As you can tell from past blogs, every morning now I sit on the patio and have a nice cup of hot coffee while trying to cool off. I keep the thermostat at around 85 degrees, which is pretty warm, so I love soaking up all the cool I can get from outside. Yes with solar that will hopefully change, but until I know the numbers, I'm hesitant to crank it up. That's the accountant in me I guess. I would hate to see an $800 bill as seems the case with my neighbors.
The one with the dog ... you've heard me complain ... told me she just signed a contract with PG&E to pay $400 a month for her much smaller house, with a year end true up. YIKES!!! That's almost $5,000 a year.
I did a lot of running around the garage to check the meter and fussing over the solar numbers. Suddenly I got an email from the contractor saying PG&E had sent a contract I had to sign. Hmmm no one said anything about a contract. Come to find out, it's an authorization for Net Energy Metering. That allows them to put in a new meter so they can track and "steal" the extra my system makes. My little brain said "I'm plugging in absolutely everything I have and turning it on high so I use up every little kWh".
To get me thinking about something else, I hit the sewing room with a vengeance. Sixteen squares (107 pieces each) are now done. But wait ..... there's eight more square like the one on the left. Then there's sometime like 16 half squares and the 3" wide "ribbons" going between every square. The PG&E stuff was less intense than this!!
Here's a closeup of the latest. Those little red squares are 3/4" wide. Please Lord, give me patience. If I ever say I want to do something like this again, just whack me upside the head!!! Yes ... each of these squares also has 117 pieces.
By the time I finished ONE square, I was on a mission to find out exactly how many kWh I'm using and producing. By the way, there were at least six places in that "agreement" that stated I was NOT allowed to have it turned ON until they set their meter!!! I'm pleading ignorance!! "I have no idea what you are talking about". Can you tell my hair magically turned blond?? Better yet, I'll dig out an old dress and a cane!!
I figured out my average usage in the summer is 36-50 kWh a day without the AC units running much at all. My system is putting out 42-45 every day. It appears I will be able to crank up the cool during the summer, paying for it with the energy I gain in the spring and fall. That is if I'm not in jail for running the system before the energy police show up.
I did have one big WIN this week. I think I mentioned Costco. Since my glasses broke and believe it or not EIGHT optometry offices closed during covid, I couldn't get an appointment anywhere to get new glasses. My prescription is two years old and they refuse to fill it. Just a way to force you to get new glasses ($$$$$) more often I suppose.
I called Costco as a last resort. The sweetest girl answered the phone and said their appointments were four months out. BUT ... I can call in every day to see about cancellations, which I did. After two weeks, she actually called me back with a day and time.
The eye exam (no dilation) was $70 ... cheap at twice the price around here. I'm terrible at picking glasses, so the nice girl in that department spent a few minutes with me before I sat down for all the measurements. That's funny ... that last place I went to didn't measure anything, which is why I can't wear THOSE glasses at all!!
The final outcome? I got not one, but TWO pair of new glasses AND the exam, for $100 less than I've paid for just one pair of glasses at my old eye doctor. If you need glasses cheap and you're not near the border ... go to Costco!! Hopefully I will pick them up on Monday!!
I spent a couple hours on the couch with the snuggle bunny. It was a hard day playing ball. Honestly, it's what keeps me in some kind of good shape, getting down on the floor and back up. My own little strength trainer!!
I'm heading out for my morning 2 mile walk while it's still cool. That helps relieve the tension caused by the thought of being in Jail for the next six months for stealing electricity!!
The beauty of your Costco glasses prescription they keep on file so no matter where you go you’ll have it I neglected to say that sometimes they have a coupon Free exam with glasses or buy one get one free . Anything goes wrong in that two years they make it right free
ReplyDeleteLooks like you’re trying to play bean counter…. Even so you’ve only had the system a few days you have to also remember that your summer solace is longer during the summertime so your solar output will be greater with winter solace less …
On your solar app that you have for your unit should tell you your daily output subtract about 10% of that and multiply that times 365 should give you an average of your yearly usage
Armed with that number you can take the usage from your PG&E And subtract the difference
So the average electricity customer in Florida is using 1,507 kWh of electricity per month, and 18,084 kWh over the course of the year. So if you factor in the solar numbers who’s going to pay who And how much. And being armed with those numbers you can sit down with your contractor to fine-tune your System or your habit
That could be as simple as putting your lights on a timer or a motion Sensor or your thermostat on a day / night computer schedule..
Or staying in Arizona for one or two extra weeks ?
think of the one that you have on your RV now that it’s up it’s out of sight and out of mind doing its job with you there or not
Good to know about Costco!! That's right ... anywhere I go I can get them replaced. As for the solar, my average use is about 600 a month, but that's with little AC. Per your figures, my average use is 7200, my output 13,000. When I turn on the air, it will be a different story!! But that gives me a good idea of where I'm at. Thank you!
DeleteJust like when we were at the Park. They thought something was wrong with the meter. The Solar charges the Batteries that run the Lights and CPAPs daily. By not running the Converter that was a heck of a Savings.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy the savings.
It's about time.
I probably should have been doing this for a long time.
DeleteI think that is in PG&E's contract for people who don't ever contact them...of course, PG&E will catch them eventually because of the drop of use.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking...California wants EVERYONE to have solar. "IF" everyone has solar, and they bank during spring and fall, that is going to cause a huge surplus that PG&E will have to sell off to other electric companies...but if this happens all over the nation, who is going to consume the 'bank' of energy when it is available? The bank can't hold it for high use like a real bank holds money...the electricity has to be consumed or lost. Just a thought about all this Green Energy...
I admit my thoughts have gone along those lines too. But I think it will be used up by San Francisco and L.A. They continue to build more houses than they can produce energy for. Why would you do that? To produce brown outs and MAKE people put in solar??? That way the people are paying for the production, not PG&E.
DeleteGosh. I live in TX and used only an average of 34 kWH per day in June, and the high was an average of 98 degrees a day, with AC going and the thermostat set at 77 during the day. My house might be a lot smaller than yours though, it's 1800 sq ft. You might have a lot more gadgets than I do too.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's Judith again. I forgot to make sure I didn't comment as Anonymous,
DeleteI have a few gadgets, but rarely use them. I never use the ovens, nor do I turn lights on unless absolutely necessary. What I do have is a motor at the well trying to keep the front lawn halfway green. I'm pretty sure that's the culprit. That and the AC when it's hot. I have a larger house, but most of the rooms are closed off.
DeleteAha. A water pump. Hm.
DeleteGreat find at Costco! Now you have me wondering what we use a month. I know we have a $36 base charge and our charge when we are not there at all is about $90.
ReplyDeleteHow much energy we use is an interesting subject when you are trying to keep cool. When I'm gone and my house is locked up with no heat or AC, my bill still runs $150 a month. Most of that is Calif taxes and paying for the entire town that burned down due to PG&E's negligence. And that darned front yard grass!
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