornadoAlley3

Load sheading is a good idea. The trade off has to be a lower rate.


13 posted on 01/09/2009 5:05:47 AM PST by Mark was here (The earth is bipolar.)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner
...hot water heaters in the afternoon, said John Free, manager of the PSC's electricity section.

Why do you need to heat hot water. Another doofus 'expert.'

14 posted on 01/09/2009 5:09:27 AM PST by CPOSharky (Coming up: Four years of Jimmuh Cartah on crack.)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

Coming soon- USA as a third world country.


15 posted on 01/09/2009 5:24:27 AM PST by Red in Blue PA (Guns don't kill people; abortion clinics do.)
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To: indylindy
Stupid idea, when it comes back on it will work harder and take longer to recool.

Or likely freeze up the coils and run forever without cooling at all.

16 posted on 01/09/2009 5:25:08 AM PST by SampleMan (Community Organizer: What liberals do when they run out of college, before they run out of Marxism.)
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To: TornadoAlley3

We had a program in Virginia...Got $4 a month credit. This was in 1990.


17 posted on 01/09/2009 5:36:53 AM PST by Sacajaweau (I'm planting corn...Have to feed my car...)
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To: indylindy
Stupid idea, when it comes back on it will work harder and take longer to recool.

EXACTLY!
18 posted on 01/09/2009 5:39:13 AM PST by TSgt (Extreme vitriol and rancorous replies served daily. - Mike W USAF)
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To: Sacajaweau
We have the same thing here in Florida I save about $12 a month it has never been a problem even once.I have a box on the A/C and water heater. usually when I see it off it only is off for a short period of time I have never seen both off the same time. We had it installed shortly after the house was built.
19 posted on 01/09/2009 6:01:52 AM PST by bikerman
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To: indylindy

It may seem stupid at first blush for the reason you pointed out. But the issue for the utility isn’t total energy sold, it’s the problem of meeting peak demand on a hot afternoon. From about 1990 or so, it’s been cheaper for a lot of utilities to pay you to stop using power during peak demand times than to build the next “peaker” power plant. Used to be called “demand side management”. The biggest successes were with very large commercial buildings and industrial installations. The problem in the residential market is you have to change out everybody’s meter to be able to remotely control your power and that is VERY expensive. You really can’t do this on an honor system basis.


20 posted on 01/09/2009 6:22:19 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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