moxie
Full Member
Posts: 205
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Post by moxie on Jul 2, 2012 21:46:08 GMT -4
I keep getting ads from Delmarva Power about their Delmarva Power Energy Wise Rewards. Reference: energywiserewards.delmarva.com/I was wondering: 1. Have you or anyone you know participated in this? Have they recommended it? 2. What's the catch? 3. Do you actually save any money on bills? It says that it just recycles the air, so your fan stays on.... so I guess you're still using power? I'm confused. Anyways, any insight is greatly appreciated... and not that I'd like to hear all negative reviews, but after reading the brochures it doesn't touch on any negatives... so surely there has to be something?
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Post by falgar25 on Jul 2, 2012 22:27:15 GMT -4
We haven't been on Delmarva's program but we signed up for BGE's some time ago. The catch is what some people found during a particularly warm period last year: it is possible (however unlikely) that the power cycling will cause your house to get far warmer than you expected and for a longer period of time. Here is an article about complaints with the BGE program: baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/07/25/md-to-review-bge-energy-saving-program-complaints/You will very likely not see any electrical savings on your bills. The outside temperature will be putting the same amount of heat into your house. The AC unit will need to remove that heat. If they cycle your unit off for an hour that just means it needs to run a little longer next time to compensate for the time it was unable to run. In fact, you might use a little more power since the inside fan will continue to run even though the outside unit does not. If they offer a rebate for being a part of the program, you will "save" that much money. Delmarva claims your room temperature will only rise 7 degrees due to the program - I don't quite believe this. My room temperature rises about 7 degrees before my AC kicks on. If I was on their program then my AC might not come on when it is asked to. My room temperature will continue to rise above the 7 degrees until they send the signal to allow the outside unit to run. The way it works: Your AC has two parts, the high power outside unit and the lower power indoor fan. When your AC comes on, the outside unit draws heat out of the house and cools it while the indoor fan moves the cooler air through the house (yes, I know it's more complicated than this but this explanation works well enough). Under this program, they put a switch on your outdoor unit so they can turn it off with a radio signal. Your indoor fan continues to run and moves air but the outside unit is off so it does not cool anything. The house does not get cooler but the circulating air may help it feel cooler. When they turn your outside unit back on, it begins to cool the house again. The indoor fan has been running all the time and will continue to run now but the house will begin to cool. I had no problems with the program when I was on the other side of the bridge with BGE. I could have been lucky and the summers were cooler. It could be that they just didn't exercise the option to turn my unit off. Or, it could be that they cycled my unit during the day while I was at work and by the time I returned home it was cool. In any case, I had no problems. On the other hand, there were many complaints about the BGE program last year (see the link I posted above). I hope this helps.
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Post by Scooby on Jul 3, 2012 6:59:17 GMT -4
I receive at least one mailing per week from Delmarva Power on this program - here's the catch for me - I have a Victorian home with no central A/C - we use window units - maybe they could stop mailing so much crap out and NOT raise our rates again - as they plan to do AGAIN within the next year.
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Post by falgar25 on Jul 3, 2012 7:13:54 GMT -4
I receive at least one mailing per week from Delmarva Power on this program - here's the catch for me - I have a Victorian home with no central A/C - we use window units - maybe they could stop mailing so much crap out and NOT raise our rates again - as they plan to do AGAIN within the next year. Have some fun with it - sign up and see what they say when they come out and can't find your heat pump
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Post by freefallin on Jul 3, 2012 7:28:17 GMT -4
I don't like it and never did. It has to do with those "smart meters" I think that as falgar says above, throttles down your heat pumps/A/C units when it's the hottest out. No thanks. I already pay a pretty penny for electric and don't need them monitoring what appliances are turned down when I need them the most. I will conserve energy my own way without having them do it for me.
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Post by bluecrabber on Jul 3, 2012 8:17:40 GMT -4
Never felt comfortable with permitting one more electronic box to mess with the electronics in my HVAC system.. they take enough abuse from normal power outages and brown outs that wreak havoc with electronics and particularly compressors that are under a load when the power starts cycling on/off/on/off... dim lights.. etc.. Be hard to prove the cycling from the BGE box was related to an HVAC failure but not to much of a leap of faith for me..
Second, since most modern HVAC systems are pretty smart anyhow, and insulation in newer homes is pretty good, we are getting cycling. As long you you are not silly with thermostat setting (about 78 is plenty good enough) I don't think you will see much savings with the BGE program.
I suppose I could be all wet, but this is just what I think..
Best regards, BC
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2012 8:44:16 GMT -4
Science and technology is bad! All you need for A/C is this.
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Post by Frank on Jul 3, 2012 10:32:11 GMT -4
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2012 11:08:11 GMT -4
$39.95...that's crazy! Cheap plastic crap, it's probably made in china too, no way! Yep, I got my own a/c unit and beer cooler you can make yourself for a whole lot cheaper. Made it out of stuff I had in the shed.
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Post by bluecrabber on Jul 3, 2012 11:34:26 GMT -4
Reminds me of a nerdy fella I knew once.. he decided to home brew an ac for his car.. He had a 1963 Chevy Impala convertible. He built a box that he hung on the right rear window. He filled the box with ice and put flexible ductwork around the back seat onto the back of his head. ??
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Post by overboost44 on Jul 3, 2012 12:27:18 GMT -4
This is my favorite method... and you don't need to plug into the wall. You would need to drag around a battery though. Attachments:
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2012 14:12:25 GMT -4
Reminds me of a nerdy fella I knew once.. he decided to home brew an ac for his car.. He had a 1963 Chevy Impala convertible. He built a box that he hung on the right rear window. He filled the box with ice and put flexible ductwork around the back seat onto the back of his head. ?? When the a/c failed on the wife's car, this is what I did......she better not wreck this unit while driving like she did to the quarter panel and rear light!
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Post by Frank on Jul 3, 2012 14:16:30 GMT -4
When the a/c failed on the wife's car, this is what I did......she better not wreck this unit while driving like she did to the quarter panel and rear light! Great idea Mike! That generator will probably run a cooktop too. No need to stop and eat on the road!
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Post by Family Heating on Jul 3, 2012 17:14:04 GMT -4
I can say as a HVAC contractor I would never put it in my own home. last year I had a few service calls cause of this program. Customers would call and say that the A/C was not cooling. I would arrive and find that Delmarva power had the heat pump shut off and it was well over a 10 degree temp difference in the home. Then when your system does come back on it will run for ever to catch back up plus now your uncomfortable. Now are you saving anything. Everyone has an opinion on this but I would not let my power company control any appliance in my home.
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Post by Kryo on Jul 3, 2012 17:16:16 GMT -4
I was on 'the program' at my old house. Step 1 I believe. I cant really say that it saved any money off our bill, since your A/C has to work twice as hard and long when it turns back on to get back to your set temperature. But it was definitely inconvenient having our A/C turned off by Delmarva on some of the hottest days of the year.
As a side note, the installing technician (Delmarva sub-contractor) mis-wired the new thermostat which I had to get corrected by an HVAC company. The sub did reimburse me for the bill a year later though.
Dont think we'll be signing back up for that again.
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Post by shoreterp on Jul 5, 2012 7:44:25 GMT -4
We've benn on it for a couple years now and have never had a problem. Initially I went on the lowests level, like 25% or something. the main reason I did it then was to get the programable thermostats. I have two separated units and they installed both thermostats free of charge. I got a credit on the bill once or twice a year and my bills dropped slightly.
More recently I switched to the middle level of participation which I guess is 50%. No problems at all since the swich. It cycles off only rarely and never for more than an hour or two. Even through the recent 100+ temps it has not been an issue.
I see others here have had problems, but my experience has been very positive. Between the credits to my bill and the two installed digital programagle thermostats I couldn't be happier.
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Post by ronaldjohn on Jul 19, 2012 18:22:25 GMT -4
Those two innovations in the pictures are funny but amazing and innovative. Next maybe we can place plastic bag full of ice in front of air conditioner ( Furnace installation Durham ) or make a portable fire place which can be placed inside in any place.
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