what on earth does electricity cost near you?

[Tor Arne]

Big fire box ! Makes sense for your latitude though....

Do you have any pics of that straw bale boiler, or are you building it custom ?

If you are making it, post ads for it on here. Guys would buy it, just so they could load a boiler with their tractor !

The escalating total cost of electricity should be causing more people to look at alternate power sources. IMO, the utilities are far from done with prices hikes, and fairy-tale fees.

Rgds, D.

Pages 20 to 22 of this pdf is a pre-built, I will most probably build my own as it will be mouted in the workshop basement. Unfortunately, the document is written in Norwegian but you will get an idea based on pictures

http://www.google.no/url?sa=t&rct=j...24erhKGyKCrx7UIgQ&sig2=rZNuB0b7DkL6KAoh08mxmA

 

[NoTrespassing]

It is flat fee. Natural gas is not an option. Please tell me more about microchp i never heard about that.
In Norway you have to apply oil and energy department to build windmills small power plants and other solutions that is large enough to power a whole house and the state will automatically acquire the rights to the powerplant after a certain number of years. :thumbdown:

Sometimes I wonder if I really live in a communist state:confused3:

Probably not communist, but I wouldn't hesitate to say socialist. We're on our way there too by the looks of the fees on my bills these days.

 

[3930dave]

Pages 20 to 22 of this pdf is a pre-built, I will most probably build my own as it will be mouted in the workshop basement. Unfortunately, the document is written in Norwegian but you will get an idea based on pictures

http://www.google.no/url?sa=t&rct=j...24erhKGyKCrx7UIgQ&sig2=rZNuB0b7DkL6KAoh08mxmA

Now, that is a Tim-the-Tool-Man sized outdoor boiler !

I'm not undertanding the firebox picture - what is that 1/4 moon orange carrier in the bottom ? Do you use that for scooping out ashes ?

Rgds, D.

 

[TnAndy]

I know quite a few people that burn wood stoves for their main source of heat. Mostly because they have property and a wood source, and time to cut it, and don't have the money to pay a huge electric bill in the winter.

Burned wood for 40 years and wouldn't have any other kind of heat. Find it really funny when we have a power outage and folks have to go to a shelter because they bet their property and life on somebody else providing them with a source of heat.


Got Heat ??

Here is my winter's worth:

 

[Tor Arne]

Now, that is a Tim-the-Tool-Man sized outdoor boiler !

I'm not undertanding the firebox picture - what is that 1/4 moon orange carrier in the bottom ? Do you use that for scooping out ashes ?

Rgds, D.

Yes it is a scoop to remove ash. You can get up to 3 round bales in the fire pot

 

[dave1949]

The six New England states' governors reached an agreement to pursue a regional energy strategy. One facet of their long-range plan is to have electric rate payers subsidize natural gas pipeline expansion. The logic being that more NG used to fuel electric generation results in lower electric rate increases.

We just had a 10.4% increase in electric rates and they were very clear that more are on the way. I see more solar panels in my crystal ball. :laughing:

TnAndy I'm with you. Anyone who has to rely on one heat source supplied by someone else is asking for trouble. Here in Maine we live in a big forest. It doesn't take a lot of thinking to know every house ought to have a wood burner and wood to burn, even if it is only for backup.

 

[Looking4new]

I heat exclusively with wood. A Regency 2400 in the basement and a 2600 on the main floor. They do a good job. I have a Hunter forced Air Oil furnace (Mid efficiency) in the basement for backup. Thwe furnace comes on in the morning from around 5 AM until I get up at 7 and then the wood takes over again. I can't tell you how much oil I burn as the tractor got some too this year.

 

[3930dave]

Yes it is a scoop to remove ash. You can get up to 3 round bales in the fire pot

Binford Approved :checkmark:

Rgds, D.

 

[weedpharma]

Perth Western Australia has a flat rate of 26c per unit plus supply charge of 43c per day. This then has 10% tax added. There is also time of use tariff with 47.7c peak, 21.5c shoulder and 14.5c off peak (plus supply and tax). We are on time of day tariff.

Fortunately for me, we have solar power (2Kw) and actually get a refund each account.

My combined solar and grid usage averaged over the year is 10.5 units per day. There are two adults in the house. We use gas heating in winter (set to 20 deg when turned on) and evaporative cooling in summer. We have solar hot water.

Weedpharma

 

[JD 4520]

Our rates in western Washington state is about $0.07 per kwh. I can't complain but largely use gas for heat and some wood. Maybe using more wood in the future. Monthly delivery charge is about $10.