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Electric rates around NH

Started by slim, June 29, 2008, 07:55 AM NHFT

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jaqeboy


MaineShark

Quote from: 41mag on July 07, 2008, 07:34 AM NHFT
Quote from: slim on June 29, 2008, 07:55 AM NHFTI was wondering if anyone knew where in NH the lowest electric rates (including delivery charges) are at? Where I currently live there are some towns have very cheap electricity some are very expensive. I am pretty sure anywhere I move to in NH will be lower because I live in a area that has the 2nd highest rates in the US. I would like to live somewhere that I can put in a outdoor hot tub and these usually heat the water using electricity and if you have high electricity rates this can get very expensive.
As another option I know Maineshark has mentioned a wood burning hot tub.  You may want to ask him about one.

Using electricity for heat, directly, is always expensive.

Electricity can be used for running heat pumps, which simply move heat around - your refrigerator contains a heat pump, pumping heat out of the insulated box, into the surrounding room.  There is available heat energy in the air and the ground, even during the winter (although the air-source heat energy gets expensive to use when it gets really cold out), and that can be utilized for heating purposes.

Fuel-based heating is still more economical, if the right fuels are used.  Wood is extremely affordable in NH, and if you own enough acreage, you can be self-sufficient (it helps to have a decent wood-burning system, since inefficient sorts use two or three times as much wood, which gets pricey when you need to buy more land to support that).  Wood-fired heating systems can supply space heating, domestic hot water (even during the summer - about one fire per week for a typical family), and even fun things like melting the snow off your driveway instead of plowing, or heating a hot tub.

There are also directly wood-fired hot tubs, the better sorts of which contain a submerged woodstove.

A properly-sized solar collector (hot water, not electric) can also be used to heat something like a hot tub.

Lots of options.

Joe

jaqeboy

The Office of Consumer Advocate is supposed to argue for the consumer in dockets before the PUC re utility rates and other issues.

Here's the OCA's latest newsletter:
=======================================
Here are some of the topics in this issue of The Ratewatcher:

Ø       Ways to reduce heating costs this winter
Ø       Resources and funds to make energy efficient improvements
Ø       Energy efficiency improvements made and costs saved by actual NH consumers
Ø       Savings tips from Hollywood actor and long time environmentalist, Ed Begley, Jr.
Ø       Responses of the OCA to consumer questions

Please visit http://www.oca.nh.gov/Newsletters/OCA%20Fall%2008%20RateWatcher%20091008.pdf to read this edition of The Ratewatcher.

If you require paper copies of this newsletter, please contact me.  Please feel free to copy or otherwise share this newsletter with others.  Also, you may visit view our website, www.oca.nh.gov, to view present and past newsletters and to obtain other important utility-industry information.

Christina Martin
Legal Assistant
Office of Consumer Advocate
21 S. Fruit Street, Ste 18
Concord, NH 03301
603-271-1172
christina.martin@oca.nh.gov
www.oca.nh.gov