Hawkes
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Post by Hawkes on Feb 12, 2010 8:39:53 GMT -4
You got me there. I pulled a few strings and got you the same kwh rate as me, check your next bill. ;D potential club discount? Yup, everyone on the board now has the same as me. ;D
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Post by Truro Offroad on Feb 12, 2010 9:03:36 GMT -4
Randy, I'm not sure how far you went with the people that came out to your house, or if someone at the office looked to see if your last bill was estimated, sometimes that's done if there's a dog in the yard, or no access to the meter etc. Your account would say that when the rep looked it up. It's a long shot, but if that was the case they would guess from last years bill, which you said was high. Are you sure the last people used the hot tub? Could be it was only filled to show the house, maybe their bills were high too. Yeah they used the hot tub..they were partiers..LOL.. The people that were there before me were there 5 years, they never cared what the bill was since his company paid for it. There bills were even higher then mine, last Jan they used 9000kwh, where as I only used 6000kwh. Here is all I have been able to find right now: Kitchen/dining room is 282sq/ft with 3000 watts of heating Living room/foyer is 287sq/ft with 3000 watts if heating bedroom #1 is 98sq/ft and has 1250 watts of heating bedrrom #2 is 129 sq/ft and has 1500 watts of heating Master bedroom is 195 sq/ft and has 2000 watts of heating Only problem that was found is in the basement heating, currently it has 4 - 1000w baseboard heaters trying to heat a 520Sq/ft room, based on heat calculations it should need about 5200 watts to heat that room properly. Basically the heaters are undersized. Also found that the 4 heaters are run through one thermostat that is only rated to 3500 watts, so that has to be fixed since that is a fire hazard. We don't use the dryer all the time, we wait till two load of laundry are done then turn the dryer on, wash all clothes with cold water. The bills so far have been meter reads, not estimates. I do have a both the plug in meter and the meter that goes on the power meter, so I watch what draws power.. At night when we go to bed, and all the stats are turned down, on my meter it shows the house using about .4 to .7 kwh.. but for some reason last night it was using 5.2kwh with nothing on, couldn't find what was on. No lights, no heat, pump off, HW off, that stumped me. I did find out after talking to weights and measures canada that if i request it NSP has to do a side by side meter test to see if the meter is reading properly and there is no charge for it. I can get weights and measures to do it, but NSP is supposed to do the first test. I am highly doubtful it is the meter, but its one more thing to check. Oh and I turn the breaker off in the main panel that feeds the garage, so I know the garage is not using any power..and all the windows are closed tight and locked..so none are open... I have an electrician coming today that is supposed to be good at finding problems..will see what he finds out
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Post by ©Big6™ on Feb 12, 2010 9:07:23 GMT -4
Is your neighbor plugging into your house via underground tunnel?
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Hawkes
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Post by Hawkes on Feb 12, 2010 9:44:36 GMT -4
Randy, I'm not sure how far you went with the people that came out to your house, or if someone at the office looked to see if your last bill was estimated, sometimes that's done if there's a dog in the yard, or no access to the meter etc. Your account would say that when the rep looked it up. It's a long shot, but if that was the case they would guess from last years bill, which you said was high. Are you sure the last people used the hot tub? Could be it was only filled to show the house, maybe their bills were high too. Yeah they used the hot tub..they were partiers..LOL.. The people that were there before me were there 5 years, they never cared what the bill was since his company paid for it. There bills were even higher then mine, last Jan they used 9000kwh, where as I only used 6000kwh. Here is all I have been able to find right now: Kitchen/dining room is 282sq/ft with 3000 watts of heating Living room/foyer is 287sq/ft with 3000 watts if heating bedroom #1 is 98sq/ft and has 1250 watts of heating bedrrom #2 is 129 sq/ft and has 1500 watts of heating Master bedroom is 195 sq/ft and has 2000 watts of heating Only problem that was found is in the basement heating, currently it has 4 - 1000w baseboard heaters trying to heat a 520Sq/ft room, based on heat calculations it should need about 5200 watts to heat that room properly. Basically the heaters are undersized. Also found that the 4 heaters are run through one thermostat that is only rated to 3500 watts, so that has to be fixed since that is a fire hazard. We don't use the dryer all the time, we wait till two load of laundry are done then turn the dryer on, wash all clothes with cold water. The bills so far have been meter reads, not estimates. I do have a both the plug in meter and the meter that goes on the power meter, so I watch what draws power.. At night when we go to bed, and all the stats are turned down, on my meter it shows the house using about .4 to .7 kwh.. but for some reason last night it was using 5.2kwh with nothing on, couldn't find what was on. No lights, no heat, pump off, HW off, that stumped me. I did find out after talking to weights and measures canada that if i request it NSP has to do a side by side meter test to see if the meter is reading properly and there is no charge for it. I can get weights and measures to do it, but NSP is supposed to do the first test. I am highly doubtful it is the meter, but its one more thing to check. Oh and I turn the breaker off in the main panel that feeds the garage, so I know the garage is not using any power..and all the windows are closed tight and locked..so none are open... I have an electrician coming today that is supposed to be good at finding problems..will see what he finds out Leaving no stone unturned..You're certainly putting in the effort. Hope you find something. You're living area baseboards seem to be sized correctly. The allowable watts on a 20A circuit by code is 3750w, which is 80% of 20 amps. Back in the day the inspector would allow 4000 on one circuit, but the line voltage thermostats were rated for it. I wonder if the house originally had plain line voltage thermostats instead of programmable? I wouldn't be concerned about the 4000W on one circuit, but the under rated stat should be replaced. Is it finished space or just bare basement?
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mrg
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Post by mrg on Feb 12, 2010 9:57:16 GMT -4
What do you have for heat? Its all Electric right now, if i can make it through winter..i will be putting something else in in the summer.. Dad has been trying to get the power corp to replace the meter for 20 years.....they wont. theirs is 500 per month every month and they heat with wood only. Yeah I have heard that, they just don't want to change them..incase they are bad..LOL.. I have heard of lots of people fighting to get them changed and never getting anywhere with them If you want it changed take a baseball bat to it and call in that it was vandalized. Sad but true.
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Post by Truro Offroad on Feb 12, 2010 10:02:31 GMT -4
Leaving no stone unturned..You're certainly putting in the effort. Hope you find something. You're living area baseboards seem to be sized correctly. The allowable watts on a 20A circuit by code is 3750w, which is 80% of 20 amps. Back in the day the inspector would allow 4000 on one circuit, but the line voltage thermostats were rated for it. I wonder if the house originally had plain line voltage thermostats instead of programmable? I wouldn't be concerned about the 4000W on one circuit, but the under rated stat should be replaced. Is it finished space or just bare basement? I think it originally had just the plain line volt thermostats, which over the years have been changed.. There is still the two line volt in the bathrooms and the one under the crawlspace. Basement is completely finished, but would be simple to install a second t-stat. Looking at the panel it originally had the baseboards on two breakers, one for the front two and one for the back two. I am assuming it had two t-stats too. He had someone in to wire a dedicated plug for some deep freezers, so they used one of the heater breakers. I am planning on removing the 2 1000w baseboards and putting in a 2250w one and leaving the other two 1000w for now. And will put in a second thermostat.
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Post by ©Big6™ on Feb 12, 2010 11:36:48 GMT -4
Its all Electric right now, if i can make it through winter..i will be putting something else in in the summer.. Yeah I have heard that, they just don't want to change them..incase they are bad..LOL.. I have heard of lots of people fighting to get them changed and never getting anywhere with them If you want it changed take a baseball bat to it and call in that it was vandalized. Sad but true. Don't use a metal bat
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Post by Truro Offroad on Feb 12, 2010 13:05:08 GMT -4
Had an electrician out today and he did find a problem on the incoming power feeds.
When he was measuring the amp draws on the two lines they were not stable. With all the 240 off, it was reading 1.9amps, but would spike to 5amps, down to 2, up to 3 etc..
When he turned on a 240 feed, it would jump from 5 or 6 amps up to 35 amps, down to 18, up to 20, etc..
The draws were all over the place and were huge spikes, not consistent at all
He said that two things are either wrong, one is a loose connection in the meter box or the second could be a bad meter.
Now I have to try and get NSP out to check the problem.
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Post by SocialWheeler on Feb 12, 2010 13:10:14 GMT -4
At night when we go to bed, and all the stats are turned down, on my meter it shows the house using about .4 to .7 kwh.. but for some reason last night it was using 5.2kwh with nothing on, couldn't find what was on. Anything growing in your basement?
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4X4PLAY
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Post by 4X4PLAY on Feb 12, 2010 13:23:47 GMT -4
Back ten years ago at my house in the Valley which was a R2000 home bungalow with 1400 sq ft up and 1400 sq ft down and before I installed a gravity fed oil stove I was paying $800. every two months for electric heat. It doesn't surprise me what you are paying Randy, do ya have a Tim Horton's coffee brewer?? lol
Good luck man! Jeff
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Post by Truro Offroad on Feb 12, 2010 13:24:04 GMT -4
At night when we go to bed, and all the stats are turned down, on my meter it shows the house using about .4 to .7 kwh.. but for some reason last night it was using 5.2kwh with nothing on, couldn't find what was on. Anything growing in your basement? I wish...might help to pay for all this...LOL NSP power is now coming to do a dual meter test, check for a loose connection, and to check the line voltage to the house
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Hawkes
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Post by Hawkes on Feb 12, 2010 14:20:15 GMT -4
Anything growing in your basement? I wish...might help to pay for all this...LOL NSP power is now coming to do a dual meter test, check for a loose connection, and to check the line voltage to the house Good luck! They may install a recording volt meter too. If your voltage is unusually low it will cause higher amps which = higher watts, but you'd probably notice. Mine was so low one time that I had to shut the electric heat off for the water pump to start. I'm out in the woods at the end a low voltage distribution line.
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rin
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Post by rin on Feb 12, 2010 15:27:12 GMT -4
So, If they (NSP) do find something faulty with their equipment ... would the previous owners have any recourse for their high electricity bills? Will you?
I nearly died with a $215 power bill (I was spoiled by apartment living). I can even imagine a $800+ bill.
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Dewie
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Post by Dewie on Feb 12, 2010 15:36:07 GMT -4
So, If they (NSP) do find something faulty with their equipment ... would the previous owners have any recourse for their high electricity bills? Will you? I nearly died with a $215 power bill (I was spoiled by apartment living). I can even imagine a $800+ bill. We had ones $1000 + last winter... Welding, Space heaters, no insulation in one wall frigid temperatures with a big waterheater for the horses, etc etc... yuk...
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Post by jeepfever on Feb 12, 2010 21:00:57 GMT -4
That sucks, $800/month for electricity. Have you considered a second heating system? I heat with oil, a hot water baseboard heating system and I pay $200/month year round (budget billing) and my electric bill is $105/month for the lights & appliances. The boiler provides the domestic hot water. In Quebec where electricity is cheap because of Hydro power I've seen electric forced air heating systems . Just imagine a really huge toaster.
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