Bad Motivator
 

It's going over 100F again with high humidity, with a "feels like" over 110F (43C)!

I think I have a bad motivator....

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Ha ha - that's hilarious, James! Not the heat - the video. ;)

91 here w/only 61% humidity.

I just came in from doing about 2 hours of odds and ends and will head out for a bike ride soon on the beach before the tide gets too high.

You just have to pace yourself.

BTW, I have had my small window unit on "Eco mode" for the past month set at 77 to give my central system a little relief. Happy to pay a little more on the utility bill to extend the life of my central system.

Small 2 bedroom 2 bath single story home so easy to do something like this.

Also the new metal roof has made a big difference in reducing attic temps and electricity usage for cooling.

100 in the shade up here in the big D area.

Also got my Ercot ****age showing on my COSERVE bill this month.

Previous months bill was $395. Current bill, $684.

My useage went up 15% thereabouts but the rate per kwh is up 50%

My Rate is 50% higher than what I've been paying for YEARS. Trying to conserve this summer.

I don't know about some of you tycoons and your BIG houses......:D

Looking at my latest bill - service days:29, meter read date 5-26-22....

kWh used this month: 999 Last year same month: 1,030
Meter: 999 @ 0.09016 = $90.07
Fuel adjustment: 999 @ 0.00425 = $4.25

Total Electric service: $102.57
Water: (4K gallons) = $19.04
Sewer: $36.62
Garbage collection: $21.14
City Tax: $9.50
Gross receipts tax: $2.63

Total for the month: $191.50

We got nearly 2” of rain on Friday. About 60F.

Both versions suck.

We're getting some of that this week. The A/C will be running... set on 73 during the day and 71 at night.

I didn't play this, but I think my kids may have...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655100503.jpg

I've adjusted the Thermostats to 75 during the day (up and down) and 71 down and 76 up at night.

Ceiling fans are on. With the ceiling fans on, I may adjust the night temp to 72...Mrs Beard does not like ceiling fans...

Sealing up the house now at 0600 for another hot day. While it can't even compete with the average southern summer day, weather here in the NM mountains has been off-normal recently - as in like hottest ever. And maybe 0.1" precip, when we should have had 6" by now YTD.

Yah, it's a dry heat - the turkey in your oven agrees...

Growing up in SW Michigan, a place with 300+ days of sun would sound like heaven. Now that I'm here, I could use a few clouds. Like seriously, turn off the cancer beam of death in the sky!

For the past two weeks the forecast has been HOT. During that time I've seen 3-5 days of temps ±100º. At one point, the forecast showed temps of 103º and 104º. Fortunately, those temps have been getting pushed back up until this past weekend. I've got a cheap electronic thermometer with remote sensors, and I haven't seen one yet show 100º (I think we hit 98º Sat and Sun). It's only 2º, but I'm happy to take that deficit.

I have some screenshots of older forecasts from sending them to my mom.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655124578.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655124578.jpg

Current forecast
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655124578.jpg

The "bad motivator" has already caused my lawn to be mowed this morning ;).

It's not FL/TX hot, but close enough :D....

It's been so hot and dry here that we are barely mowing, maybe every month or two, and it's usually a weekly thing at least. We got .83" of rain a week or so ago, and that wasn't enough to kick the grass into growing.

La Niña - La Niña weather patterns can cause drier than average years in some regions of the United States. In those same regions, El Niño weather patterns can cause wetter than average years.

https://scijinks.gov/la-nina/La_nina_pattern_500.jpg

Typical La Niña weather patterns in the continental United States.

La Niña is caused by an interaction between the Pacific Ocean and the atmosphere above. However, it can have effects on weather all over the world. These changes in the atmosphere can lead to more lightning activity within the Gulf of Mexico and along the Gulf Coast. Also, the environmental conditions during La Niña can lead to more tropical cyclones—which include hurricanes—forming in the deep tropics (near the islands in the Caribbean, for example).

https://scijinks.gov/la-nina/

My old fixed price contract was 9.1 cents/KWH. It ended in April and I didn't sign a new contract out of stupidity, hoping prices would go down. My new contract is 14 cents/KWH.

For those shopping for a new plan in Texas, take a look at TexasPowerGuide.com. When you enter your data, they will recommend a few plans based on your past usage. I just download the Excel spreadsheet and use filters to get what I want.

Here is what electric rates have been doing over the years. Renewable energy companies must be killing it as long as they are not trying to bring in new capacity.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655131186.png

Power to Choose is the Texas website to use. The rest purposely limit who you see to their clients. Power To Choose | Home is non-profit.

I have had ~8 cents per kWh for YEARS. This year it is $11.5 and mine expires at the end of the July. I am expecting to take it up the rear in August!

The ninos/ninas make sense in my head but don't seem to resolve here in the NM mountains. It's either feast or famine regardless of the Pacific Ocean temps.

The sad thing is that it seems that the winter after a bad/dry/fiery summer is usually really good (for snow). Given how things have been this year in NM, perhaps a season ski pass is in the plans...

Yup, that was my old rate and is now the new rate.

Problem is I am stuck with COSERVE.

I don't have any other option other than hauling Reds ass up here to get me completely off the grid.

Seriously tempted to get solar with battery back up. I am on the fence though waiting for either the China tariffs to go away or some congressional/presidential action to lower costs.

I looked at a solar ad on FB, and those are the only ads I see now.

Wife and I discussed solar last night.

I'm kinda double pissed, had to replace an outside AC unit last year.

Was August and not a lot of time to make a proper decision due to supply issues and it was m'fng hot.

It was the upstairs unit.

I should have gone with a multi zone mini split.

You can get them these days with in room units that replace the existing vent so no big ugly box hanging on the wall.

Each room can have it's own individually controlled zone.

Right now I'm cooling the entire upstairs because my son is home from college.

I don't really need to be cooling the guest room, my wifes craft room, the media room, because no one is in them all the time.

I'm cooling 70% of the upstairs for no reason.

Something like this would have been great and the cost is the same as replacing the outside unit.

https://www.alpinehomeair.com/product/air-conditioning-cooling/ductless-mini-splits/five-zone-mini-split-systems/blueridge/bm48m22c-9c-9c-9c-9c-9c?linkfrom=froogle&campaign=Blueridge_PLA&content =Blueridge&keyword=453079220&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwJuVBhC AARIsAOPwGAQm-Cqj3N6qZRmKU5-ZJwnsNdg_Ghmr1ZZnH9n8oiadRqcK4WFTz68aAqe4EALw_wcB

Guess it could be applied to North Carolina as well.......;)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655133279.jpg

Right, since we're rural, we have 2 options, the local power co-op or no power (or self power).

You don't have a way to regulate how much flow comes through each room's vents?

I have the ones in my guest bedroom and guest bath closed off right now and keep the doors shut. I like to think it helps conserve energy.

Virginia, N Carolina, S Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada...

One of the problems with Solar in Texas, is you have to have a plan that will buy your excess power.

My Dentist is a solar client, even though I'm out of the business...

He is paying 18.7 cents per kWh to have a plan that is net metering.

You're out of the solar business? When did that happen?

No one wanted solar in 2020. I've been focusing on our Landfill gas to energy company

He needs to change his sig line. He's going to be on the ballot in 2024. :D

Not allowed to change the sig line.....New Links are not allowed...

Seems to be one HUGE difference between NC and TX ....

It's just starting to get dry here (the ground, not the humidity).... and I've been mowing every 5-6 days since March.... no letup.

I'm ready for the Dog Daze of Summer .... and Moka sez yippie-woof :D.

Huh, OK. I'm sorry that it didn't work out. You'd think we'd be prime candidates for solar, but I guess considering the cost, it may be heavily impacted by the economy, and a small, niche market at the best of times.
Right, if you've got a link that you like, don't change it.
I think this year has been unusually dry for us. It's definitely been hotter, and drier than last year. I don't have as much history for our new digs only having been here about 1.5 years, and, I think, 80-120 miles can make a big difference is climate.

What does that mean?

His rate is 18.7 but since it's not metering it doesn't actually cost him that?

Yes but a zone is set by the thermostat. Depending on where it's placed it can under or over cool other areas.

The multi zone mini splits have thermostats in each individual register so you can more precisely control temps on a room by room basis.

Here is a good Oncor rate at 13.8 cents. In the example above, 18.7 is the rate that you would pay whenever you need electricity from the grid if your solar or batteries are not meeting your energy demand.

Ahh, ok, understand that now.

I changed my provider this weekend from a non-tier 27.3kWh to a 36 month locked in rate of 13.4.

He has to pay 18.7 cents per kWh for anything he purchases. If he has to buy power, it is expensive.

And that is NOT a Net metering plan. They pay market rate for the electricity. And you do not get the delivery charge back. So most of the time you will get 2-5 cents/kWh for your excess power.

On the other hand, in August, if you produce when the market rate is extremely high, you might make out. Sometimes power reaches $5000/MWH aka $50/kWh. Yes, DOLLARS not CENTS!

It's 87F in Akron at 8:00PM. I had to work on a car in the sun for an hour or so as the job from hell is on the rack (its a small garage).

The customer is a 30 year old hottie. At 6:30 pm I'm saying, "Best you go home now because I am beat".

I'm home, sitting at the computer off kilter, but in AC. Damn.

Nothing compared to the south, though. I remember in 1986 living on Gessner just off Westheimer in Houston stepping outside the apt door in a suit at 6:30am. BAM! 85-90F at 6:30am. At least it was humid. It may have been a few degrees "cooler" but it was like a warm wet blanket hitting you.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655165836.jpg

Yeah, not every year is like that, but I have experienced years where the temps late at night or first thing in the morning were ridiculously hot and humid.

It gets hot & humid here (mid to upper 90s today), but not like inland FL.... when you open the front door at 6am to an oven/instant shower. My dawg has already been in my neighbor's pond twice this morning... she'll probably take another 4-5 dips before the day is over .... I might be tempted to join her too :D.