OT: Just got a massive hydro bill

[derriko]

Most likely a deposit. I don't know how it works in Canada, but I had an apartment in Seattle and they charged me a deposit and didnt even tell me.

Much like you, I was like what the ****...I moved in during the summer, and in Seattle, apartments dont have a/c so I was baffled and called the utility company.

That was where I found out they charged me $100 (I had good credit before I moved in though) but it still seemed too high.

They also use your security deposit for your last payments as well without telling you. I somehow didnt notice that, and was expecting a nice little check in the mail as a reward for moving out that never came haha.

 

[costermonger]

A load of laundry costs less than $2 to wash and dry (likely a lot less if the washer and dryer are relatively new) so that's not your culprit. Still, you can save some money by hanging some stuff to dry; in a lot of cases that's better for your clothes anyway.

I had a good laugh at the 'How do you do three loads a week' people. Don't you have towels and sheets? In any case, trying to just jam as much laundry into the machine as possible is a bad idea; washers can't get your stuff as clean, the spin cycle can't wring out as much water, and the dryer will have to work far harder & longer to dry the larger volume of (wetter) clothes.

Anyway, sometime this spring you should go look for an oil filled space heater (looks like a radiator that plugs into the wall). These are far more efficient than baseboards and will be pretty cheap unless you wait for the weather to cool off again before you buy one. In conjunction with programmable thermostats you should be in better shape.

If you have an electric water heater you should look into whether or not you can easily adjust the temperature. If you can, turn it down until you find that you're only using hot water when you shower. Having it heat the water beyond that temperature is only wasting energy, and you can turn it up if you need to.

 

[Sixxpackjack]

This. Baseboard heaters use up a ridiculous amount of electricity while not being very efficient.

.

Depends on how you look at. 100% of the energy gets converted to direct usable heat. Oil and gas loose heat through exhaust. However electric baseboards certainly is the most expensive to use.

 

[H2O]

4300+ kwh?? Wow. Can't be the laundry. You need to track hourly and daily usage asap.

 

[VikingKarlsson]

Depends on how you look at. 100% of the energy gets converted to direct usable heat. Oil and gas loose heat through exhaust. However electric baseboards certainly is the most expensive to use.

Trust me electrical baseboards are not as efficient as modern day gas heat. There is a reason you can only find baseboards in older homes.

I would even recommend to anyone with electric baseboards to have them removed and have natural gas through exhaust installed. In the long run you would save a ton of $$.

Cheers

 

[God Flower]

I had the same issue this past hydro bill and we have very similar situations. I live in a small 1 bedroom apartment on the ground floor with baseboard heating as well and the total amount was $575. The laundry machines are communal in our building so that does not factor in the final amount. The total for the bill before was $300. That means I've paid $875 for the winter months (Nov-Feb), which is frickin' disgusting. I just sent an email to my landlord asking to have the windows and heaters checked. Unbelievable!

 

[LoneSteele]

Don't you watch the commercials on SNET during Sens games?

http://www.hydroottawa.com/residential/conservation/programs/peaksaver-plus/

I'd love something like this in AB! It would help a cheap b*stard like me maximize thriftiness!

 

[Upgrayedd]

As many have stated when i first started out with Hydro Ottawa, i was required to put a $250 downpayment....not entirely sure why they are allowed to operate this way i mean where does it stop, why not charge $10,000 lol? Anyways i have a townhome where we heat with baseboard and my worst bill this winter was $490 for two months as opposed to $120 for summer months! That being said were and are conscience of the usage.

 

[newtron]

The deposit typically covers 2 or 3 months of the previous resident's hydro bill. Too many people have taken off owing that many months worth on their bills. Electric heat is bloody expensive. If you have to live in a place with electric heat, sign up for equalized billing to avoid those shocking bills for the winter months.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

I have a small 1000sq/ft, 1 bedroom raised bungalow house. I heat with electric baseboard heat. I just got my power bill and it was $400. No I also have a woodstove, But, I only use it evenings and weekends. It barley burns enough to really matter most evenings but works well on the weekends.

Just guessing but, even if I didnt use my woodstove I doubt my bill would be $600.

I live in a 1100sq/ft 3-bedroom bungalow with electric baseboards, and my winter bills were hovering around 500-600 per month this winter. Hydro One raised the rates every year for the last 3 years, however there were numerous government paybacks last year which hid the rising costs - those aren't around this winter and it's hitting a lot of people hard in the pocketbook. 6 years ago we were paying $400 every two months for the same amount of usage(people quickly forget the hydro bills were every 2 months only 2 years ago and don't realise the massive rate jumps Hydro One has sneaked past many people)....at this rate a lot of families won't be able to keep up.

Baseboard heaters, laundry and the hot water tank add up quickly. Like a few other posters said, those mobile room heaters are great. Also keep away from using heavy duty appliances during peak times - the oven is a huge hydro hog, but unfortunately if you want to eat at normal eating hours, you'll be using at the highest rates.

 

[jbeck5]

In my world, jeans can be worn 5-6 times before they are fully soiled.

Underwear, 2-3 max.

wtf? seriously? underwear once. Jeans 2-3 times.

 

[Qward]

wtf? seriously? underwear once. Jeans 2-3 times.

Well arent we fancy!

 

[FightingIrish]

wtf? seriously? underwear once. Jeans 2-3 times.

Jeans 1 time..

No underwear.

 

[Caje]

And this is why I'm glad I live in a place with utilities included. I'd go insane trying to minimize the bill as much as possible.

 

[branch]

Moved into a new 3 bedroom condo in February. Still waiting for my first hydro bill. Yikes.

 

[jbeck5]

Well arent we fancy!

Where boxers for a 14 hour day, and a 10 hour sleep, then wake up and shower, then smell those boxers. You'd honestly wear those over a fresh new pair to save a toonie or two on a load? I guess i am fancy.

Jeans 1 time..

No underwear.

I like the way you roll! Going commando.

 

[Qward]

Where boxers for a 14 hour day, and a 10 hour sleep, then wake up and shower, then smell those boxers. You'd honestly wear those over a fresh new pair to save a toonie or two on a load? I guess i am fancy.

You might want to see a doctor about that...

 

[Legend Killer]

You might want to see a doctor about that...

He should go see a doctor because he likes wearing clean underwear?

 

[Qward]

more or less referring to; A: wearing underwear while showering. And B: the awful smell associated with his underwear.

 

[waynson spetzky]

more or less referring to; A: wearing underwear while showering. And B: the awful smell associated with his underwear.

Well you see young man, there will come a time in your life when you start to notice hair growing in funny places and smells coming from your body that weren't there before...

But seriously, change your underwear, that's nasty.

 

[SenzZen]

Every so often a thread comes along...

 

[Qward]

I like how people assume that I am the guy that wears his underwear over and over lol. I am not the one that posted that.

FYI, I change my underwear daily. Twice if I go to the gym.

 

[Leachman]

Having located Muffin the Tentacle's apartment, I sidled up to the living room window and snapped this picture; It seems he had company. True to his word, he was sporting three day old underwear...

 

[Sixxpackjack]

Trust me electrical baseboards are not as efficient as modern day gas heat. There is a reason you can only find baseboards in older homes.

I would even recommend to anyone with electric baseboards to have them removed and have natural gas through exhaust installed. In the long run you would save a ton of $$.

Cheers

Is gas cheaper? In your area you bet! Converting energy to direct heat efficiency. No its not. High efficiency furnaces are getting closer (96-98%) but you will always loose some energy to exhaust.

Dimplex states 100% efficient: http://www.dimplex.com/en/about/the_benefits_of_electric_heating

Lennox states UP TO 98.2% : http://www.lennox.com/products/furnaces/SLP98V/

Stats Can article showing energy use for each type of heating :http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-526-s/2010001/part-partie1-eng.htm

The operating costs for gas is cheaper than electric......in Onatrio. To say that electric heat is found in only older homes is not true based on a national level. Look at Quebec. High electric heat used, even in new homes. Some can correct me, but I've heard as high as 70% of new homes in Quebec use electric heat.


Electric baseboard gets a bad rap mostly because, like you stated, they are used to retro fit older homes or shody additions. Most of the time poorly insulted.

I work in hew home construction. I have seen new homes that can be cost efficiently heated with electric baseboards, although not common ( ICF/R-2000/Passive heating design) Although I would personally choose a heat pump if gas inst available.

 

[Caeldan]

While we're talking baseboard heating... How difficult /what's required to install proper programmable thermostats for them? Is it a matter of getting them all on one circuit and getting one control, or do you put those displays somewhere near each baseboard heater?