Unpleasant phone call from the Electric Company :D

I have to tell you, I did not like this in the first place and the information that I obtain on the power company website is pretty lame.
Anything that invades my privacy even a little disturbs me a lot

 

I just saw a video on youtube where a guy was accused of tampering his meter. He claimed it was because he uses LEDs.

 

The electric company changed my meter twice, both times while I was away from home, due to my reduced usage. I'm guessing they determined the meters weren't faulty, and I wasn't tampering with them. The meter is one of those Smart Meters.

When I first moved here, my monthly bill was at least 4 times what it is now, but since the installation of LED's and the wood stoves, my average bill is about $40 a month (average KWH usage is 9 KWH per day) That's running the well pump, lights and whatever (electric tools) in the garage, my security cameras w/DVR and monitor, 2 computers and printer, embroidery machine, sewing machine, iron on transfer machine, iron for cloths, electric washer and drier, 1100 watt microwave, electric stove, toaster, refrigerator, 12 cup coffee maker, crock pot and so on. 2 stereo's and my HAM Radio equipment. Then add to it I leave I leave 4 lights burning 24/7 and a 36" television on 24/7.

My propane bill dropped to zero, and my fuel oil bill did the same. I've never run the blower on the wood stove and I don't use A/C during the heat of the summer.

I'm planning to cut my bill in half yet again over the next year by eliminating the well pump, and electric drier from the equation. Heck, I might even remove 2 of the lights I leave on 24/7 as well as the television (since I don't watch the dammed thing anyway, but it does make it appear as though I'm awake.) In the works is to better insulate and seal my home making it more energy efficient resulting in using much less firewood.

Yeah, I know, I'm such an energy waster!

 

Eliminate your well pump!!! Please explain that one.

 

To paint the whole picture, I also have a spring that feeds into my property. A dual chamber Spring box is already in place that is approximately 4' x 4' x 8' about 800 feet up the mountain or about 50 to 75 feet above my current elevation with a water line coming down to within about 10 feet of the pump house. After I make the necessary repairs and some modifications, I will remove a component from the water feed line (gravity type fed pump) which is about 10 feet behind the pump house, and run the water line to the pump house where I can in turn put in place a 3 way Tee valve. That valve will allow me to feed the water line to the house with either the well pump or the water from the spring with additions of filters and check valves before the Tee. I'll also be adding a small tap into the line from the spring in order to keep the line from freezing during the winter. That little line will run into a drain I put in place back towards the end of October. I'm currently trying to decide the size of that line so it doesn't have an effect on the water pressure.

I currently run the house water at 60# pressure, and a guesstimate of the water coming down from the spring to that pump behind the pump house is probably between 40 and 60# without using a booster of any kind. So instead of relying on the well pump to supply my water, I will essentially be using it as a backup if necessary and the water from the spring head will be my main source.

Another project kind of attached to this one is building a new pump house to replace the current one.

Here is a thread I did where I was asking about Hydraulic Cement to repair the spring box and some pictures:
Hydraulic Cement for Spring Box repair?
And this one for the cover with better pictures:
Spring Box/Settling Tank Cover
This is the type of gravity feed pump I was referencing that's behind the pump house:

 

This is after 2 full weeks of use. Think they'll be amused?

 

Another thing you can do is call them and tell them you think somebody is stealing your electricity because your electric bill is way to high!

Gary

 

This is mine after...............I'm guessing here................about 6 months since they installed it. Funny that my stacks start about 10-12ft. from my meter........................they're clueless!!!

 

That is actually a good idea lol. I have an ash tree that is too close to my line also, I was going to take care of it... But they may as well come out and do it. Hope they bring the chipper too

 

Does that reset every month? Most of my usage is pretty much my blower (on the wood furnace) and the dryer. The small appliances don't seem to use much. I couldn't see using much less electricity than we do.

 

Every time they change one of my meters it seems to get a bit more pricy- about now is when they change the gas unit seems like every year , they did the electric one late summer.

 

I got a call from the propane company the January after we moved in here. We got the wood stove going and only used a tiny bit of propane whereas the previous owner would get a fill every 3 weeks.

They called to remind me that I didn't own the tank and I needed to stop having it filled by another supplier. I told them the wood stove story and they believed me...Then proceeded to remind me that there was a minimum qty or I would be charged $40 a month for rent. I told them to come and get it....Better bring a hoe because if you remember it is a burried tank. Crickets. Bu-bye.

 

What is the elevation difference between the house and the spring?
Water pressure builds at a rate of .43 PSI per foot of water column height. In other words, if your house is 100' below the spring, then you would have 43 PSI pressure (approximately, I didn't figure in the small amount of pipe friction loss) at the house.
Feel free to respond in one of your "spring" threads so as not to "leak" on Carbines thread...water and electricity don't mix ya know...

 

My propane company sent a bill for tank rental. I called and talked with a nice lady. She said if I had the tank filled then she could credit the tank rental to the propane cost. She asked me to check my propane level, it is at 60%. She told me the last time my tank was filled was May 10th 2015.

I think I will be on the 3-4 year propane plan. We burn it on vacation or the occasional chill in the house in the shoulder season.

 

My company installed all NE digital meters like 7 years ago. my usage went up as did many folks in town. they said the internals were worn on the old one when I called and complained and asked how I kew their meter was calibrated correctly.

our meter is on the side of house outside bathroom. bedroom beside that and room beside kitchen with a tv tat we spend a good bit in, not our main tv room though.