717 replies to this topic

[tjv]

You don't get to complain about electricity costs when you heat 7000 sq ft and don't even bother using smart thermostats to lower temps at night.

With heat pumps you set the temperature you want and forget about it.  Yes I have smart thermostats and tried to vary the temperature depending on when I was home and then heat it up again when I got back.  I did an experiment and turned down the temp when I was asleep and away and the next day full temps 24/7.  I checked my smart meter consumption online and its the same cost

 

Plus I get a toasty house when I get up to go to the bathroom even if my heated bathroom floors are also on

 

Was that $1k for one month or two?

2

[LJ]

I agree, heat pumps take forever to heat up a house if you dropped the temp overnight. I drop mine to 65F overnight and then 72F in the morning. Problem is the smart thermometers measure the outside temp and then determine how long it will take to get the house up to 72F. If it is quite cold outside the thermostat decides that as soon as the house gets to about 68F they kick in the heat pumps because they know it will take 5-6 hours to get you back up to 72F.

 

I had a gas furnace in my last house in the lower mainland with a multi speed fan and burner. It would bring the house up to temp in 20 minutes with the high speed fan and full burner and then keep it there all day with a quarter speed fan and burner.

[jonny]

2

 

Your hydro bill was less per square foot than my condo...lol

 

$1,000 / 7,000 = $0.14 / sq ft

 

Ours most recent bill was $145 / 817 = $0.18 / sq ft

[Mike K.]

I still can't help but think how easy we have it here. Folks anywhere else in this country are paying $500+ per month for six months of the year.

[LeoVictoria]

Good idea to have gas in your house as well. Then you can switch between hydro or gas depending on what is cheaper at the time.
When it’s cold out I bias the thermostat towards using the gas furnace as it seems to be cheaper than the heat pump (which is less efficient at low temps)

[tjv]

^must be nice to have availability of gas

[LeoVictoria]

Now that Site C is going ahead I think BC Hydro should offer incentives to switch to heat pumps from oil/gas/baseboards by excluding the heating load from their Step 2 calculations.    

[nagel]

Now that Site C is going ahead I think BC Hydro should offer incentives to switch to heat pumps from oil/gas/baseboards by excluding the heating load from their Step 2 calculations.    

omfg yes I get hosed on two tier from my heat pump

[Jackerbie]

Now that Site C is going ahead I think BC Hydro should offer incentives to switch to heat pumps from oil/gas/baseboards by excluding the heating load from their Step 2 calculations.    

 

If BC Hydro doesn't offer incentives, municipalities have the authority to mandate energy efficiency in new construction under the new Step Code

[Linear Thinker]

I have a mix of gas furnace (and hot water) and electric baseboard.

Furnace for the older main part of the house, baseboard for later additions.

Maybe 10 years ago the monthly payments were about equal.

With the drops in natural gas rates, and increases in Hydro rates, my hydro is now over 3X the natural gas.

 

Good idea to have gas in your house as well. Then you can switch between hydro or gas depending on what is cheaper at the time.
When it’s cold out I bias the thermostat towards using the gas furnace as it seems to be cheaper than the heat pump (which is less efficient at low temps)

[Mike K.]

About 4,000 customers are without power in Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay due to downed wires. No further info.

[nerka]

Crappy wood stoves are a huge source of air pollution in built up areas.    More and more we are realizing how harmful those microparticles really are and how much they are costing us in healthcare costs.    Good thing they are getting phased out. 

Drive into Cumberland on a still winter night and it's like sticking your head down a chimney. Talk about second hand smoke.  From the amount of smoke and the smell lots of people burning wet wood and a few burning garbage.

[nerka]

Now that Site C is going ahead I think BC Hydro should offer incentives to switch to heat pumps from oil/gas/baseboards by excluding the heating load from their Step 2 calculations.    

https://www.bchydro....es/rebates.html

 

http://oiltoheatpump...entive-details/

[LeoVictoria]

https://www.bchydro....es/rebates.html

http://oiltoheatpump...entive-details/

Sure but the problem is you get a rebate then they punish you with Step 2 rates. Heating load should not be included in the calculation for Step 2.

[nerka]

Heating load should not be included in the calculation for Step 2.

Interesting idea - but how would you put it into practice. BC Hydro doesn't "know" what your heating load is and probably can only guess at what your heat source is.

 

And to be a devil's advocate - why should I want to subsidize with cheap rates someone with a 6000 sqft house and a heat pump more than someone with a 600 sqft house and baseboards.

[jonny]

I still can't help but think how easy we have it here. Folks anywhere else in this country are paying $500+ per month for six months of the year.

 

I know people living down south who pay $500+ per month for a/c. 

[tjv]

And to be a devil's advocate - why should I want to subsidize with cheap rates someone with a 6000 sqft house and a heat pump more than someone with a 600 sqft house and baseboards.

why should I subsidize someone who has an all electric car that is not contributing taxes to roads, etc?

 

why should I subsidize someone who is burning wood cut on their property to heat their house and causing significant air pollution?

 

why should I subsidize the guy on welfare who doesn't get a job when he is perfectly capable?

 

this list is endless

[VicHockeyFan]

^ Indeed

[nerka]

why should I subsidize someone who has an all electric car that is not contributing taxes to roads, etc?

 

why should I subsidize someone who is burning wood cut on their property to heat their house and causing significant air pollution?

 

why should I subsidize the guy on welfare who doesn't get a job when he is perfectly capable?

 

this list is endless

If you don't have natural gas, then electric heat pump is already your cheapest "fuel" for heating in southern BC. There is no good argument to subsidize something that is already the cheapest option. Subsidize the install by all means as that is an expensive obstacle for some people.

[LJ]

$800 off a $20,000 bill is not likely to motivate many folks.