Just got our electric bill...

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck) 01/15/2016 at 00:20 • Filed to: WHY YOU SO WORKING CLASS?

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We broke our record for most energy consumed in a month in our 5+ years of living in sin and then marriage — doubled it! I am never going to be able to afford even a Paseo at this rate. I suppose I could cut down on hot showers or turn down the heat...

Fuck that, it’s cold.

DrJohannVegas > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 00:24

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You sure you’re not using more electricity because...reasons?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > DrJohannVegas 01/15/2016 at 00:28

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Maybe because I got a new hot water tank and it’s a Scalding Hot Showerpocalypse 2016? I’m not too sure, I’ll admit I’ve been a little less frugal this winter with my heating/lighting/hot water usage...

Birddog > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 00:29

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Are you on electric for heating?

Cold showers are not acceptable. Ever.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 00:30

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PSE is a fickle bitch

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 00:31

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http://energy.gov/energysaver/pr…

?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Birddog 01/15/2016 at 00:31

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Yeah, it’s all electric. The stove, the heaters, and that cord over there that my cat wants to chew on for some reason.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 00:32

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Solar panels for the grow lights, you are welcome.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two 01/15/2016 at 00:33

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PUD is not any better, I assure you!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 01/15/2016 at 00:33

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Wait, that’s a fantastic idea

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 01/15/2016 at 00:35

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Hey what are you implying

BigBlock440 > Birddog 01/15/2016 at 00:39

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Not much better on a hot summer day than a cold shower. They’re more than acceptable, they’re actively sought some days.

Birddog > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 00:42

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Oof. I’ve only been all electric once. Never again.

Birddog > BigBlock440 01/15/2016 at 00:44

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Can’t do it.

I’m old enough to need a hot shower daily no matter the outside temp.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 02:26

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I just got my utilities notification today from Seattle City Light. $105. My previous bill was $40 for two months. But damn I hate being cold even after I’ve put on a down sweater.

kanadanmajava1 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 03:44

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Here in Finland most new houses have just electric heating as it is very cheap to build but not necessarily cheap.

I’m heating with oil and that’s quite cheap currently. I still keep my house quite cold as then I have more pennies to buy something fun. I have the long and hot showers at work and only the really quick ones at home.

Tohru > Birddog 01/15/2016 at 05:29

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I have electric in my bedroom. It sucks.

Incidentally, one of my dad’s friends just bought an ‘86 Honda 200SX .

garagemonkee > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 05:47

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If you’re using THAT much, might be worth it to do some sort of home energy usage test thing or whatever, doesn’t PUD cover that? Could have drafts that are easily fixable with some expanding foam somewhere.

Do you turn the shower on and just let it run before you get in? PSE went through my apartment and, no charge, replaced all my bulbs to LED and put this weird automatic shut-off thing on my shower head. What it does is, you turn the shower on and when it gets to temp, it’ll reduce flow to a trickle, so it keeps the hot water in the pipes, then when you jump in the shower, pull the string, you get instant hot water. (Not of much use to me cause I don’t turn the shower on and let it just run, but apparently others do if it necessitated such a device)

EDIT: I feel you, though. Previous bills of mine are usually $15-20 a month, but I’ve been running the heat and have been hitting $50 months. For a single dude on a boiler, so that’s almost entirely heat and the fridge.

BigBlock440 > Birddog 01/15/2016 at 07:48

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I find it refreshing, like jumping into a pool or river. And since I don’t have a pool or river, I enjoy the hell out of it because it’s the best I’ve got.

BigBlock440 > Birddog 01/15/2016 at 07:51

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I just bought a house that’s all electric, I like it so far because it’s the only bill I have to worry about, and you can set the heat for different temperatures in every room. I’m not living there yet and I only got one bill so far, when the outside temperature was in the 50s, so we’ll see if I still like it in a month.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 07:57

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Also

http://www.lowes.com/cd_Install+Low…

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 08:40

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If you think the water heater is a big killer, I have some advice for you.

The assumes you (A) have the space to spread out a bit and (B) your water heater is not already in a really cold part of the house like a garage or a crawl-space. If your water heater is in the basement or something this helps a lot.

Get an old water heater, dont’ connect any gas or electric to it, but put it on the ‘cold water’ side of your existing water heater. It’s called a ‘tempering tank’ and its job is as you are taking a shower, you as you turn on the hot water, you are using the water in the tank, but it’s being replenished with very very cold water coming through the pipe in your front yard. Your water heater is working extra hard to get that 45 degree city water up to 115 for use in the shower.

The tempering tank will essentially ‘warm’ the cold water coming from the yard with the heat of your basement. Even if you can make 45 degree water 60 degrees before you heat it with the water heater, that’s 15 degrees less of heavy lifting your heater has to do. Since you never use 100% of the hot water in the water heater, if you use the tempering tank of similar size to your existing heater, you’ll never use 100% of that tank either.

if two of you shower one after the other, you may lose the effect and be back to 100% cold water entering the heater.

Wow, that explanation got a lot longer than I expected.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/15/2016 at 10:28

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In Alberta we heat with Natural Gas. Last month’s usage was $18 bucks. The distribution charges is where they get you here. Over $100 bucks for the gas to flow 25 feet from the street to my house.

Combined electric and natural gas usage in the coldest of winter is about $65/month for us but the bill ends up about $270 once all the fees and bullshit are added on.

In the summer it’s closer to $140 in total.