ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 12:41:48 PM permalink
Electric prices could double, quadruple, 10X, or 100X imminently because of supply problems in the deep freeze. Will casinos close (especially in the midwest & east) because the electric bill just went off the charts?

No word on when prices will recover, but it's not this week, and prices will continue to skyrocket. Texans could be paying $5-$10 per kilowatt-hour today, and multiples of that by the end of this week.

For a low user on 20 kw-hr/day, that'd be $100-$200 a day for electricity now.
sabre
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February 14th, 2021 at 1:02:15 PM permalink
Are you off your medication?
ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 1:15:02 PM permalink
"Energy Emergency" - Texas Power Provider Warns Of Rotating Outages As Cold Weather Tests Limits Of Grid
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/energy-emergency-texas-power-provider-warns-rotating-outages-cold-weather-tests-limits-grid
rdw4potus
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February 14th, 2021 at 1:31:04 PM permalink
Yeah, but you're using the pricing and deliverability situation in TX (where there are no casinos) to ask if Midwest and Eastern casinos will close.

That answer is no. Ercot is a stand-alone grid.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 1:33:49 PM permalink
Other grids are near or over $100/MWhr, or 10 cents/kwhr, which is double my rate.
fantom
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February 14th, 2021 at 1:38:01 PM permalink
Where I live there have never been any immediate impositions of price spikes in electricity. Heating oil and propane prices are subject to market forces, but even those rates have some stability in the short term.

What happens here is that the utility companies file with the Public Utility Commission (PUC) for rate increases over the next term - perhaps quarterly - such that you get a regulated price increase that's consistent over the rating period. The PUC is notably anti-provider, and "consumer-friendly," so from a business point of view it's a battle for the utilities to do business here. Of course, every time the wind blows the politicos are more than ready to crucify National Grid for not having a bucket truck at every street-corner to keep the lights on. Oh yeah - if you don't pay your bill, don't worry. They can almost never shut you off for owing months and moths of unpaid bills.

So I don't think my electricity bill is going to go up this month, regardless of how cold it gets. My rates didn't go up last summer when everyone was running the AC, either.
ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 1:48:14 PM permalink
There's a 2nd & 3rd ice storm making its way across the same areas this week causing massive power outages in the sub-freezing weather. A foot of snow is on the way, probably for each storm.
ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 1:51:02 PM permalink
Enron: On December 15, 2000, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected California's request for a wholesale rate cap for California, instead approving a "flexible cap" plan of $150 per megawatt-hour. That day, California was paying wholesale prices of over $1400 per megawatt-hour, compared to $45 per megawatt-hour average one year earlier.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000%E2%80%9301_California_electricity_crisis
fantom
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February 14th, 2021 at 1:52:40 PM permalink
But here, I'll be charged the same rate for electricity in February as I was in December.
ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 1:58:07 PM permalink
Someone on the internet mentioned they were on a fixed price plan instead of the variable priced plan, and they were told that in a couple years the fixed price plan could be charging 40% more. This is for the Tennessee area where power prices have doubled very recently.
rdw4potus
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February 14th, 2021 at 3:09:51 PM permalink
The vast majority of tariff rates are fixed, especially for residential and small commercial customers. They'll adjust over time to account for the utility's cost overruns this week (if those overruns exceed last month's underruns - January was warm and cheap).

Going from $50 to $100/mwh for 3 days is a non-event. That's less than 1% on an annualized basis.

Are you saying that the tva's rates have doubled? Interesting!
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 3:12:33 PM permalink
Energy Trader: We've Officially Hit The "Holy **** Levels" | ZeroHedge
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/energy-emergency-texas-power-provider-warns-rotating-outages-cold-weather-tests-limits-grid
rdw4potus
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February 14th, 2021 at 4:00:49 PM permalink
Quote: ChumpChange

Energy Trader: We've Officially Hit The "Holy **** Levels" | ZeroHedge
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/energy-emergency-texas-power-provider-warns-rotating-outages-cold-weather-tests-limits-grid



Omg, lmao @ "lubelessly pounded". One thing that breaks in TX - people with on-site backup generators have gas fired units. Power costs $3k/mwh & gas is $377/dth + 200% penalty. And/but, there will be brown outs & the ICE has no gas offered for most TX trading points. So the cost either way is astronomical & there's nobody available to sell at those (or any) price. I've told a university customer to cancel everything through Tuesday, shutter the campus, set everything back, and sell their fixed price supply into this gas market. They'll make 100k by keeping the kids out of the academic side of campus for 3 days.

It's hard to really appreciate this issue. It's 45 degrees colder here than it is in TX - it's barely freezing in TX - and they're the ones with a problem.

One thing I don't get - the article suggests setting thermostats back to 68. That's warmer than where mine is ever set in the winter. Do Texans really heat to more than 68?
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 4:08:22 PM permalink
I set my thermostat to 73, but when it gets less than 10 degrees outside, the room is gonna dip into the 60's.
rdw4potus
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February 14th, 2021 at 4:12:53 PM permalink
Really? It's 10 below here. Mine is set to 65 and it's 66 in here right now. Do you have a similar issue in the summer? Can it not get the temp down to the summer setpoint?
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
AxelWolf
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February 14th, 2021 at 4:16:17 PM permalink
As much as I hate the desert. Here in Vegas I don't think I've been without power for more than a few hours, there's been some flooding in various areas here, but it's never affected me, there's been a few small earthquakes here and there but I barely noticed, and the same goes for the few riots we've had. I don't ever remember a time where it's been unbearably cold. Yeah, it gets hot here but that's what air conditioning and the indoors is for. Compared to some places, it's fairly cheap to live here. My electric bill in December was $99 and we don't conserve 2 TV's never get shut off 3 or 4 computers going with monitors, 2 refrigerators and 2 full time water pumps pumping
a few thousand of gallons per hour( I think it's thousands) and 2 pond heaters. I think my winter average is about $160.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
DRich
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February 14th, 2021 at 4:17:50 PM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus



One thing I don't get - the article suggests setting thermostats back to 68. That's warmer than where mine is ever set in the winter. Do Texans really heat to more than 68?



Mine is never below 72 unless we are in bed. I would prefer 76 but my wife runs the house.

In the summer I prefer it around 80 but the wife wants 75. We compromise at 78. At 78 my electric bill is about $600 a month in the summer.
At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 4:29:00 PM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus

Really? It's 10 below here. Mine is set to 65 and it's 66 in here right now. Do you have a similar issue in the summer? Can it not get the temp down to the summer setpoint?



I've got hot water pipe heat that runs around 180F when it's 45 degrees out, and barely makes 160F when it's 0 degrees out. My apartment has 2 wall air conditioners that I turn on if it's 80 degrees inside, then it cools the room down to 73F-76F. With global warming this century, we get a few 99 degree days each year where none of that existed decades ago. We'd get 92 degrees for highs back in the day.

The heat gets turned off around June 1st, but we've had near freezing nights in early June too. I have a couple electric fan heaters and an oil filled electric radiator for supplemental heat.
Last edited by: ChumpChange on Feb 14, 2021
ChumpChange
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February 14th, 2021 at 4:56:12 PM permalink
Texas winter storm: Federal emergency declaration approved | khou.com
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/federal-emergency-declaration-for-severe-winter-weather-in-texas/285-f242c695-79f9-4f34-a2b2-4af680b0a4e0

"Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures for mass care and sheltering and direct federal assistance will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.
gordonm888
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February 14th, 2021 at 10:45:29 PM permalink
Virtually all air conditioning is powered by electricity, but a lot of building heat (residential and commercial) is powered by natural gas, with some propane and oil. Only heat provided by heat pumps depends upon electricity. Some residences also use wood-burning stoves to produce heat (usually supplemental.) Some large industrial sites burn coal for heat.

That's why electricity consumption is highest during the summer and not during the winter. Very cold temperatures are a strain on natural gas supply, and not so much on electricity.

Whatever problems the arctic temperatures may cause, I see no reason to presume that the national casino industry will be much affected. And the notion that electricity prices will spike by factors of >2-10x is not credible -the marketplace just doesn't work like that.
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
AxelWolf
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February 15th, 2021 at 2:49:06 AM permalink
Quote: gordonm888

Virtually all air conditioning is powered by electricity, but a lot of building heat (residential and commercial) is powered by natural gas, with some propane and oil. Only heat provided by heat pumps depends upon electricity. Some residences also use wood-burning stoves to produce heat (usually supplemental.) Some large industrial sites burn coal for heat.

If they were only smart enough to use candles.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
ChumpChange
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February 15th, 2021 at 7:15:26 AM permalink
Just turned on The Weather Channel. It says 2.6 million customers (or over 5 million people) in Texas don't have power; and over 40K customers don't have power in Louisiana. DFW airport just went to a ground stop and it's 6 degrees outside.

I've got a winter storm warning tonight for 7-14 inches of snow, and a repeat in the forecast a few days later.

Nearly a quarter of CenterPoint Energy customers in Houston are without power, according to Mayor Sylvester Turner. He added issues are beyond the rolling blackouts.
https://www.khou.com/video/news/local/houston-power-outages-mayor-sylvester-turner-update/285-51820f78-1794-49d2-ad5d-c0a9a25c0935

Ice storms knocked out nearly half the wind-power generating capacity of Texas on Sunday as a rare deep freeze across the state locked up turbine towers while driving electricity demand to record levels, the state’s grid operator reported. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AF066?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=twitter

AVERAGE SPOT POWER PRICE ACROSS TEXAS HITS $9,000 CAP ($9/kwhr)

CenterPoint is now telling its customers in the Houston area they could be without power for at least the rest of the day Monday, and probably Tuesday.
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/how-long-do-rolling-blackouts-last/285-20fc4086-964d-4d6f-98f7-7b995fb58a15

MARATHON'S GALVESTON BAY REFINERY SHUTS DUE TO COLD: REUTERS
Luckily nobody needs gasoline since all cars are electric and it now costs $20,000 to charge them.

Galveston City Manager Brian Maxwell confirms Galveston is 100% without power. Damage to homes from freezes could be worse than some hurricanes if it doesn't return soon.

EXXON SHUTTING BEAUMONT TEXAS REFINERY DUE TO SEVERE COLD WEATHER -SOURCES
Last edited by: ChumpChange on Feb 15, 2021
rdw4potus
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February 15th, 2021 at 7:52:15 AM permalink
Quote: gordonm888


Whatever problems the arctic temperatures may cause, I see no reason to presume that the national casino industry will be much affected. And the notion that electricity prices will spike by factors of >2-10x is not credible -the marketplace just doesn't work like that.



I agree that the national casino industry is minimally affected. But I strongly disagree with the remainder of this paragraph. Pricing at PJM West, Northern Illinois Hub, AEP/Dayton Hub is all about 2x higher for yesterday-tomorrow's day-ahead hourlies than it was for the same hours on thursday and friday. And, Texas pricing really is 280x higher than it was last week ($7k/MWh for HE 1700 today, $25 for the same hour on Wednesday at North Zone (Dallas)).
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
ChumpChange
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February 15th, 2021 at 12:42:16 PM permalink
Southwest Power Pool, which controls a power grid spanning 14 states from North Dakota to Oklahoma, has declared an energy emergency and is ordering utilities to start rolling blackouts amid an extreme cold blast that has already taken down parts of Texas’s grid.

The power system operator said in a statement that this is the first time it has ever had to order rolling outages and that it had exhausted all other options for protecting the grid. “It’s a last resort,” the agency said. “It’s a step we’re consciously taking to prevent circumstances from getting worse, which could result in uncontrolled outages of even greater magnitude.”
rdw4potus
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February 15th, 2021 at 1:59:45 PM permalink
MISO isn't looking very good, either. Especially the southern half. 0 issues here in MN, but lots of chatter about LA, AR, MO, and east Texas (Entergy is a MISO customer)
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
mcallister3200
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February 15th, 2021 at 2:53:24 PM permalink
Almost had a Darwin award. Family of six from Houston taken to hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning after using a charcoal grill to heat apartment.
gordonm888
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February 15th, 2021 at 5:35:14 PM permalink
Quote: mcallister3200

Almost had a Darwin award. Family of six from Houston taken to hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning after using a charcoal grill to heat apartment.



They were just emulating EvenBob on a large scale; EB heats his bedroom by burning candles, apparently unaware of the health hazards of combustion gases. Hint: there is a reason why a stovetop in a kitchen must be vented to the exterior of the house.
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
EvenBob
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February 15th, 2021 at 8:22:07 PM permalink
Quote: gordonm888

Virtually all air conditioning is powered by electricity, but a lot of building heat (residential and commercial) is powered by natural gas, with some propane and oil.



A lot of the biggest skyscrapers
in NYC use steam for heat and
to run the air conditioners. City
steam, made by NYC. Since the
late 19th century NYC has sold
steam to buildings, including
the Empire State Bldg. Ever see
those big cone shaped things
in the middle of a NYC street
that have white smoke coming
out of them? Those are steam
vents to regulate the pressure.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
EvenBob
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February 15th, 2021 at 8:24:22 PM permalink
Quote: AxelWolf

If they were only smart enough to use candles.



It's not using candles that's smart,
it's BUYING them right that's the
smart part. Candles are very
expensive per BTU.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
EvenBob
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February 15th, 2021 at 8:32:38 PM permalink
Quote: gordonm888

They were just emulating EvenBob on a large scale; EB heats his bedroom by burning candles, apparently unaware of the health hazards of combustion gases.



Sigh. I posted an article awhile
back that said there is no danger
from candles in an average
ventilated room. In a car, yeah.
Did you ever see the warning
on candle wrappers saying you
can die burning candles in your
bedroom? There isn't one.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
AZDuffman
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February 16th, 2021 at 2:44:24 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

It's not using candles that's smart,
it's BUYING them right that's the
smart part. Candles are very
expensive per BTU.



Any smart prepper buys a ton of those little tea light candles and puts them in their blackout bag.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
ChumpChange
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February 16th, 2021 at 4:05:14 AM permalink
People on the internet complaining their homes are 40 to 50 degrees after 24 hours of the blackout.

LED flashlights & lanterns are what I bought in the last couple years.

I don't think I got more than an inch of snow.
Tanko
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February 16th, 2021 at 4:19:39 AM permalink
Quote: AxelWolf

If they were only smart enough to use candles.



Single females and their candles are a major cause of fires in NYC. They light them in their bedrooms and while taking baths. Then a towel, a robe or a shower curtain catches fire. Or they fall asleep, the candles burn down, and in three minutes, the bedroom is fully involved.

Firefighter to woman watching her apartment engulfed in flames. "Why were you burning candles?" "For ambience" "Works for me. I'm a firefighter."



gamerfreak
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February 16th, 2021 at 4:40:11 AM permalink
My heat is electric heat pump, and we do sometimes lose power in PA during winter.

I was thinking about getting something like this to heat a small bedroom if we lose power for an extended period in the winter -

Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater, Red-Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3AHNWV3KZ6QJCXQXVWV4

Seems like a death trap at first glance, but looking into it I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be safe.

What ever happened to indoor kerosine heaters? Weren’t they all the rage 30-40+ years ago?
Tanko
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February 16th, 2021 at 5:10:08 AM permalink
Quote: gamerfreak


Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater, Red-Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3AHNWV3KZ6QJCXQXVWV4

Seems like a death trap at first glance, but looking into it I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be safe.



Okay for a camp site. Not for enclosed spaces.

Explosion and carbon monoxide hazard.

Tennis star Vitas Gerulaitis died in his sleep due to CO poisoning from a propane heater.
ChumpChange
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February 16th, 2021 at 5:12:51 AM permalink
Auto shut-off if tipped over, if pilot light goes out, or if detects low oxygen levels. Fuel Consumption/Burn Rate (Gal/Hr) at 4000 BTU = 0.044 Gal/Hr, at 9000 BTU = 0.099 Gal/Hr.

The Berzomatic 20 lbs. Empty Propane Tank goes with your gas barbecue grill (sold separately) and accommodates 4.7 Gal. of gas. The tank is refillable so you can use it for years. You can also easily carry it around with you to get refilled and take it wherever you need it your home, RV, vacation home and more.

So 4.7 Gal of gas divided by 20 = 0.235 gal per 1 lb
1 lb would last 5.34 hours at 4000 BTU, and 2.37 hours at 9000 BTU
20 lb would last 106.8 hours at 4000 BTU, and 47.4 hours at 9000 BTU.
Tanko
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February 16th, 2021 at 5:15:39 AM permalink
Quote: ChumpChange

Just turned on The Weather Channel. It says 2.6 million customers (or over 5 million people) in Texas don't have power; and over 40K customers don't have power in Louisiana. DFW airport just went to a ground stop and it's 6 degrees outside.



Imagine when this happens years from now, and millions of people can't charge their electric cars.
gamerfreak
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February 16th, 2021 at 5:20:10 AM permalink
Quote: Tanko

Okay for a camp site. Not for enclosed spaces.

Explosion and carbon monoxide hazard.

Tennis star Vitas Gerulaitis died in his sleep due to CO poisoning from a propane heater.


Right I realize how things similar to this can kill people, but propane is pretty safe indoors and doesn’t always require ventilation.

Where I live in PA, gas service is very uncommon. Most people have large propane tanks outside of their house for cooking and heat .

The heater I linked to says its fine indoors and has a CO detector built in.
ChumpChange
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February 16th, 2021 at 5:28:44 AM permalink
Does the propane truck come around every 3 weeks to refill the outdoor tanks?
ChumpChange
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February 16th, 2021 at 5:49:26 AM permalink
Cellular networks started to go offline as "backup generators at towers are freezing or running out of fuel or both," tweeted County Judge KP George.
4 Million Texans Without Power Amid Grid Collapse, As Second Storm Nears
https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/4-million-texans-without-power-amid-grid-collapse-second-storm-nears
gamerfreak
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February 16th, 2021 at 6:10:04 AM permalink
Quote: ChumpChange

Does the propane truck come around every 3 weeks to refill the outdoor tanks?


Yes, a truck comes to refill the tank. But not every few weeks, maybe once or twice a year depending on what the house is using propane for, the tanks are pretty large.



For most houses it’s just cooking, hot water, and supplemental heat like fire places. But they make other propane appliances like dryers, and believe it or not refrigerators/freezers, which are popular with the Amish.

Oil heat is common here as well. Usually houses have a 500 gallon tank in the basement or underground, that gets a delivery about once a year.

I thought all this was commonplace until I started talking to friends who live outside of PA.
TumblingBones
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February 16th, 2021 at 6:36:35 AM permalink
Look into using a wood pellet heater. I had a friend who lived in a end-of-the grid area of N California and frequently lost power. He had a wood pellet heating system and swore by it. That was ~ 30 years ago and I gather they have gotten more sophisticated since then. From the DOE web site

on wood and pellet heating:
Quote: DOE

Pellet fuel appliances burn compacted pellets usually made of wood, but they can also be derived from other organic materials. Some models can burn nutshells, corn kernels, and small wood chips.

Pellet fuel appliances are more convenient to operate than ordinary wood stoves or fireplaces, and some have much higher combustion and heating efficiencies. As a consequence of this, they produce very little air pollution. In fact, pellet stoves are the cleanest solid fuel, residential heating appliance. Pellet stoves that are certified by the EPA are likely to be in the 70% to 83% efficiency range. Pellet stoves have heating capacities that range between 8,000 and 90,000 Btu per hour. They are suitable for homes as well as apartments or condominiums.....
All pellet fuel appliances have a fuel hopper to store the pellets until they are needed for burning. Most hoppers hold between 35 and 130 pounds (16 and 60 kilograms [kg]) of fuel, which will last a day or more under normal operating conditions. A feeder device, like a large screw, drops a few pellets at a time into the combustion chamber for burning. How quickly pellets are fed to the burner determines the heat output. The exhaust gases are vented by way of a small flue pipe that can be directed out a sidewall or upwards through the roof. More advanced models have a small computer and thermostat to govern the pellet feed rate.

My goal of being well informed conflicts with my goal of remaining sane.
ChumpChange
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February 16th, 2021 at 7:02:46 AM permalink
Quote: Tanko

Okay for a camp site. Not for enclosed spaces.

Explosion and carbon monoxide hazard.

Tennis star Vitas Gerulaitis died in his sleep due to CO poisoning from a propane heater.



Official on TV says don't use gas or propane heaters indoors because of CO poisoning.
ChumpChange
ChumpChange
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February 16th, 2021 at 8:22:03 AM permalink
There's an article about Texas retail power companies urging people to flee the state before the electric bill arrives. It's behind a paywall so I can't read it.
gamerfreak
gamerfreak
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February 16th, 2021 at 8:38:24 AM permalink
Quote: TumblingBones

Look into using a wood pellet heater. I had a friend who lived in a end-of-the grid area of N California and frequently lost power. He had a wood pellet heating system and swore by it. That was ~ 30 years ago and I gather they have gotten more sophisticated since then.


Unfortunately I’m in a small townhouse and have no space. I’m hoping to move in a couple years to something bigger and would love a pellet stove or wood burning stove.
rxwine
rxwine
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February 16th, 2021 at 9:15:00 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

It's not using candles that's smart,
it's BUYING them right that's the
smart part. Candles are very
expensive per BTU.



A snow cave is free and can insulate you from -40F.
Sanitized for Your Protection
rdw4potus
rdw4potus
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February 16th, 2021 at 9:51:03 AM permalink
Quote: Tanko

Imagine when this happens years from now, and millions of people can't charge their electric cars.



That's why you're also supposed to buy Tesla's rooftop solar kit with whole-home battery! Duh:-)

And, worth noting, gasoline pumps require electricity. So much of north Texas can't buy fuel now...
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
unJon
unJon
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February 16th, 2021 at 10:05:32 AM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus

That's why you're also supposed to buy Tesla's rooftop solar kit with whole-home battery! Duh:-)

And, worth noting, gasoline pumps require electricity. So much of north Texas can't buy fuel now...



I was looking into the Tesla system. It’s quite expensive and my area of the Northeast is not the sunniest.
The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but that is the way to bet.
SOOPOO
SOOPOO
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February 16th, 2021 at 10:07:12 AM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus

That's why you're also supposed to buy Tesla's rooftop solar kit with whole-home battery! Duh:-)

And, worth noting, gasoline pumps require electricity. So much of north Texas can't buy fuel now...



Friend bought Chevy Volt. Has solar panels on his house. He says he pays nothing to ‘fill it up’ with electricity. It does have a gas engine backup for longer trips.

Probably a PacoMartin type question..

If we use X gallons of gas/diesel per year in the USA in 2021, what will we use in 2036?
Hunterhill
Hunterhill
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petroglyph
February 16th, 2021 at 10:49:42 AM permalink
Quote: TumblingBones

Look into using a wood pellet heater. I had a friend who lived in a end-of-the grid area of N California and frequently lost power. He had a wood pellet heating system and swore by it. That was ~ 30 years ago and I gather they have gotten more sophisticated since then. From the DOE web site

on wood and pellet heating:
Quote: DOE

Pellet fuel appliances burn compacted pellets usually made of wood, but they can also be derived from other organic materials. Some models can burn nutshells, corn kernels, and small wood chips.

Pellet fuel appliances are more convenient to operate than ordinary wood stoves or fireplaces, and some have much higher combustion and heating efficiencies. As a consequence of this, they produce very little air pollution. In fact, pellet stoves are the cleanest solid fuel, residential heating appliance. Pellet stoves that are certified by the EPA are likely to be in the 70% to 83% efficiency range. Pellet stoves have heating capacities that range between 8,000 and 90,000 Btu per hour. They are suitable for homes as well as apartments or condominiums.....
All pellet fuel appliances have a fuel hopper to store the pellets until they are needed for burning. Most hoppers hold between 35 and 130 pounds (16 and 60 kilograms [kg]) of fuel, which will last a day or more under normal operating conditions. A feeder device, like a large screw, drops a few pellets at a time into the combustion chamber for burning. How quickly pellets are fed to the burner determines the heat output. The exhaust gases are vented by way of a small flue pipe that can be directed out a sidewall or upwards through the roof. More advanced models have a small computer and thermostat to govern the pellet feed rate.

most wood pellet stoves also require electricity that’s why I went with a wood stove.
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