what on earth does electricity cost near you?

[buckeyefarmer]

If you really want to figure it out, go to degreedays.net

Thanks for that link, that's good info to have. I downloaded daily numbers for the last 3 yrs here. This year's heating season so far, starting 1 oct, is 13.6% less heat required than last year, 7.5% less than 2 yrs ago. Last years heating was 5.5% more than the year before.

 

[techman]

Here is my cost/kwh for the last 20 years

paul

 

[KTurner]

What??? Our rate goes UP with usage.

Ours doesn't go down directly based on consumption, but there is a flat fee just to be connected. So if you only use 1kwh in a billing period, your average cost is $7.10 per kwh. if you use 2kwh, the average cost drops to $3.60 per kwh. If you're using large amounts of electricity, this difference is negligible. For someone that uses very little electricity, this could actually make them be "paying" 20% more per kwh than their neighbor, just because their neighbor uses more and that flat fee is averaged out across more kwh. Taking the total bill / kwh is a *lot* easier than trying to sort out all the various costs, riders, taxes, fees, etc, etc, but can be misleading due to fixed costs. I.e., all these numbers people are throwing out aren't really good for comparing unless you're comparing similar usage. Interesting ballparking, but if someone uses little electricity, it's really going to skew things.

Keith

 

[3930dave]

Here is my cost/kwh for the last 20 years

paul

Nothing says it like a graph. I'm not sure what condition PA finances are in, but that pretty much tracks the trajectory of what is going on in Ontario.

Falls under the general heading of "What can consumers not do without, and we can easily tax the **** out of ?". Or, as our premier terms it, her beloved "Revenue Tools".

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Ours doesn't go down directly based on consumption, but there is a flat fee just to be connected. So if you only use 1kwh in a billing period, your average cost is $7.10 per kwh. if you use 2kwh, the average cost drops to $3.60 per kwh. If you're using large amounts of electricity, this difference is negligible. For someone that uses very little electricity, this could actually make them be "paying" 20% more per kwh than their neighbor, just because their neighbor uses more and that flat fee is averaged out across more kwh. Taking the total bill / kwh is a *lot* easier than trying to sort out all the various costs, riders, taxes, fees, etc, etc, but can be misleading due to fixed costs. I.e., all these numbers people are throwing out aren't really good for comparing unless you're comparing similar usage. Interesting ballparking, but if someone uses little electricity, it's really going to skew things.

Keith

As as a consumer, most of us look at it as What do we get, for what we pay? You probably do too.

Your arithmetic makes sense. If you have a remote property that you rarely get to, these basic fixed fees make a good case for getting off the grid. I'd probably just take a generator back and forth, in that situation.

Rgds, D.

 

[KTurner]

As as a consumer, most of us look at it as What do we get, for what we pay? You probably do too.

Your arithmetic makes sense. If you have a remote property that you rarely get to, these basic fixed fees make a good case for getting off the grid. I'd probably just take a generator back and forth, in that situation.

Rgds, D.

Certainly, but, fake numbers here, if Bob in Kansas uses 300kwh/month @ $44.00, or $0.147/kwh by simple calc) and Joe in Canada uses 2500kwh/month @$333.00, or $0.133/kwh. Each have an $8 flat monthly charge for being a customer. This makes it look like electricity is more expensive in Kansas. But the rates I used to calculate this is the flat $8 for each, and $0.12/kwh in Kansas and $0.13 in Canada. If Bob also used 2500kwh, his simple rate would be $308, or $.123/kwh - about 15% cheaper than Bob's cost when using only 300kwh. When comparing similar amounts of usage, electricity is less expensive in Kansas.

Since this thread is about comparing rates between different areas, this seems relevant. The total$/totalkwh is easy, but misleading in a lot of cases.

Keith

 

[dragoneggs]

Ours doesn't go down directly based on consumption, but there is a flat fee just to be connected. So if you only use 1kwh in a billing period, your average cost is $7.10 per kwh. if you use 2kwh, the average cost drops to $3.60 per kwh. If you're using large amounts of electricity, this difference is negligible. For someone that uses very little electricity, this could actually make them be "paying" 20% more per kwh than their neighbor, just because their neighbor uses more and that flat fee is averaged out across more kwh. Taking the total bill / kwh is a *lot* easier than trying to sort out all the various costs, riders, taxes, fees, etc, etc, but can be misleading due to fixed costs. I.e., all these numbers people are throwing out aren't really good for comparing unless you're comparing similar usage. Interesting ballparking, but if someone uses little electricity, it's really going to skew things. Keith

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[dragoneggs]

Here is my cost/kwh for the last 20 years paul

A man after my own heart. Good stuff... very telling. I could pull my stack of old bills and do likewise but but I think I will kill something on the honeydo list instead.

 

[3930dave]

Certainly, but, fake numbers here, if Bob in Kansas uses 300kwh/month @ $44.00, or $0.147/kwh by simple calc) and Joe in Canada uses 2500kwh/month @$333.00, or $0.133/kwh. Each have an $8 flat monthly charge for being a customer. This makes it look like electricity is more expensive in Kansas. But the rates I used to calculate this is the flat $8 for each, and $0.12/kwh in Kansas and $0.13 in Canada. If Bob also used 2500kwh, his simple rate would be $308, or $.123/kwh - about 15% cheaper than Bob's cost when using only 300kwh. When comparing similar amounts of usage, electricity is less expensive in Kansas.

Since this thread is about comparing rates between different areas, this seems relevant. The total$/totalkwh is easy, but misleading in a lot of cases.

Keith

I arrived at the same point, but from a different direction. Many jurisdictions have gone out of their way to muddy the cost picture. That's the only reason people resort to doing a bulk calculation.

People really only have 3 options:

1) Pay the bottom line on your bill, or get disconnected.

2) Generate your own power.

3) Move to a low cost jurisdiction.

I've been surprised at the number of really low cost areas listed in this thread. Good to know they still exist.

Rgds, D.

 

[Country Geek]

It's an interesting calculation and which method to use isn't really clear. For example looking at my situation. I just replaced propane heat with a geothermal heat pump. If I want to calculate my savings, I will use the stated kwh rate not the all-in kwh rate that includes fixed charges simply because I was already paying the fixed part of my bill before I had a geothermal system and will still pay it after... the geothermal system has no effect on that part of my electric bill. I'm aiming for how much it went up due to the new system, compared to how much my gas cost goes down. So the kwh rate not including fixed charges it is.