|
|
|
|
|
Users viewing this topic:
none
|
|
Login  | |
|
Money experts -- is this a good idea, or not? - 7/6/2009 6:28:00 PM
|
|
|
Mollymouser
Posts: 3929
Joined: 4/18/2005
From: california, land of the happy cows
Status: online
|
I received a brochure in the mail today from our local power company (Pacific Gas and Electric), introducing their Summer Pricing Plan. (SPP). I am trying to figure out if it would be a good idea, or not .... in other words, will it save us money on our summertime power bills?
Between May 1 and October 31 PGE will call no more than 15 SMART DAYS. Smart Days will never be on a weekend ... and an email notification will be sent out by 3pm the day before. SMART DAYS will be days of anticipated high power usage (really really hot days, in other words.) The key is to use the lowest amount of power possible between 2 and 7pm on those SMART DAYS.
Savings and Surcharges ...
Participants receive a savings of $0.02992/KwH on energy usage between June 1 and Sept 30, EXCEPT for 2-7pm on those 15 SMART DAYS.
Participants receive an extra discount of $0.01 KwH for energy usage billed at tiers 3, 4, 5 during all hours between June 1 and Sept 30.
Participants will be billed an EXTRA $.60/kwH surcharge, in addition to the regular rate, for 2-7pm power usage on those 15 SMART DAYS between May 1 and October 31.
* * *
Assuming we can manage not to (1) do laundry; (2) watch tv; (3) run the air conditioner or fans; or (4) cook between 2-7pm on those 15 Smart Days .... I think this is a good deal. But the problem is that these Smart Days will be on really hot days (105-115 degrees here) .... which is when any sane person would want to be using their air conditioning .... if not fans, etc. (I can certainly plan laundry and cooking and TV around this)
Risky? Worth a try? Not worth the savings they are offering? What do you think?
_____________________________
  MARRIED TO A MILITARY PILOT ~ PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS!
|
|
|
|
RE: Money experts -- is this a good idea, or not? - 7/6/2009 7:56:41 PM
|
|
|
blessedinnyc
Posts: 2903
Joined: 10/12/2007
From: NYC by way of Chicago
Status: offline
|
Assuming:
1.) You will be home all 107 non-smart days next year and will average the same usage per day as you did in August and September on those days.
2.) Tier 3,4, and 5, apply to all of your electricity usage and you save $0.0392/kwh on all non-smart days (big assumption- check your bill)
I calculate that your savings on non-smart days will be $1.31, or $140.17 for Summer 2010.
Meanwhile, you will have 15 smart days to work around. $140.17 gives you 233 kwh during peak hours to make this worthwhile, or about 16 kwh/smart day.
So assuming you typically use less than half an average day's electricity between 2 and 7 on really hot days, it may be an opportunity to save.
Can you get more detailed breakdowns on your electrical usage? If so, let's take a look at your usage on a few smart days from this year.
< Message edited by blessedinnyc -- 7/6/2009 8:03:02 PM >
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Money experts -- is this a good idea, or not? - 7/6/2009 8:09:48 PM
|
|
|
blessedinnyc
Posts: 2903
Joined: 10/12/2007
From: NYC by way of Chicago
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: Harvie
While it seems like a fair amount of hassle to save about $150, I think I want to try it -- just to help out by intentionally conserving energy during peak times.
You can do that probably without joining the program.
From a financial standpoint, you're getting a raw deal at this point. PG&E has every incentive to use its 15 smart days if you think about it- you're giving them the right to hike your electric bill to 60 cents/kwh 13 more times this year. Meanwhile, you're getting less benefit than people who started in June.
In other words, you can help the grid on smart days whether or not you are getting special pricing. I am just saying that if you want to make money while doing so, participating in the smart day program may not be the best route at this point. You can join next year.
If they had called 4 or 5 smart days, it would be worth it from a financial standpoint. But they probably won't let you participate retroactively.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Money experts -- is this a good idea, or not? - 7/6/2009 8:52:25 PM
|
|
|
APZR
Posts: 1053
Joined: 4/18/2005
From: GA
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: blessedinnyc
if you think about it- you're giving them the right to hike your electric bill to 60 cents/kwh 13 more times this year. Meanwhile, you're getting less benefit than people who started in June.
That's what I was thinking... you would be in effect paying them for the "privilege" of saving money so the power co can call themselves a "green company". You can accomplish the same thing with life style changes without signing up for rate hikes. If you did what you proposed without the plan, your bill would be lower and your power rate would be billed at the lower tier because you are using less.
_____________________________
Ya can't keep trouble from visitin, but you don't have to offer it a chair.
|
|
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
 Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Tools
Printable Version
