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Post by Lynn on Feb 27, 2007 21:04:52 GMT -4
Hi Everyone, Has anyone done a comparison to electric prices? My bill last month was almost $500 with Delmarva Power. I was trying to find a website that compares prices.. but haven't found it. Thanks, Lynn
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Post by outlaw on Feb 27, 2007 21:13:17 GMT -4
Mine last month was from a meter reading. The month before that was estimated - almost double what it should have been. Ours is low compared to other similar houses though. Are you trying to compare prices between companies or other people? It's not like we have a choice of companies.
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Post by bchevy on Feb 27, 2007 21:22:57 GMT -4
I think there's choices out there now. I know there's choices across the bridge
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Post by Mike on Feb 27, 2007 23:17:19 GMT -4
turn off the lights?
Ours was only 160.00 this month.
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Post by highlander73 on Feb 28, 2007 1:17:08 GMT -4
I've done a lot or research on this after getting $300 bills during peak times in the winter and summer seasons. Could explain it but I'd mess it up - go to www.delmarva.com or whatever their website is as it explains everything you need to know. Short version is you can now chose who provides your power - Delmarva will "deliver" it, but you can chose who it comes from. If you did not chose when the change went into effect a year or so ago then you were assigned to be provided power by a Delmarva's "power consortium" or whatever they call it - basically they buy power at the best price they can and sell it to you. Delmarva provides the price they are charging you for power and delivery separately so you can compare. The available companies that you can buy power from in this area are listed on Delmarva's site. My experience was that Delmarva's consortium or whatever was just marginally more expensive than the leading competitor in the winter (by like $.0007 per kw/hr) and was more expensive than Delmarva rates in the summer. I did not switch, though I got educated. When we replace the heat pump in a year or two I'm going to look into geothermal heating and cooling myself. For the winter I'm trying to rely on the wood stove for heat as much as possible (bchevy knows that!).
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Post by baycitydan on Feb 28, 2007 1:21:04 GMT -4
My pellet stove has come in quite handy. I think that it's basically a matter of Delmarva Power owning the lines, so any competitor has to rent the Delmarva lines, so how can the possibly be any cheaper? I really wish that there was an alternative, but at least we didn't get hit as hard as the BGE customers did across the bridge.
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Post by outlaw on Feb 28, 2007 10:35:13 GMT -4
Wow, I didn't realize we had a choice. That's what I get for not reading all the crap they send with the bill. You learn something new every day.
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Post by matt on Feb 28, 2007 11:29:49 GMT -4
Yep. Reducing our demand here as much as possible. Solar power and geothermal heating/cooling are next. Quick savings are easy to get with better insulation, mini/compact flourescent bulbs, hot water and such.
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Post by uvrays on Feb 28, 2007 14:22:52 GMT -4
Read in todays (2/28) Bay Times that there is now a co-op electric service serving Kent Island/Stevensville.
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Post by ljp on Feb 28, 2007 23:37:47 GMT -4
But didn't we really get hit as bad as the BGE customers? A year and 1/2 ago we suffered a 41% increase, nothing announced, just got a bigger bill one month and called to complain. Then last summer we get a 'portion' of a new increase to take place this year. We really did suffer a big increase. My billing went up on average $50 per month over the last year, plus we had a family member who lived with us and moved out right before the increase, so it is in reality much more.
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Post by andrewd on Mar 2, 2007 10:35:56 GMT -4
What is a "co-op" service? Will it be cheaper somehow?
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Post by uvrays on Mar 2, 2007 11:11:11 GMT -4
My understanding: A co-op is a group of people who buy large "blocks" of electricity. Because they buy large blocks at a time, they purchase at a lower rate and therefore pass on the savings. Also, co-ops can pick at which time (of year) to purchase these blocks also reducing the amount they pay. For example, electricity is usually cheaper to purchase in the spring and fall due to less demand.
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Post by KenIhlan on May 19, 2007 0:52:56 GMT -4
turn off the lights? Ours was only 160.00 this month. You must live in a bathroom.
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Post by bchevy on May 22, 2007 20:07:03 GMT -4
turn off the lights? Ours was only 160.00 this month. You must live in a bathroom. ;D GBM just might!
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Post by Frank on May 23, 2007 14:40:37 GMT -4
My intuition is telling me GBM sits at his laptop at night in the dark, naked.
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Post by bchevy on May 23, 2007 19:44:37 GMT -4
Not THAT's a VISION I really didn't need......
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Post by crabman on May 23, 2007 21:59:38 GMT -4
We did sign up for the cheaper supplier and it is so marginal that it never really makes a difference because of the "delivery charge". the bill is set up to be so confusing that there is no way to know if you are ahead $.00017 per kw/hr or not.
We also received a notice last month or 2 that the company supplying would no longer be able to do so. So i have no idea now how the power gets here. I've lived in rural places before, but there is no real reason to require a human being to walk from house to house to read meters when everywhere else in the world is automated.
We just have to grin and bear it. plus many pellet stoves pollute the air worse than cars do.
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Post by brian on May 24, 2007 11:29:59 GMT -4
Hi Everyone, Has anyone done a comparison to electric prices? My bill last month was almost $500 with Delmarva Power. I was trying to find a website that compares prices.. but haven't found it. Thanks, Lynn $500 for a single MONTH? Is that for a 10,000 sq ft house? In the winter where I live now (Madison, WI), my newly built house is 2,000 sq ft (ranch), and the coldest part of winter runs me about $100 MOST a month. Can I really anticipate such expensive rates if I were to move there?
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Post by shorti on May 24, 2007 11:47:26 GMT -4
to answer your question Brian - yes... I live in a small house here on Kent Island and my electric bill on average in the winter was about $350.00. Granted we need to replace all the windows and that will help BIG TIME but since we're just renting right now... But even recently... no air/heat on - windows open - ceiling fans (only 2 of them) run on low all the time for circulation, we both work during the day and I'm a nut when it comes to turning off lights... the only lights that are on is the room we are currently in.. other than that it's dark... only run my dishwasher after 10pm, can't help the laundry thing - have to do it... changed light bulbs to fluorescent, etc - just about everything we can do to conserve & save ... end result - just paid the bill - $197.78...
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Post by shorti on May 24, 2007 11:48:12 GMT -4
Oh yeah -by the way Brian - Welcome to KI online... gets interesting sometimes... have fun enjoy
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Post by Rich Fisher on May 24, 2007 11:49:17 GMT -4
I'm not sure of the square footage of my house, but it's a small 4 bedroom cape - average size-ish. My Delmarva Power bill was $167 this month. In March it was $194. In January it was $230. Compared to Wisconsin our area is much more expensive. Luckily in most fields the salaries are higher here to make up for it. Here is a site that will give you a cost comparison: www.bestplaces.net/col/
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Post by brian on May 24, 2007 13:21:41 GMT -4
Oh yeah -by the way Brian - Welcome to KI online... gets interesting sometimes... have fun enjoy Thanks for the welcome. Hard to believe I ended up here because of a magazine at a dentist office. Anyway, that is just crazy about the prices for electric. We had a 25% increase last year which brought my highest bill to $97 for the month. I suppose it's all relative, but I am impressed by the cost savings you are working on. I really should switch my lights out too. I have had my air on a couple times already this month, and we have 3 ceiling fans.
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Post by brian on May 24, 2007 13:22:15 GMT -4
I'm not sure of the square footage of my house, but it's a small 4 bedroom cape - avarage size-ish. My Delmarva Power bill was $167 this month. In March it was $194. In January it was $230. Compared to Wisconsin our area is much more expensive. Luckilly in most fields the salaries are higher here to make up for it. Here is a site that will give you a cast comparrison: www.bestplaces.net/col/That is an excellent url. I never heard of an online conversion tool that does that. Thanks...bookmarked.
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Post by lynn on May 24, 2007 22:05:19 GMT -4
Hi Brian. I later found out why my bill was so high (other than just high electricity costs). My pump wasn't working right and was running non-stop.
Also Shorti, how does running your washer after 10pm help save money? I looked at my bill before to see if they had different rates for usage at different times of the day (like cell phones have) and they didn't. If it works I'll try it!
I'm also going to check into making our addition we put on more energy efficient (how I don't know yet).
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Post by Mike on May 25, 2007 0:06:50 GMT -4
Brian did you say 97.00 a month, and high?!
Man that's why I love WI and the fact you don't have public welfare.. or you do but it's almost non existant
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