289 replies to this topic

[Sparky]

^ Stages and zones are different. LJ might be asking about heating a living room and a bedroom, which the nest can not do without relays.......also not that practical to have electric heat being controlled by a thermostat that is not located in that room.

The "stages" are for heaters that might have two or three elements in it, all heating the same area, like electric backup in a heat pump. It is more about the time it takes to heat a zone. Really cold days might call for all elements to come on.

[pherthyl]

^ Stages and zones are different. LJ might be asking about heating a living room and a bedroom, which the nest can not do without relays.......also not that practical to have electric heat being controlled by a thermostat that is not located in that room.

Hence why I said it doesn't support multiple zones due to lacking support for external temperature sensors.

[Sparky]

Hence why I said it doesn't support multiple zones due to lacking support for external temperature sensors.

Thanks I knew you had it right, I just didn't want LJ to go off course. Those are a heck of a good thermostat though. Smart as the dickens. Thanks for bringing it up.

[LJ]

Yes, I rethought what I wanted to do and the Nest would work fine, the next time one of my Honeywell's fails I will replace with one.

Those that are using them, do you have Generation 1 or 2?

[pherthyl]

Yes, I rethought what I wanted to do and the Nest would work fine, the next time one of my Honeywell's fails I will replace with one.

Those that are using them, do you have Generation 1 or 2?

Gen 1. Gen 2 was out but it wouldnt have made a difference for our simple system so I figured might as well save the difference. Internals are the same, software the same, gen 2 supports some more advanced systems.

[pherthyl]

Yes, I rethought what I wanted to do and the Nest would work fine, the next time one of my Honeywell's fails I will replace with one.

Those that are using them, do you have Generation 1 or 2?

By the way, another popular one is the Ecobee. Not as dead simple and streamlined as the Nest but more options and geekery. http://www.ecobee.com/

[arfenarf]

Holy Doodle. Just spent about $2k putting insulation into the attic and walls of my 40's era home.



Guess what day the guys came and did it?

[pherthyl]

Holy Doodle. Just spent about $2k putting insulation into the attic and walls of my 40's era home.



Guess what day the guys came and did it?

Nice! Looks like payback on that is about 4-5 years. (based on saving 25kwh/day for half the year).

[Jill]

CBC has a story about a condo building in Burnaby that experienced overbilling and had no luck getting Hydro to admit anything was wrong until the media got involved.

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...ling-error.html

[Sparky]

^ Great post Jill. Thank you for that. The bloody crooks.

[VicHockeyFan]

^ Great post Jill. Thank you for that. The bloody crooks.

Look, it's definitely a big screw-up by BC Hydro, and they MUST put a better system in place than just telling people that "it's your fault... shut off your breakers..." etc.

But I still think that most people, including the "student" Sayed surely can do a little better detective work.

I mean, do the bills not show meter readings each month? Can the customer, and BC Hydro not both see that these bills were estimates in that they did not show the new ACTUAL meter readings?

By calling up that online gizmo that shows usage, could they both not see that there was no actual readings?

I mean, if my bill goes from $100 to $500, I'm going to do some math and see how that's possible, based on the appliances I have. Electrical usage is not that hard to figure out, a 100 watt light bulb uses .1 kwh. It's grade 8 or 9 math. (Must be, Sparky is an electrician! )

[Sparky]

^ Yes, but it's not that easy for some people to figure that out. I am sure that hydro gets a lot of calls saying their bill is too high. Rather than puking out a standard response to turn their thermostat down, why didn't they check the math themselves?

It should be easy for them to look up the account and tell the customer that they were estimating usage instead of measuring it.

[VicHockeyFan]

^ Yes, but it's not that easy for some people to figure that out. I am sure that hydro gets a lot of calls saying their bill is too high. Rather than puking out a standard response to turn their thermostat down, why didn't they check the math themselves?

It should be easy for them to look up the account and tell the customer that they were estimating usage instead of measuring it.

I agree. Even though BCH gets all those calls, and 97% are whack-jobs with no basis for their "high-bill" claims, they must do better.

[pherthyl]

^ Yes, but it's not that easy for some people to figure that out. I am sure that hydro gets a lot of calls saying their bill is too high. Rather than puking out a standard response to turn their thermostat down, why didn't they check the math themselves?

It should be easy for them to look up the account and tell the customer that they were estimating usage instead of measuring it.

Heck, they should just print it right on the statement.
Or maybe if they can't turn on their damn meters they should lose the right to charge for electricity!

[Ismo07]

I agree. Even though BCH gets all those calls, and 97% are whack-jobs with no basis for their "high-bill" claims, they must do better.

I thought my bills were quite high but didn't question it (I trust government agencies ).

2 Months ago I saw an annual adjustment for just over $1000 and figured it was for the overbilling.

[pherthyl]

I thought my bills were quite high but didn't question it (I trust government agencies ).

2 Months ago I saw an annual adjustment for just over $1000 and figured it was for the overbilling.

The problem is that you're lending them money for free in the interim. If they want to collect extra money, they should be paying it back with interest if it was collected in error.

[LJ]

The problem is that you're lending them money for free in the interim. If they want to collect extra money, they should be paying it back with interest if it was collected in error.

And, of course, if they undercharged, you would be fine with paying them that same interest?

[pherthyl]

And, of course, if they undercharged

Good one

[sebberry]

I wonder what day I plugged the air conditioners in...



Also I wonder what's with that few days of zero consumption...

[pherthyl]

I wonder what day I plugged the air conditioners in...



Also I wonder what's with that few days of zero consumption...

Click on the day. it might say no data if the meter wasnt transmitting