Air Conditioners
 

Think this may be just a California thing but not sure.
We have just had a device fitted to our Air conditioner that during times of excessive electricity demand, will turn it off for maybe a couple of hours at a time. We are given a $200 a year discount off our electricity bill as well as the money we save during the time its switched off. The discount was attractive due to horrendous electricity bills last year and as I can't imagine it ever being hot again due to the shitty weather we've had here over the last six months I'm not too concened about not having the air conditioning on for a couple of hours a day.
Only know one person who has volunteered for this scheme and hers was turned off just three times last year for 2 hours at a time, anyone else had it fitted or know of someone that has? How many times did it go off,if at all?

Oddly enough though the guy that fitted it said that in his experience some people who had had them fitted actually ended up plugging in fans when their unit was turned off, using more electricity than the unit itself and costing more money, doh! :eek:

Re: Air Conditioners
 

Interesting concept. Haven't heard about it out here in AZ though. I haven't turned the air on here yet, it's not hot enough, although a lot of my neighbours run theirs constantly, so I hate to think what their leccy bills are already :scared:

Does anyone use a swamp cooler instead of A/C? I would love to have one, but the bloody HOA won't let us put anything on our roof... wonder if I could call them on being more energy efficient on it, like the washing line?

Re: Air Conditioners
 

Yes I do the same, and in fact it also applies to my heating (including water heater, I think). I get a $10 or $20 discount I believe, on about 8 months of the year (high-useage months like middle of the summer and winter).

I have only once or twice (in 4 years) noticed the heater/AC was not turning on when I expected it to. It really hasn't cost me any inconvenience to be without heat or AC on the odd occasions the device cuts in.

Not sure whether you really save money on your leccy, though (besides the discount, I mean), as it only lasts an hour or two during which your house temp goes up (or down, depending on time of year), then when the heat/AC kick back on it is working overtime to get the temp back where it needs to be.

My bills here (NC) seem to be double what I paid in TN. 1400 square feet, single occupant, and I'd guess my utility bills average about $200-$250 a month.

Re: Air Conditioners
 

Nice idea, but does it actually save money? going into overdive to knock the temp back down after it's been off?
Wouldn't it just be more efficient if people just had the temp set a few degree's higher?

Haven't heard of anything like that in maine...but then full blown a/c is rare here, most people have those window fans that they slow in the summer because it's usually only really horrid for a few weeks in the summer, last summer was bad though, and we had the thing on pretty much 24/7, only added about $15 on to the bill a month, but then it's also a fairly small apartment and we have a couple fans going on to circulate the air as well.

Re: Air Conditioners
 

Probably does save money, if it only goes off a couple of times in the year for a couple of hours then $200 is a fair bit to make up, but we'll see. We are also going to have a new digital thermastat fitted which should control the temperature better as well as putting it on a timer, now its just on or off, bit crap really.

I actually think though the real issue here in California is that in really high demand times (like when everyone goes to make a cuppa during the break of Corrie at Christmas) they can't actually supply enough electricity to go round everyone, for example where my hubby works, the power goes quite often.

Re: Air Conditioners
 

Problem like that here as well, just that it's shite and keeps cutting out really...though where the missus works, they have back up generators that supposedly have enough power to keep the place going for a week solid before running down...or enough power to keep the city going for a weekend...funny thing though, on another site, that had back up generators, they broke down just as the power went out and everyone got to go home....anything like that happens where the missus works, they'd just get bused to another site *lol*
only site that stays open even in a snow blizzard or whatever....does suck a bit.

Re: Air Conditioners
 

Actually this is how it works..... It doesn't really cost very much to reheat / recool after just 2 hours... Proven stats on that so net net, you'll get most of the savings as a bonus.

It's a reward from the electric company because if they cannot provide the whole neigborhood / city with enough power, they have to buy more at VERY HIGH RATES from someone else. The power company is buying insurance that if they need to, they can cut a good number of people over different times of the day to save them money over the year.

A lot of states do it, even some companies. The risk is not only higher bills for everyone but of a full black-out.

So to summize, it prevents black-outs and higher power-bills for the power-company (and eventually that would be passed on to you).

Common in GA too.

Re: Air Conditioners
 

[QUOTE=woodsey.

I actually think though the real issue here in California is that in really high demand times (like when everyone goes to make a cuppa during the break of Corrie at Christmas) they can't actually supply enough electricity to go round everyone, for example where my hubby works, the power goes quite often.[/QUOTE]


Can't wait to move to CA I miss Corrie.

:)

Re: Air Conditioners
 

[QUOTE=evoal2003]you're on top form today.. :cool:

Re: Air Conditioners
 

Look on the bright side the missus has put up with me all day. :scared:

Hows your day?

Re: Air Conditioners
 

go to the boring thread and you'll get the general jist of things... :zzz:

Re: Air Conditioners
 

as its already been fitted do you not think its a bit late to be asking these questions ? :D

Re: Air Conditioners
 

Ah good evening, my good man.. :)

Re: Air Conditioners
 

I thought it was a perfectly good question....


from a bird :)

You're gona tell me you read the instructions next i suppose.. :rolleyes:

Re: Air Conditioners
 

oh shut up, just curious thats all.. :mad:

Re: Air Conditioners
 

you can shut up as well.. :mad:

Re: Air Conditioners
 

just tried to ring you ? busy ?

Re: Air Conditioners
 

bonjour Al - hows tricks ?

Re: Air Conditioners
 

just take over my thread why don't you..
yes I'm in the kitchen cooking a chinese.

Re: Air Conditioners
 

make sure hes done the laundry first :D how come you dont cook Chinese when Im there ?

Re: Air Conditioners
 

well if you didn't keep leaving me you'd be eating it now.. :(

Re: Air Conditioners
 

it would be far better if they actually got a proper infrastructure in place,considering the US is the "NO 1" country in the world?

Re: Air Conditioners
 

NES has some of the lowest electricity costs for the country

Unfortunately the same can be said for the gas here

Re: Air Conditioners
 

Last nights answer was top of the world, this mornings is a slight hang over :D .