well, sat down again...

...to not write a check to the greedy utility company. felt good to sit down and it felt good to not write a check.

Jennifer,
How much would I have to invest to produce 4,500,000 kw-hrs of energy during the winter months? Where I live we are lucky to 8 hours of useable sun light in the winter and half of those days are cloudy.

I don't want to invest gas powered generators. My system must be able to start a 5 hp air compressor, a 13 inch wood planner, 3/4 hp well, a 220v 225 amp welder, a 3 ton A/C, a 220v electric range(50amp), many electric baseboard heaters, and 5500 watt water heater. So the short of it, I want to replace my 200 amp 220v service, without changing a thing. How much will it cost so I can tell my not so gready power company to disconnect me?

I really don't mind spending a fixed $135 a month for what I have. My bill is fixed, not averaged. Fixed for the next 12 months, it's $135/mo PERIOD.
George

George,

I have access to resources that compute this, send me an email. They can do cost analysis and have all the climate data.

email is open

So is mine

(quoted from post at 14:29:40 08/06/14) ...to not write a check to the greedy utility company. felt good to sit down and it felt good to not write a check.

Click to expand...

Its pretty easy to to drop a ton of cash on a solar system that will never pay for itself when you dont have to pay anything for the house you are living in...

Me, I would rather own my home and pay a couple bucks for my electric. But thats just me...

With all due respect, I do not consider our utility company "greedy". They provide a good, stable source of power 24/7. We've experienced very few equipment outages lately. When a an area breaker does pop the newer ones seem to auto-reset. Most of the time, outages are weather related and they get most people back on in hours or days at the latest.

They also have to contend with all the tree-huggers that have got the state (MI) to mandate some 20% must be renewable, so they've got to invest tons of money in wind farms, solar, etc.

Contrast that with other countries where the power NEVER stays on 24/7. Friend comes from Lebanon and their power goes out regularly. Private companies have generators and run utility cords up to high-rise apartments (million dollar pads) that people plug into so they can run a fridge and TV. They pay these private party "backups" $ 400/month. And that's just for the backup, doesn't include main utility costs. The government is so corrupt, they won't invest in the power grid because they're being bribed by these generator companies and the guys who peddle the diesel fuel to run the gensets.

India has regular blackouts because they don't have the generator capacity.

Yup, that greedy DTE utility here in Michigan keeps my power on and stable +/- a few volts 24/7 for about 8-10 cents/kwh. Shame on them. :wink:

Yeah, right, we would all be much beter off if all of those greedy utility companies that employ millions of people in the US and pay good wages and millions in taxes went bankrupt.

Whenever you have an investor owned business, be it electric or otherwise, you will have a certain amount of greed. Investors want a sizeable return on their investment, not just nickles and dimes.
A lot of people are unaware that in areas of this country, where the population is thin, a consumer must bear the expense of constructing the power line from the feeder line to their house. I have read where it would cost thousands of dollars to run a line into an isolated area. In this case, it would be cheaper to go with solar power. This is not my opinion, this is based on articles I have read relating the experiences of various people.

Our "greedy" co-op, owned by us, is mandated by the MN Legislature, in its infinite wisdom, to pay RETAIL price for the electricity produced by every wind generator that is hooked to its (our) lines.

I asked our manager about that....WE are forced to provide the infrastructure to distribute THEIR electricity at retail rates....ie, no profit margin. Yup, thank our wonderful lawmakers. They also mandated a high percentage of power (20-30%?) from other than coal/nuclear. Metro supported that, of course- the towers are in rural MN.

If the desire to make returns is greed then greed is good because the ""greedy"" investors are the ones who put up the money to start and expand businesses. I live in one of those thinly populated areas and paid to have a power line run years ago and ran my own water line 1/2 mile from the main road but I chose to do build where I built so I cannot expect any company to spend more than they will make for my personal convienence. One of my Sons just paid for his own power line to his place which is off the beaten track.

Bought an investment house a few years ago near my property. The main natural gas line stopped at the house next door. Enquired to get natural gas and get off propane. Cost was $8000 to extend the main but would be reduced if at least 10 homes downstream signed up. No one did. so I ended up bearing the entire cost to get it to my house. Some would say "Greedy utility company to charge $ 8000 to extend a main about 400 ft". No complaints of the utility company from me. It was my choice to buy there, it was my choice to bring the gas in. I'm happy to be on natural gas, especially after last winter's propane roller coaster ride. Figure I'll just add the $8k to the cost basis of the house.

You're right, they are greedy!

You should start your own electricity company and do it for free!

That would show 'em!

Are the farmers greedy too? The store owners? The mechanic? He wants $1,000 to put a new oil pump in my truck, and I know that part only costs $160! So darned greedy!

Of course, you're not greedy. And I'm not greedy.

Millions of people out there pursuing their individual best interests is what makes, and sustains, a free market. And that's why many of us feel that government regulations, especially on a federal level, is bad for all of us because it limits competition. More people would like to compete with those Big Greedy Energy companies, but massive federal red tape keeps them from being able to do so.

But if you were to ask me, which you haven't, I admit, I'd tell you that I think the Federal Government is the greediest of them all. VA big wigs are getting bonuses this year after we've learned their dereliction led to veterans dying. Greedy bastards!

The Federal government does not create nor produce anything, and yet it consumes a huge portion of our gross nation product.

They create nothing. They only consume tax dollars.

How greedy is that?