Xcel Bill

B-man wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Mr.Beads wrote:</div>
Love the auto pay, don’t have to look anymore on things I’m not gonna do anything about.

Agreed, but look at the bigger picture.

I like putting my head in the sand as much as the next guy, but if you think the skyrocketing energy costs and current 40 year record high inflation is done, you better dig us a bigger hole

Rising energy costs effect everything consumers consume, even if it may seem unrelated.

But again, what are you going to do about it, just sit and biatch online or around those you know who just echo the same thing? Doesn’t sound productive to me and more of an emotional burden than I personally want. You do you tho.

gimruis wrote:

Mine has gone up, but not double or triple as some have stated.

My usage has certainly gone up because I’ve simply been at home more though too. The price has obviously gone up too, but we’re having the coldest winter we’ve had in like 12 years too.

My natural gas comes from Center Point Energy, not Xcel. Yes, that’s gone up, but as I previously stated, its been much colder this winter.

I believe that the state legislature has to approve an increase in electricity cost, don’t they? I don’t think a company like Xcel can just raise the price without legal approval.

if i remember correctly, i think the process goes like this.

Xcel thinks they need to raise the price.

they do it….

then they go to the PUC and haggle with them over the price. if Xcel has been deemed to overprice the electricity, the customer gets that credited back.

my house is 100% electric, heat, water heater everything. i looked at the last bill was 265 bucks. we are on the budget plan. like beads said nuttin a can do but pay it. yea i’ve done things to try and lessen the bill….but i’ve always have tried to!!!!

I have been on the “budget plan” with Xcel for eons. This fall they jacked my budget up over $70.00/month ($840/yr). I contacted Xcel, they explained “Xcel is EXPECTING NG price to increase significantly”, but at the time of the call the price was lower, so they increased the amount by what they were guessing. I asked if the price doesn’t go up and I have been paying all this extra, what happens to that money? Response – If there is money “left over” then I would get a credit on my bill. I said, umm no, that is my money, not yours until I pay for what I use, dead silence.

I have a detached garage that has it’s own electric meter, in the winter my bill averaged 9/10 dollars a month, now it is just over $20.00/month, highway robbery, and as consumers, we have zero options to go with another supplier.

Bend over and grab your ankles, it’s going to worse.

glenn57 wrote:

my house is 100% electric, heat, water heater everything. i looked at the last bill was 265 bucks. we are on the budget plan. like beads said nuttin a can do but pay it. yea i’ve done things to try and lessen the bill….but i’ve always have tried to!!!!

Similar boat to me. We have electric heat, natural gas water heater and free standing gas fireplace. Our electric bill is $192 (budget plan with Stearns Electric) and the Natural gas bill is $89 (Excel).

Paul D wrote:

I said, umm no, that is my money, not yours until I pay for what I use, dead silence.

Probably because that’s not how the average monthly payment works at all. If you want to just pay for what you use each month then you can do that, turn off the plan.

Reef W wrote:

Probably because that’s not how the average monthly payment works at all. If you want to just pay for what you use each month then you can do that, turn off the plan.

Right, if you are on a budget plan its based on past history and projected. There are catchup months two times a year usually.

Does anyone use geothermal energy? I know the up-front cost is high but if electricity and natural gas continue to go up and you intend to live somewhere long term, maybe this could be a viable option.

gimruis wrote:

Does anyone use geothermal energy? I know the up-front cost is high but if electricity and natural gas continue to go up and you intend to live somewhere long term, maybe this could be a viable option.

I dont and looked into it once and you need a lot of yard for this I think. Plus they dont typically last too long from what I have read so not sure it would be a great investment. Probably be wiser to install solar panels, but even that is there going to be a breakeven point before they need maintenance? They might pay off if you get a lot of subsidies.

gimruis wrote:

Does anyone use geothermal energy? I know the up-front cost is high but if electricity and natural gas continue to go up and you intend to live somewhere long term, maybe this could be a viable option.

We received a quote for a system capable of harnessing geothermal energy on our current build. For the applicable system in a ~3800 sq. ft house + 3 car garage we were looking at approximately $43,000. The estimated return on investment or break even point was going to be around 10-11 years. With surging energy prices the ROI would have been likely years shorter with today’s prices. The lifespan of a few of the crucial components was 10-15 years for our application. We did think long and hard about it and it was one of the last upgrades we axed when costs ballooned. The main reason beyond cost that we did not go with it was because of the labor shortages and component availability was in flux. Had this been an option with a guaranteed timeline and costs pre-covid chaos, we would have probably went with it. We didn’t want it holding up the process.

When I asked our contractor and the company that bid it out why most people pass on it, they agreed 100% that upfront cost was a deterring factor. People don’t want to invest in the things they can’t see or that aren’t “pretty” with new builds like insulation, better windows, better roofing materials, geothermal, even if it could be cost effective over time. The other factors included finding companies that would maintain the system and know how to fix it correctly as well as lengthy waits to get those companies booked. If people have the capital to stick into a build and their lot/acreage is a good fit, it’d be a very wise investment with where things are headed. I already have a feeling it could end up being our biggest regret.

Great information Bucky. Sounds like you seriously looked into and considered it.

buckybadger wrote:

The lifespan of a few of the crucial components was 10-15 years for our application.

Isnt the lifespan of the trenches an issue too? I havent researched in years, but I thought that had to be replaced after a certain point?

For anyone looking to lower their energy bills, I’d look to your attic. We moved a little over a year ago, and the new house didn’t have sufficient insulation in the attic. Stuffed it full and the bill dropped immediately, and should recoup that cost in pretty short order.

BigWerm wrote:

For anyone looking to lower their energy bills, I’d look to your attic. We moved a little over a year ago, and the new house didn’t have sufficient insulation in the attic. Stuffed it full and the bill dropped immediately, and should recoup that cost in pretty short order.

Agreed 100%^. If you do access an attic and move anything in it, be sure you do not disturb the blown-in insulation to the best of your ability. It’s real easy to kick it or move it around thinning it out in places. Also if you have any tray ceilings, often times blown-in insulation “falls off” these over time. There either needs to be correct blocking to hold appropriate amounts or some blanketing to hold the blown in cellulose in place near these.

Another place energy is often wasted is in garages. Jamb seals could/should be replaced much more often than they are in our extreme climates. They’re subject to cracking, bowing, wearing down on the edges, and so on. It’s crazy the number of homes I’ve been in where there’s a noticeable gap near garage doors. You cannot get a perfect seal with something that large that moves, but every millimeter makes a distinct difference. Keeping a garage just a few degrees cooler can make a substantial difference with heating costs. For us, we avoid opening the large doors at all when we can. If it can fit out the side door without too much hassle that’s what you use. Fans help also. The higher the ceilings, the more crucial they are as your money in heat is sitting near the top of the ceiling.

Fiberglass doors have a higher R-Value than wood or steel. For those who want beautiful custom wood doors on their homes, newer fiberglass designs are worth a look. In my opinion the look is still there with the new technologies, but you get a higher R-Value for sometimes a better price point as well (These can still costs thousands of dollars though too)

While utility prices are “regulated” what about the “customer charges” and “delivery charges” and other bs charges that they add/gouge onto the bills?

With the “delivery charge” for electricity had to think “What, no option for drive-thru pick up?”

With these rising energy prices I absolutely luv my gasification boiler keep the house at 71 and garage ( shop ) at 69. I installed this years ago when LP gas went over $2 a gallon it has way more then payed for it self in savings. Now if I could tap into the spring behind the house that runs roughly 15 gals a minute 24-7 to produce some electricity I would be golden. If I had more drop I think I could do something with it.

gimruis wrote:

Does anyone use geothermal energy? I know the up-front cost is high but if electricity and natural gas continue to go up and you intend to live somewhere long term, maybe this could be a viable option.

I wonder how much it adds to the value of the house when you sell. It’s so unfamiliar that I feel like your buyer would have to know its worth in order to justify the higher home sale.

gimruis wrote:

I’m more worried about my electric bill this upcoming summer to be honest. Especially if we have another record breaking heat wave like we did last year.

I have never used as much AC as I did last summer. Normally I will have it on many nights in the bedroom with a window AC unit to sleep, but very sporadically have the central AC turned on. Last summer I feel like I had it on the majority of the summer. Mostly to keep food from melting in the cupboards.

I’ve lived in other places where you are forced to have the AC on from April to October. One of the things I’ve always liked about MN is being able to open the windows and feel the breezes for most of the summer. I hope we get back to that kind of summer this year.

queenswake wrote:

I hope we get back to that kind of summer this year.

Totally. Once June hit last summer, it was just ungodly hot and dry through July.

That damn evil Xcel! I know of a guy who worked a 27hr straight through shift last week, and another 17hr shift this week to make sure a little old retired couple was safe in their home while working on a natural gas leak. Thousands of dollars spent making it safe, no way that service will ever recoup those costs.