Electricity Price Increases

[hoozie]

With my electricity cost zeroed I need to focus on the thousand dollars each year spent on natural gas…

Maybe a dual fuel water heater when it comes time to replace?

If you have a central furnace, there are dual-fuel furnaces that use a heat pump with natural gas as a backup for exceptionally cold days.

Something like this: dual fuel

I'm planning to do something like that for our rental. Current place doesn't have central heat, but it does have a single head HP in the living room, and a three-head unit for the bedrooms. And a (certified) wood stove.

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Wood stoves are great, but the smoke is a real problem. Our area has regs saying you can only burn on good days, when there isn't an inversion holding the smoke at ground level. Need to check every morning before stoking the fire to see if I can burn that day.

If every single wood burner would upgrade to a modern certified stove, and use them correctly, it wouldn't be near as much of a problem.

 

[Jstpssng]

Moving firewood across state lines in New England is prohibited for the most part due to insects hiding and "contaminating" another area. Emerald Ash Borer is at least 1 species that is obliterating trees around here.

Maine has a 50 mile law. I say that as I am about to drop a couple of oak from the fsmily homestead and haul it 200 miles for my sawmill. I did check to make sure there are no applicable quarantines.

 

[WinterDeere]

Re: transporting wood. Also a “by county” restriction here, ever since 1000 cankers disease starting hitting the walnut trees about 12-15 years ago. But some of our counties are nearly the size of New England states, and have way more trees!

 

[WinterDeere]

But some of our counties are nearly the size of New England states, and have way more trees!

I was half joking when I wrote this, but it turns out it's true! Our top 7 counties are all larger than Rhode Island.

Rhode Island: 1045 sq.mi.

Lycoming County PA: 1244 sq.mi.
Bradford County PA: 1147 sq.mi.
Clearfield County PA: 1145 sq.mi.
Tioga County PA: 1134 sq.mi.
Centre County PA: 1110 sq.mi.
Potter Count PA: 1081 sq.mi.
Somerset County PA: 1074 sq.mi.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was half joking when I wrote this, but it turns out it's true! Our top 7 counties are all larger than Rhode Island.

Rhode Island: 1045 sq.mi.

Lycoming County PA: 1244 sq.mi.
Bradford County PA: 1147 sq.mi.
Clearfield County PA: 1145 sq.mi.
Tioga County PA: 1134 sq.mi.
Centre County PA: 1110 sq.mi.
Potter Count PA: 1081 sq.mi.
Somerset County PA: 1074 sq.mi.

You do realize how small Rhode Island is? There are SuperWalmarts that are bigger than Rhode Island.

Well, that may be a slight exaggeration but...

 

[WinterDeere]

You do realize how small Rhode Island is?

Yes, been there many times! Spent even more time in Connecticut, which ain't exactly large, either!

 

[orezok]

I was half joking when I wrote this, but it turns out it's true! Our top 7 counties are all larger than Rhode Island.

Rhode Island: 1045 sq.mi.

Lycoming County PA: 1244 sq.mi.
Bradford County PA: 1147 sq.mi.
Clearfield County PA: 1145 sq.mi.
Tioga County PA: 1134 sq.mi.
Centre County PA: 1110 sq.mi.
Potter Count PA: 1081 sq.mi.
Somerset County PA: 1074 sq.mi.

Gee, those are very little. My county San Bernardino (largest in the US) is 20,105 square miles. Bigger than 9 other states.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

This looks like it might make solar/battery a real option for base load.

 

[WinterDeere]

Gee, those are very little. My county San Bernardino (largest in the US) is 20,105 square miles. Bigger than 9 other states.

At that scale, is the movement of firewood restricted even below the county scale?

 

[orezok]

I’ve not heard of firewood restrictions for my area. Since there is minimal trees here, the risk of invasive species not significant. All my firewood comes from other areas.