Author Topic: Opinions on my year to year power usage.  (Read 3560 times)

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upstateman

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Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« on: December 02, 2013, 03:41:15 PM »
10/2011 to 10/2012 was a bad year at 1150kwh. 10/2012 to 10/2013 was the best year at 558kwh.How does this compare to most other homes?My power provider states that an energy efficient 1100sq.ft. home should be at 338kwh per year.

DamonHD

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2013, 05:04:02 PM »
Are you sure that you're not mixing months and years there?

My smallish ~800sqft and comparatively efficient UK house (less than half typical UK consumption) uses ~4000kWh nat gas heat and ~1500kWh electricity per year (ignoring PV):

http://www.earth.org.uk/saving-electricity.html#meter2013

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upstateman

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2013, 09:59:25 PM »
I have the paper work from my power company, and that's what their reports state, based on my meter readings for both years.I use electric free portable kerosene heater for heat and no a/c this past year.The year before,10/2011 to 10/2012, my area was dry, and consistently broke the 100*F mark, from June to August.We had no other choice but to use a window a/c.Our day time temps hit 122*F inside the house with the windows open and fans running on high.It was so dry that most wells ran dry and our reservoirs/lake dried up.The Mississippi River almost ran dry.

SparWeb

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2013, 02:45:54 AM »
I don't know what you're ashamed of. 

I haven't figured out where you live exactly, but all of your previous mentions of RV's make me think you have already made your life as "off-grid" and low energy as possible.  Somewhere, the figures you quote do not match reality - especially the strange one about an "energy efficient home" from your utilities provider.  Turn on your propaganda radar, and look at it again.

My energy use doesn't look like your consumption figures at all.  By an order of magnitude.  Of course I live near Calgary, in a larger house, with more family, and probably a lot more animals to look after too.  All factors in the energy budget. 

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Bruce S

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2013, 09:39:43 AM »
From your most recent post of the Mississippi nearly running dry and it being very hot, I'd guess you're up in Minnesota just down stream from Itasca  ;).
This I know only because our daughter and her crew were up that way helping to clean up after the flood's mess.
 
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upstateman

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2013, 12:21:10 PM »
My apologies,  I thought my state was posted under my avatar.I am in South Carolina in the foothills of the mountains.I am living in an old mobile home.Feels like an RV.I have started remodeling another MH and I am attempting to get my energy usage as low as possible.Then I will transfer my knowledge to the MH I am remodeling.I am making major upgrades and remodeling the place like a house.No more thin single pane galvanized windows or metal siding.I would like to go off grid but then I have to deal with building codes and inspectors,plus deadlines.I prefer to work at my own pace as time and health allows.My area falls in the 7a and 7b zone on the USDA map.




DamonHD

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2013, 02:18:26 PM »
Crappy charts from your provider, and well done for getting anything from them at all, but those look like monthly figures to me.

You'd be mega efficient by US standards (typically twice UK household usage) if 558kWh was your annual usage.

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SparWeb

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2013, 03:51:53 PM »
Chart #1 provides useful information.
Chart #2 is more of a guilt trip, so don't let it psyche you out.  Do they give any explanation of what the "efficient house" is?

Back to chart #1:  That's monthly usage.  If you are still unsure, you should make a habit of reading your own meter and writing it on a list somewhere.  Also a good cross-check, rather than just accepting what the utility company says.

Your usage is roughly 8000 kWhr per year, by adding up the usage they report from October last year to September this year.  About the same as mine.  For both of us, our average monthly usage is below 700 kWhr.  On the other hand, my consumption follows a nearly perfect sine-wave, which peaks in January and troughs in July.  Yours has 2 peaks, one in heating season and another peak in AC season.  In my case, I made a number of changes to keep the energy usage down, and I think you have probably done much the same (light bulbs, replace appliances, insulation, etc.)

To make any more significant reductions in energy usage from this point (you may disagree) will require replacement of major items in the house, such as the heating system, the exterior shell, the insulation in the roof and around the foundation, or a thorough search for any and all leaks and then sealing them.  The leaks and the roof insulation aren't actually too difficult from my perspective, and the central heat furnace is due for replacement in a couple of years anyway, so these things will get done.  But the point is that all of the "easy" steps have already been taken, and to have a worthwhile effect now, the effort and cost becomes greater.  If your electricity is as cheap as mine, your initiative may be undermined by the costs.  It is for me, I confess.  I will commend you for keeping up your efforts to reduce energy use in the face of this.

No one believes the theory except the one who developed it. Everyone believes the experiment except the one who ran it.
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upstateman

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2013, 12:02:12 PM »
Chart #1 provides useful information.
Chart #2 is more of a guilt trip, so don't let it psyche you out.  Do they give any explanation of what the "efficient house" is?

Back to chart #1:  That's monthly usage.  If you are still unsure, you should make a habit of reading your own meter and writing it on a list somewhere.  Also a good cross-check, rather than just accepting what the utility company says.

Your usage is roughly 8000 kWhr per year, by adding up the usage they report from October last year to September this year.  About the same as mine.  For both of us, our average monthly usage is below 700 kWhr.  On the other hand, my consumption follows a nearly perfect sine-wave, which peaks in January and troughs in July.  Yours has 2 peaks, one in heating season and another peak in AC season.  In my case, I made a number of changes to keep the energy usage down, and I think you have probably done much the same (light bulbs, replace appliances, insulation, etc.)

To make any more significant reductions in energy usage from this point (you may disagree) will require replacement of major items in the house, such as the heating system, the exterior shell, the insulation in the roof and around the foundation, or a thorough search for any and all leaks and then sealing them.  The leaks and the roof insulation aren't actually too difficult from my perspective, and the central heat furnace is due for replacement in a couple of years anyway, so these things will get done.  But the point is that all of the "easy" steps have already been taken, and to have a worthwhile effect now, the effort and cost becomes greater.  If your electricity is as cheap as mine, your initiative may be undermined by the costs.  It is for me, I confess.  I will commend you for keeping up your efforts to reduce energy use in the face of this.



They don't give any real specifics on an energy efficient house.They just state the obvious,more insulation,energy star appliances,energy efficient windows,and doors.All of which I am doing plus some.I currently don't have an heating system that requires electricity.I am using portable K1 heater but it cost way more that electric with K1 prices at $4.28 to $4.84 per gallon.I go through 2 gallon per day unless the outside temp is above 60*F,then about 1.25 gallon per day.I am looking at wood fired furnaces and possible vented wall mounted blue flame propane heaters with blower.We will have a small box stove for emergency heat for power outages.I'm trying to talk upstatewoman into letting me turn our chest freezer into a super fridge,so we can cut our usage.I am also relocating the fridge across from the stove on the north facing wall.Currently,I have an 18 inch cabinet dividing the fridge and stove,plus it's backed up to a south facing wall that gets really warn during the summer.A little extra insulation will help.The mobile home I am rebuilding will be taken all the way to the studs and completely rebuilt.All new insulation,new roof,sheet rock,siding,windows,doors,flooring,electrical,plumbing,and anything else that can be made better will be repaired or replaced.When I am done,everything will be like a house.No more mobile home products.

Frank S

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2013, 08:06:37 PM »
Chart #1 provides useful information.
Chart #2 is more of a guilt trip, so don't let it psyche you out.  Do they give any explanation of what the "efficient house" is?

Back to chart #1:  That's monthly usage.  If you are still unsure, you should make a habit of reading your own meter and writing it on a list somewhere.  Also a good cross-check, rather than just accepting what the utility company says.

Your usage is roughly 8000 kWhr per year, by adding up the usage they report from October last year to September this year.  About the same as mine.  For both of us, our average monthly usage is below 700 kWhr.  On the other hand, my consumption follows a nearly perfect sine-wave, which peaks in January and troughs in July.  Yours has 2 peaks, one in heating season and another peak in AC season.  In my case, I made a number of changes to keep the energy usage down, and I think you have probably done much the same (light bulbs, replace appliances, insulation, etc.)

To make any more significant reductions in energy usage from this point (you may disagree) will require replacement of major items in the house, such as the heating system, the exterior shell, the insulation in the roof and around the foundation, or a thorough search for any and all leaks and then sealing them.  The leaks and the roof insulation aren't actually too difficult from my perspective, and the central heat furnace is due for replacement in a couple of years anyway, so these things will get done.  But the point is that all of the "easy" steps have already been taken, and to have a worthwhile effect now, the effort and cost becomes greater.  If your electricity is as cheap as mine, your initiative may be undermined by the costs.  It is for me, I confess.  I will commend you for keeping up your efforts to reduce energy use in the face of this.



They don't give any real specifics on an energy efficient house.They just state the obvious,more insulation,energy star appliances,energy efficient windows,and doors.All of which I am doing plus some.I currently don't have an heating system that requires electricity.I am using portable K1 heater but it cost way more that electric with K1 prices at $4.28 to $4.84 per gallon.I go through 2 gallon per day unless the outside temp is above 60*F,then about 1.25 gallon per day.I am looking at wood fired furnaces and possible vented wall mounted blue flame propane heaters with blower.We will have a small box stove for emergency heat for power outages.I'm trying to talk upstatewoman into letting me turn our chest freezer into a super fridge,so we can cut our usage.I am also relocating the fridge across from the stove on the north facing wall.Currently,I have an 18 inch cabinet dividing the fridge and stove,plus it's backed up to a south facing wall that gets really warn during the summer.A little extra insulation will help.The mobile home I am rebuilding will be taken all the way to the studs and completely rebuilt.All new insulation,new roof,sheet rock,siding,windows,doors,flooring,electrical,plumbing,and anything else that can be made better will be repaired or replaced.When I am done,everything will be like a house.No more mobile home products.

  You mentioned  that you are looking at wood fired furnace for  heat .
 This might be the perfect opportunity for you to think about a rocket mass heater . especially is you have an area where you could combine it with some stone decor .
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=TLJ33MKdcg6gDf6sBMnczR--M-ZLNjkqda&v=4usXIAoy9us&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=TLJ33MKdcg6gDf6sBMnczR--M-ZLNjkqda&v=4usXIAoy9us&feature=player_detailpage

I will say though these things work better in climates where it gets cold and stays cold  they are slow to build up heat and slow to loose that heat as well. most use very little wood compared to anything else
 There are small units that heat up rather quickly for small areas.
 a house sized unit depending on the sf of the house and the climate might be have a 6" by 6" inlet with about 20 ft of horizontal pipe embedded in the mass
 the secondary combustion chamber or the vertical part would be a  55 gallon drum this would get HOT very quickly  and are great for putting the kettle on LOL
 Just a thought
 Actually I am considering building one  for MY RV but I have to consider the feasibility of making it so it would loose weight  if we decided to drive the RV somewhere
I live so far outside of the box, when I die they will stretch my carcass over the coffin

upstateman

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Re: Opinions on my year to year power usage.
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2013, 10:36:13 PM »
I have looked into RM heaters/stoves.I am a member on permies.I talked to a few there, and they are great, but to much space is required for a small 1000 to 1100 square foot mobile home.The wood fired furnace would be in a purpose built utility room and piped in under the MH.