Cool, I like when utilities give you the data (they already have it). How many KHWhrs a day are you averaging? Is your heat electric? All in we are down to about 14 KWHrs a day. That is with a freezer and two refrigerators and a moderate geekload (2 servers full time, two laptops and a tablet in the evenings, Roku streaming through the stereo and RPHD on the roku channel on the big TV most evenings).
Our heat is natural gas. We were up to about $4-5 a day in the coldest part of winter, but we are down to about a dollar a day now. That is just for hot water - I think the tankless hot water may encourage longer showers (but boy am I clean!). I should be under $1500 for utilities for the year.
we've got a similar program (smart meter included)
i was going over my data and inspecting my setup and i noticed my indoor air handler/evap unit was installed upside down
upon further inspection i noticed signs of poor drainage, water leakage and mold
i politely raised some hell and the company sent some people out to "flip" my unit and clean the coils
i caught it early and clean up was relatively easy
i installed the uv lights inside the unit next to the coils and haven't had any signs of mold
also going from CFLs to LEDs as they expire (seems like LEDs are dropping in price too)
a few years back i had a state of the art tankless HWH installed (made in germany)
as far as i can tell my max bill (in summer) is about five to six dollars a day (1500 sq ft or so)
in the winter it has been as low as three dollars a day
Cool, I like when utilities give you the data (they already have it). How many KHWhrs a day are you averaging? Is your heat electric? All in we are down to about 14 KWHrs a day. That is with a freezer and two refrigerators and a moderate geekload (2 servers full time, two laptops and a tablet in the evenings, Roku streaming through the stereo and RPHD on the roku channel on the big TV most evenings).
Our heat is natural gas. We were up to about $4-5 a day in the coldest part of winter, but we are down to about a dollar a day now. That is just for hot water - I think the tankless hot water may encourage longer showers (but boy am I clean!). I should be under $1500 for utilities for the year.
Still figuring out the site but it looks like our daily average cost is on the $2.50-$3.00 per day range. Our heat is gas.
Sadly, the house came with a big tank electric water heater. I'd love to replace that with a tankless gas but that would probably cost somewhere north of $1,500 with installation. Someday.
Just enrolled in a program with our electricity provider that allows you to look at your usage in great detail - hour to hour - and offers suggestions on how to conserve. I was quite surprised and delighted to see that we use - on average - just a little over half what others in our neighborhood use. Even with our drafty old single-pane windows and un-insulated walls and electrically-heated hot tub we're doing pretty well. I guess the attic insulation - still incomplete - LED light bulbs and programmable thermostat (and my obsession for turning off lights) are all paying off.
Cool, I like when utilities give you the data (they already have it). How many KHWhrs a day are you averaging? Is your heat electric? All in we are down to about 14 KWHrs a day. That is with a freezer and two refrigerators and a moderate geekload (2 servers full time, two laptops and a tablet in the evenings, Roku streaming through the stereo and RPHD on the roku channel on the big TV most evenings).
Our heat is natural gas. We were up to about $4-5 a day in the coldest part of winter, but we are down to about a dollar a day now. That is just for hot water - I think the tankless hot water may encourage longer showers (but boy am I clean!). I should be under $1500 for utilities for the year.
Just enrolled in a program with our electricity provider that allows you to look at your usage in great detail - hour to hour - and offers suggestions on how to conserve. I was quite surprised and delighted to see that we use - on average - just a little over half what others in our neighborhood use. Even with our drafty old single-pane windows and un-insulated walls and electrically-heated hot tub we're doing pretty well. I guess the attic insulation - still incomplete - LED light bulbs and programmable thermostat (and my obsession for turning off lights) are all paying off.
DETROIT, MI- A General Motors Co. plant is collaborating with a Detroit nonprofit organization for a new, unique housing project.
The GM Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant and Michigan Urban Farming Initiative today unveiled the city’s first “shipping container homestead,” a shipping container that is going to be turned into an eco-friendly two bedroom living space.
“This is one of our real flagship projects,” said Darin McLeskey, co-founder of the nonprofit farming group.
The home, according to officials, will be constructed of 85 percent scrap materials donated by GM and built in part by employee volunteers. The 40 feet by 10 feet container, which will include a bathroom, kitchen and porch, will be built to code and “officially sanctioned” by the City of Detroit.
They've been doing that in the islands for years. Here's a jail in Honduras:
DETROIT, MI- A General Motors Co. plant is collaborating with a Detroit nonprofit organization for a new, unique housing project.
The GM Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant and Michigan Urban Farming Initiative today unveiled the city’s first “shipping container homestead,” a shipping container that is going to be turned into an eco-friendly two bedroom living space.
“This is one of our real flagship projects,” said Darin McLeskey, co-founder of the nonprofit farming group.
The home, according to officials, will be constructed of 85 percent scrap materials donated by GM and built in part by employee volunteers. The 40 feet by 10 feet container, which will include a bathroom, kitchen and porch, will be built to code and “officially sanctioned” by the City of Detroit.
I don't think the government cares about your lifestyle; they just want their pound of flesh. People who use resources without paying are the ones who attract this kind of attention.
If she lived in a rural area where she could have her own septic system and have her own well, she'd be OK, I'm sure.
A sanitary solution in low density living doesn't necessarily translate to one in high density living. She was using the sewer system so it is reasonable that she should pay for it. I don't think that capping her sewer is a sanitary solution, though.
I don't think the government cares about your lifestyle; they just want their pound of flesh. People who use resources without paying are the ones who attract this kind of attention.
If she lived in a rural area where she could have her own septic system and have her own well, she'd be OK, I'm sure.
Ayup. Makes perfect sense: the city owns the sewer system and charges for the use of it. duh.
As you might imagine, I have already seen this story and monitor these situations closely. I am full aware that the government does not want us to be off grid, not only for the loss of revenue for the utility companies, but also because this goes against our dependency on them which translates to power over us. This is why I will maintain my utility bills to keep them off my back. The whole purpose of my setup is for when the grid fails I will be able to switch over with little effect on our lives. Of course the main challenge then is dealing with the unprepared.
I don't think the government cares about your lifestyle; they just want their pound of flesh. People who use resources without paying are the ones who attract this kind of attention.
If she lived in a rural area where she could have her own septic system and have her own well, she'd be OK, I'm sure.
As you might imagine, I have already seen this story and monitor these situations closely. I am full aware that the government does not want us to be off grid, not only for the loss of revenue for the utility companies, but also because this goes against our dependency on them which translates to power over us. This is why I will maintain my utility bills to keep them off my back. The whole purpose of my setup is for when the grid fails I will be able to switch over with little effect on our lives. Of course the main challenge then is dealing with the unprepared.
We are going to have a completely grid free dinner this weekend. We are going to butcher a couple more chickens and cook them over the fire pit rotisserie style!
That is what we have going but on a much smaller scale because we had to sustain it in a greenhouse because it gets too cold in the winter to have it outside like this guy does. We have been up and operating for over a year now growing coconuts, cocoa trees, coffee and other tropical plants as well as other vegetables. Our tilapia are doing great, some over over a foot long now! Next project is to make the entire system completely self sustainable with solar energy, we already have a rain catching system to water the non- aquaponic bed plants and replenish the fish pond when the water level gets too low.
We are going to have a completely grid free dinner this weekend. We are going to butcher a couple more chickens and cook them over the fire pit rotisserie style!