Gas line upgrade.......they forced my hands

So, the small town I live in raised the electricity price by 23.5% overnight last winter. So from 1 month to the next my bills went up by about $75. So I confronted the city council, and they didn't like what I had to say.

1. I asked why they didn't do it incrementally?
2. What happened to the people of the town that are on fixed incomes?
3. What else is going to happen with no notice?

Boy, the one guy that to find me and give me the answers could hardly even look at me. I think he knew that they messed up.

So I installed brand new propane gas line to all of my appliances. Now, im not going to change out my appliances ( water heater, stove/range, dryer (already have a propane furnace)), all at once, I don't have money like that. But when they go bad on me, guess what's going in......not electric.
The 2 unused ports in front will go to a water heater and (one day) a fireplace.
I did the math and if we can find propane for under about $2.75 a gallon compared to the new electric rate. ( I've never paid that much) we can beat the city electric prices.

 

So wait, your town sets the electric rate and not a utility? Does the town own the generator? Is that hydro then?

 

I understand your ire.

Had been trying to tell folks this about the battery cars and rising rates.

And remember, propane prices are not completely static. I do feel it won't be as volitile as electricity in the coming years.

 

The town buys electricity and water from outside utilities, then calls it there own.
I do wonder what their profit margins are?

 

Oh and yes, the town does have a couple LARGE diesel generators, but they aren't big enough to serve the whole town anymore. 1 generator is from the 1930s or earlier. Back then the only way the town had power was from the generator. Wired power from other places didn't come to this part of South Dakota until the 1930s. And my grandfather was part of the crews putting it all in.

 

But the town just kept on being the 'supplier' of electricity, it sounds.

 

Yeah, basically

 

Yes, propane fluctuates around here just like everywhere else. I just had my tank filled for $1.38 a gallon. And because of my awesome Drolet Escape 2100, I had half a tank left after last winter.

 

Oh, to have propane prices like that around here! That's the difference between being a local commodity and having to have every bit of it trucked/shipped in.

There may be a profit, or not. They may just be acting like a coop where buying lots of electricity is cheaper than buying a little. My town is researching into doing something called "Community Power". Even if the town does this, residents are free to join it, or stay with traditional providers (it all comes from the same distributor).

Hmm, reading the FAQs, I'm not enamored of the fact people have to Opt Out, instead of Opt In. However, since I'm on net metering, I can't be "in" at this time anyway, which I'm very happy about (my net metering is advantageous for me and the rules are in effect until something like 2040).

 

my base electric has increased $15 in 3 years, and now the psc just gave permission to suck the life out us again, unacceptable to me. I have to do the math on my back up genny, ( runs on propane), it just might be cheaper than their rates.

 

Yeah, but do you (and your neighbors) want the noise?

 

6% is what Public Regulated Utilities are allowed to profit, the increase is what they call a rate case. If their electricity rate increased, repairs were needed to the grid, or any other expense can be rolled into a rate case.

 

The quoted me $6.50 a gallon said no tractor supply fill 100 pounders in back of a truck for less than
half of that.

 

still a rate increase however they call it, and it never goes away.

 

The generators use diesel right?

 

Yep, they are about size of a full sized van

 

SD Steve I have been thinking about this since you first posted it back on the 18th. In reference to the gas manifold in your pic, it appears to have included a drip leg/sediment trap.

You do know that the way it is installed, it serves no purpose. For the drip leg/sediment trap to work effectively, the gas flow has to have a 90 degree change of direction, right?



Something like that would bother the heck out of me.....

Thanks.

 

It's just an extra one. All other appliances (furnace) have one of there own.

 

See.

On a side note, what might you install for your work? Gas-tite, track- pipe, or Wardflex.
I my humble opinion, wardflex is where it's at. The other 2 are harder to make the connections to the adaptors. I don't like them.

 

I have used all three of them. And black pipe..................lots and lots of black pipe! Using galvanized pipe/fittings was prohibited.