Even Before Long Winter Begins, Energy Bills Send Shivers in New England

New York Times ^ | DEC. 13, 2014 | KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

[clearcarbon]

If it’s a really cold winter again, the obama administration is going to kill a lot of senior citizens this season.

[ansel12]

I have it on my wish list and think it is very cool, and there are other company's versions of it.

For those that didn't click on the link.

Farm Innovators TC-3 Cold Weather Thermo Cube Thermostatical​ly Controlled Outlet - On at 35-Degrees/Off at 45-Degrees

[familyop]

"You’re better off with an electric carpet or electric blanket to keep warm."

Great advice! I didn't know about electric carpet. The smaller heating pads use even less power than the blankets and work great.

[ansel12]

Wow, look at your link and then compare it to post 48, she and I are like twins in our approach.

[familyop]

I’m going to find a use for one of those outlets. As for heating, I’m on a small battery array and wish there were more vented, thermostatic, catalytic heaters (propane). The only shop making them is too small, swamped, way behind (months and months) and getting expensive. There are non-vented catalytic propane heaters, but they require lower and upper room ventilation at all times, manual starting (piezo) and don’t have thermostats. Passive solar helps a lot during the day, but we’re moving toward nights that are going to be nearly 18 hours long.

[ansel12]

Using an adapter for a larger tank, can something like this get you by for a while, and then be useful for a back up?

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F232000-Indoor-Safe-Portable/dp/B002G51BZU/?tag=dealnewscom&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Or the larger version. http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/mr-heaterreg%3B-big-buddytrade%3B-radiant-portable-heater-18000-btus?cm_mmc=Affiliates-_-Linkshare-_-Link-_-1

[cibco]

BM

[familyop]

"Wow, look at your link and then compare it to post 48, she and I are like twins in our approach."

The woman helping Paul Wheaton by doing the video? Yes! Very much alike! It's really smart stuff. Many people are renting or otherwise in situations that are difficult for major, DIY energy builds. It's good to see that folks like you have been putting some thought and practice to it.

[ansel12]

Here is a site that you might already know about, but it is invaluable in learning to save electricity, it tells you how much your devices and appliances use and cost at various rate, per hours or days, etc.

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/howmuch.html

---

Here is a device that measures the actual usage of whatever you plug into it, and I will bet money that you would love it, if you don’t already have one.

Kill-A-Watt Electricity Monitor http://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU

[familyop]

Liners for pac boots can be really nice around the house, too, if floors aren’t too slippery for those. For anyone not familiar with pac boot liners, use those three words as search keywords.

They should be pretty cheap from at least some vendors. And if the heat ever goes completely out in a brutally cold place (like here), they can be one of several life savers for sleeping. Avoid using them to walk around on floors, though, if they’re slippery on floors. I wonder if some silicon sealer might make them less slippery on hard floors. They should be great for sitting at a desk.

I actually slept in those along with ski pants, gloves and parka at about -20 F after being heavily iced in and out of propane one winter (drifts of ice up to five feet in some spots on roads with a consistency near that of sand). Stay heavily stocked up on propane, more winter clothing and put up much more snow fence since then.

This is outdoor stuff for those in truly rough winter climates, but... For those who need a tough, warm parka at low cost, BTW, the Tough Duck Hydro Parka is the best I’ve found for around a hundred bucks or less (Sportsmen’s Guide, Northern Tool and others). It’s made in Canada. It’s even nicer with a bendable wire sewn into the hood hem and coyote fur sewn around it, too (for avoiding snow blindness when wind hits hard, if goggles get too iced).

[familyop]

I hadn’t seen Bluejay’s site. Thanks! It looks like a better reference than some of the sites I’ve used. And yes, the Kill-a-watt is indispensable here.

[Texicanus]

Doesn’t anybody burn wood up there in New England?

I have a fireplace insert I bought to survive higher heating costs way back in the Jimmy Carter era. It will heat a 2500 sq ft home. I recovered the cost of the insert in about three months due to reduced electric bills.

My home is all electric but I only use the insert when the temperature drops below 30 degrees or when the central heat begins cycling on and off every few minutes. Besides if the electricity should go off for any length of time, it will be my backup heat source.

[ansel12]

When I lived in Wisconsin/Minnesota, these type of cheap snow boots used to be everywhere for 10 to 20 dollars, they would be good for the house it seems, cheaper than the inserts.

[Omniscient Certitude]

NH has recently voted for the democrats but Rockingham County where Salem is is one of the most conservative counties in USA. Check it out. So much for libtards.

The reason for the high cost of power goes back to Governor Sununu when he pushed Seabrook nuclear plant against the wishes of the voters. The plant has so much excess capacity, when PSNH went bancrupt because of low power sales the court order, led by Sununu, was to shut all of the medium hydro producers, paying them off using higher electricity bills as cash.
That worked for a while but power now was expensive so investors built a very large NG turbine powered co gen plant in Londonderry which is cheaper than the nuke plant. Power companies would rather buy the alternative cheaper. However, Seabrook is protected, so the price of power becomes set higher.

Reaspecting the proposed NG pipeline, most of the state can not use NG as the ground is too rocky and users too far apart to make it viable. There are users on the seacoast and the corridor from Salem to Concord that can sustain the NG economy. The proposed pipeline is to move gas to Maine and perhaps augment Salem, Nashua, and Manchester. I am for it but not having it has nothing to do with NH having the highest electric costs in USA. For that we need to thank Sununu, now a multi millionaire and owner of Waterville Valley ski area....I wonder how he made all that money as governor and chief of staff for GHWB? Can you say Seabrook? Typical GOP crony capitalism...

[Omniscient Certitude]

Burn wood in NH? About 30 percent of all heating is from wood. Wood is free here in NH as long as you can cut and haul it. I have more wood than I can use but less time to process it. NH invented the wood pellet business. It is not about space heating, it is all about the extreme cost of electricity that this article is about. Now, not only do we contend with high costs, but already this winter most of us has endured several days without power due to heavy snows. We have generators...we live in a hostile, cold, wet and windy state, but the few weeks of summer we have can not be beat.

[rrrod]

Blue state voters turning blue! eff emm!

[sopwith]

Please . go back to DU.I get ticked when the the Freepers outside the northeast rag on us for being all dumb democrats, but its hard to defend against it with horse sh t like that post.

[Omniscient Certitude]

Outside the NE? I grew up in Salem NH.

I defended the objects of this article as it is really all about the manifestation of GOP crony capitalism, exactly what gave us a bloated 1.1 trillion budget yesterday.

Reread what I wrote and get back to me.

[onona]

Ping for later: Great info from you and Ansel.

[Paul R.]

Cripes. Just like many places in Chinese cities...