T8 Lights loosing their brightness?

[Industrial Toys]

AND a computer to run the heater. lol

 

[ultrarunner]

Yep. That is why utilities are or may increase meter charge. Even if you are generating enough of your power, someone has to pay for the line to your house, and for the guy to come when you call. It would be ok if they put you on the bottom of the list when a storms goes through, but they can't.

Personally I think if you can connect to the grid for reliable power, renewables are probably a waste of money. I laugh when people tell me they were told it will last for 30 years and such and such company will warranty them if it does not.

Everything breaks down, everything has to be maintained. Everything has to be replaced.
I am in favor of increase meter charge if you don't purchase enough power. I also think it should considered for electric car registration or cars that use less gas. They are still using the road. If they are not paying gas tax, they need to pay something.

And there in lies the conundrum...

For Decades big utility users... power, water, etc. would see lower costs per unit for greater use...

I.E. the incremental costs to supply additional power or water is very little once the infrastructure is in place... but, the tariffs instead of decreasing or even staying the same increase dramatically based on a tiered rate structure which can double or more the cost... so large users or tier 2 and higher users find it economical to employ alternatives...

Large Industrial Users found using more greatly increased their costs... and home owners are finding this too...

The rate structure punishes those that are the most profitable... and the utilities have said as much... especially with water.

I have learned this with the water meter charge... called the water company and asked how I can save on my $314 water bill that comes out every 60 days... the person candidly said I could not... as I only use 25 gallons per day only $8 of the $314 water bill is for the water actually used... and a big portion of the bill is fixed charge for a 1.5" meter... $80 a month vs $22 for a 3/4 meter...

The new place has solar and as a new solar customer there is a minimum monthly meter fee that the early adopters of solar do not pay...

Having Net Metering means my production can save me as much as 25 cents per kW on generated and used power... and excess is sold back to the Utility at 2 cents per kW...

 

[MossRoad]

Do you know for certain that they are hauling coal? Maybe it's silica sand (fracking) that is big business around here...or grain.

I live in Indiana. We know what corn looks like. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

....
I thought, there would be a huge problem with vehicle and traffic LEDs not generating heat to melt snow and ice. But have heard nothing of the sort.

I've seen it happen just a couple times here since they converted to LED street lights. When we get that wet, sticky snow and it blows horizontally, it plugs up the stop lights in one direction. The walk/don't walk lights are the worst, as they have a screen mesh over them that catches the snow.

 

[teejk]

I live in Indiana. We know what corn looks like. :laughing:

So they are moving open top cars? Grain and sand are in closed tops.

 

[teejk]

And there in lies the conundrum...

For Decades big utility users... power, water, etc. would see lower costs per unit for greater use...

I.E. the incremental costs to supply additional power or water is very little once the infrastructure is in place... but, the tariffs instead of decreasing or even staying the same increase dramatically based on a tiered rate structure which can double or more the cost... so large users or tier 2 and higher users find it economical to employ alternatives...

Large Industrial Users found using more greatly increased their costs... and home owners are finding this too...

The rate structure punishes those that are the most profitable... and the utilities have said as much... especially with water.

I have learned this with the water meter charge... called the water company and asked how I can save on my $314 water bill that comes out every 60 days... the person candidly said I could not... as I only use 25 gallons per day only $8 of the $314 water bill is for the water actually used... and a big portion of the bill is fixed charge for a 1.5" meter... $80 a month vs $22 for a 3/4 meter...

The new place has solar and as a new solar customer there is a minimum monthly meter fee that the early adopters of solar do not pay...

Having Net Metering means my production can save me as much as 25 cents per kW on generated and used power... and excess is sold back to the Utility at 2 cents per kW...

I think the issue with your water meter might be tied to the sewer which can be a costly enterprise especially since they have to continually upgrade to meet EPA/state requirements. They figure the only way to measure "output" is to measure "input".

 

[MossRoad]

So they are moving open top cars? Grain and sand are in closed tops.

They don't move coal in closed cars. It's a coal car. Heaped with coal. COAL! :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

I think the issue with your water meter might be tied to the sewer which can be a costly enterprise especially since they have to continually upgrade to meet EPA/state requirements. They figure the only way to measure "output" is to measure "input".

When we lived in the city, on city water, they calculated sewage use for the entire year based on your water usage in the months of Jan, Feb, and Mar. You weren't likely to be running your sprinklers or washing your cars in those months. That way, any usage the rest of the year that was over the first quarter usage amount wasn't likely to be going down the sewer, but onto your grass. I found it to be quite fair.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Aren't those cars really called Gondolas?

 

[ultrarunner]

I think the issue with your water meter might be tied to the sewer which can be a costly enterprise especially since they have to continually upgrade to meet EPA/state requirements. They figure the only way to measure "output" is to measure "input".

City Sewer Mains account for $40 each month... treatment is another add on based on flow with a fixed minimum... 25 gallons per day is mostly shower, toilets and cooking...

Another charge is the elevation fee which can double the water bill... this is relatively new

I'm down in a draw so to speak... so city water pressure is 180 psi consistently... city said it needs to be this high to service those at higher elevations...

Lots of factors but the 1.5" meter monthly placement fee is what stands out...

Curious... when I asked how I could lower my bill the water company said I could turn off service if I would be away for an extended time...

There is an old well right on the property line at the back corner... low output... about 400 gallons in 24 hours...??? sound like I could save a couple of thousand annually?