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Pro Tips for Homeowners

Started by Onslow, January 08, 2020, 19:20:52 PM

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Onslow

Regarding smart homes, complex command centers that allow one to control nearly everything in the home via mobile phone for the purpose of saving energy in some cases consume quite a sum of electricity.  I seeing some homes not having a power bill below $300 per month even during neutral temperature months.  No bueno.

driver

Hey watch it now. This I what I do for a living.

Mostly it's people who have no idea wtf they are doing.

Most of this stuff uses energy savings as a selling point. I don't sell it that way. But if you use it to keep tabs on things it can help some.

I have this client that built a 15,000sqft house back in 2007. All the lighting and thermostats in the house is controlled through a elaborate control system that I installed. The HVAC is geothermal. He said the way he designed this house his power bill shouldn't be over $300. This guy had over 100 landscape lights...

He liked to shit when he got his first electric bill. $1500

I don't think he ever got it below $1000. He ended up foreclosing several years later.


Onslow

#2
Owning a home perched in a stately manner in high in the mountains comes with much burden.  Winds commonly reach hurricane force in the Winter.  If one enjoys the roar of hurricane force winds at night, and constantly be in need of a handyman to replace roof shingles, moving to the highlands of Ashe, Avery, or Watauga.  Wind gusts reached 78 mph just up the hill from West Jefferson last night.  During a Northeaster in 2018, winds reached 126 mph.

I shudder to see older individuals retire in Ashe County.  Scant health care, and much snow to shovel that cause the out of shape folk to drop from heart attacks.

Woolly Bugger

I'm waiting for Musk's solar tile shingles i /"\
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Onslow

I want to build, and move into a tricked out 600 sq. ft. micro home but my wife won't let me. 

I'm  tired of cleaning, mulching, paying the damned heat bill. I like where I live but owning a 3K sq. ft 120 year old home is exhausting.

Big J

$1,500 electric bill. Dang. I was complaining about my $250 bill this month because our house was running on emergency heat for a week while waiting for our heat pump to be worked on.

Mudwall Gatewood 3.0

My electric bill from the local co-op was $91.28 last month, rounded up to $92 for "Power from the Heart" program.  It is always around $90, never over $100, but I only have a ~1500 sq ft dwelling, wash laundry in cold, have a very efficient LG combination washer/dryer, rarely use the oven and only at low temps to dry weed, and bathe twice a week. 
"Enjoy every sandwich."  Warren Zevon

Dee-Vo

Quote from: driver on January 08, 2020, 19:39:56 PMHey watch it now. This I what I do for a living.

Mostly it's people who have no idea wtf they are doing.

Most of this stuff uses energy savings as a selling point. I don't sell it that way. But if you use it to keep tabs on things it can help some.

I have this client that built a 15,000sqft house back in 2007. All the lighting and thermostats in the house is controlled through a elaborate control system that I installed. The HVAC is geothermal. He said the way he designed this house his power bill shouldn't be over $300. This guy had over 100 landscape lights...

He liked to shit when he got his first electric bill. $1500

I don't think he ever got it below $1000. He ended up foreclosing several years later.



We had someone from Duke Energy come by the store a couple weeks back. They wanted to put the power/heating of the business on an automated type system that can be essentially controlled from somewhere else and can be altered to save power and gain savings somehow. Is this something you know anything about?

Or does anyone else know anything? I wonder if this is even worth taking into consideration. Thanks in advance.

Onslow

If it is a simple load management device, you should be ok.  In years past, Duke would provide a 4 percent discount for those who participated in the load management program.

Be wary of them changing the main meter. My power bill went up 30 percent immediately after Duke changed mine out a couple years ago.

Dee-Vo

Quote from: Onslow on January 09, 2020, 10:06:21 AMIf it is a simple load management device, you should be ok.  In years past, Duke would provide a 4 percent discount for those who participated in the load management program.

Be wary of them changing the main meter. My power bill went up 30 percent immediately after Duke changed mine out a couple years ago.

Duke had a similar program several years back that we took them up on at the store. They changed every light out so we'd be 100% LED with the promise of substantial power savings. Savings have been slightly noticeable. Nothing big.

Phil

I don't have a "smart home" and don't want one. Our house is small (1000 sq. ft., 800 sq. ft. basement) right at 3500 ft. elevation. Lotso winds in excess of 50 m.p.h. in winter. My electric bill runs $150/month in winter, less in summer. No A/C, a fuel oil furnace for heat w/ woodstove and electric space heater backups. Oil runs about $400/winter.