Whats your gas and electric bill per month?

Agree on one count. Fleecing the consumer is wrong no matter who carries out the theft, business or government. It's just dead wrong. For the most part I am ok with the government and system we have in Canada. May not be perfect but better than most. Those that need help are helped and those that need care are cared for. Still and all we have a long way to go. It's up those of us who can to get at it!

 

Still have that one pesky thing about the hurdles and hoops you have to go through for gun ownership.

Some of yalls things are appealing and some of ours our. But what would be the best combination seems to be up to each person.

 

Yes, absolutely right on. So much of what we represent is in our minds eye. Owning guns in Canada is easy if you are a normal person. I have a friend who owns handguns he shoots at a club he belongs to. I never wanted any but have and have had numerous hunting long guns. Generally speaking few up here obsess over them and in turn use them sensibly. Drugs and gangs are a different matter. There are no hurdles or hoops I am aware of. Need a police background check. If any record - forget it. Any abuse of women - forget it any violent behavior, forget it. To me these are good restrictions. All firearms must be under lock and key at all times when not in legitimate use and ammo stored in a different location to protect children. So long as we are not a threat to anyone and are cleared as normal citizens, we can own and use and enjoy firearms. I spend time with a lot of American men on a regular basis and am blown away by the nonsense they have been fed regarding Canadians, taxes up here, gun ownership and on and on. I have studied 6 years post high school in the US and love the people and the country. America is a fine country made up of fine people. The politics on the other hand - to be honest - not so much.

 

I had no idea about the legal hurtles for guns up there till I read an article written on a Canadian website by a canadian gun owner and writer. In fact what you have to go through to own hand guns down right scares me!

I am a normal person never been arrested and find it odd that I have would have to store my guns separate from ammo...if I didnt even have kids. What you have to go through to own a hand gun and then just to take it to a gun club! Until l college I didnt care much for handguns then I got bit by the bug...then came reloading and affordable shooting and I am hooked now. Dont go as much as I like but if I want to go to the store first, carry one hunting or just with me when ever, then go to the range then somewhere else I dont have to worry about breaking the terms of the firearms transport license. I dont have to worry about CRMP certified ranges etc.

Your correct it seems to work for many there and thats fine, most gun owners here in the US would feel our rights were all but stripped there in canada.

Come on down let's go shoot some!!

And one day I hope to get to canada and hunt.

 

me personally have spent both sides of the border, I see problems with both sides.. Canada health care in 90s, my college college roommate father was CFO, of top 5 bank in Canada at 62 he drove to US to get dialysis as he was too old to get in Canada for free.. His comment was thank heavens I can pay for it myself!

See how much health care you get at American hospital with no insurance or go to an ER and see how long you wait. Economics of supply and demand still apply.

But charging tax on electric heck we do that in Vermont everyone pays 5% more so low income Vermont ears can get a 25% discount. That I'm OK with but the extra 1.50 a month for efficiency program like most Govt agencies like to get people to ask for help to get more funding and then do not follow thru except there rules help less than 1% of applicants.

 

I'm going to po some but for what its worth - rights morph into entitlement rather easily. We all have a right to feel safe and secure and for our kids to come home from school every day. Guns only do one thing - they kill. We can practice on targets but at the end of the day - they are meant and used to kill. I used to handload and shoot rifles a lot - like 10,000 rounds a year. I sold a 700 that wore out the original barrrel, then a Hart barrel and last one was Kreiger that it was sold with. I hunted big game more than about anyone I know. I now see how OCD was driving the desire behind it all and quit totally. I have no problem with anyone doing what the like responsibly. I believe reasonable people will someday prevail and America will be safer due to sensible attitudes rather than a sense of entitlement and mistrust of the authority of government. None of us want to live in a society without government authority properly exercised to benefit of all and safety of all, especially our children. IMHO more guns are not the solution. Forgive me if you disagree as I share out of a sincere desire to see fewer mass shootings.

 

I want my kids to come home to or not be shot up by some crazy or islamic terrorist when I am out but those people are criminals. Many of the crimes you hear about the guns were obtained legally...and if they chose to get them illegally well they can regardless.

Some can obsess over things whatever they are . Nothing wrong or unsafe about a gun hobby. Some like to go to bats for a hobby or to spend time drinking beer. I get no satisfaction out of that. I do enjoy reloading though and shooting when i get a chance.

No one is entitled to a gun here but if your a law abiding citizen you have that right .

Ok back to the power bill discussion. I know this is the everything else forum but I have hijacked enough here.

 

Poor guy is afraid to check his thread out for any more answers........

 

The fellow losing healthcare because he turned 62 sounds fishy to me. Must be something missing in the explanation you were given. Our boy was seriously injured in a workplace accident and received many millions of healthcare by some of the finest Doctors anywhere and never was a question asked or a bill presented. All I did was sign the consent forms for each of 18 major surgeries. I am told the unit he was flown to in a chopper is the finest of its kind anywhere. Canadian healthcare in situations where it is serious and required is as good as anywhere. It doesn't matter who you are or where you live, you are covered. As a percent of GDP we spend roughly half what is spent in America and everyone is covered. No insurance in the middle skimming. Its got problems but they are well documented and are being worked on, but never to every persons satisfaction. In our DNA I think we like to whine about stuff but overall we're doing ok. I agree about govt taxing and then wasting it. I'm ok with taxes so long as they go to help those who need it and not spent promoting their political hobby horse and greasing the lobby groups. Got no time or patience for that.

 

I installed my insert right at the time my most current bill that I got today was billed back to. Dec 7th.

While our average temp was up from last year, 36 avg this year during this period from 30 last year that period.

That said, this is my first bill with the insert, burning pretty much 24/7. Daily use went down a huge amount. I went from $4.25 a day for ng, last year, to $1.32 a day this year. I have a ng water heater, a ng stove, and ng clothes dryer. We cook a lot on our gas stove, so this gas usage is pretty good now.


That's $3 a day for me in savings. $21 a week, and about $90 a month. Times that by 4-5 months and it makes a huge difference.

 

Dang I guess that shows how cheap gas is!! We dont have NG option here just propain . I bet I save a good $50-200 a month in electric costs burning wood. Thats here in SC!

 

Yes, ng is pretty cheap. But there's stupid fees added built into that.

Still, even ng is cheap, this stove is staying me $3 a day. There's been a few days u didn't even run the stove. I think a colder period of OAT will only show the woods stove to be even more cost saving.

So, how long y'all think it will take WE energies to send out a tech to change out or inspect my gas meter?

And what's even better is that we're warmer than we've ever been. Toasty.

I see my electric use is down a little too. I've been swapping LED bulbs in place of incandescent bulbs. Next up are the outdoor floodlights that are on a timer and motion sensor. They go on every night. LED floods are on sale this week at at Menard's. Those will save me some $$ too. Last year I got a laser light for my outdoor Christmas lights to go with my led battery run wreath. Those old Christmas lights. Even LED ones added to my bill. The laser light is like 5 watts.

Now if I could get the wife to not use incandescent mini lights on the tree. Like 1000 of them. Led's would help there.

 

Yep mine puts like 700 lights on the tree and 1500 outside. Thats kills the december bill!

We are way warmer too. Use to keep house 65 in day and 62 at night. Only the coldest period is my side that cold. The great is above 70F.

Oh and my range was for different months. Like say oct and november I might save $50 and $70 respectively. But in january and February I will see that $200 savings in a month.

 

Nice, that makes sense about the really cold months saving you more $$. I'll report on it as the months go on.

 

just give them time,they will get to it

 

I spend about $150/month on electric and it stays around that number year round. Since this past December was so mild I decided to hold off on burning wood and instead let the heat pump and electric furnace run as I was curious how much I was saving. Well, my bill jumped to $266, and that was with the highs averaging 53° and the lows averaging 37°!

 

Sounds like that was a mistake!

 

I put 20$ a week on it and in the winter month my bill goes in the negative, - 65 right now. I'm also fortunate that I don't normally pay for wood. But last yr we went on vacation and with no one to tend the stove I put the electric heaters on low so the pipes wouldn't freeze. My electric bill went from - 155 $ to + 175 in 2 weeks. That's 220 bi weekly, but also keep in mind that the heat was set to minimal probably 45 degrees or so. I must add that I was the coldest winter in 100 years in montreal area last yr. But I figure at a comfortable temp last winter would have cost me 800$ per month.

 

At least I have a better understanding of how much I save. But that still didn't convince my wife that heating with wood saves us money!

 

There are a few more a factors you need to consider when it comes to saving money and time. Home size and layout is key. Getting a stove that can heat Sq footage.