Heating season has arrived and that means much bigger B.C. Hydro bills since we heat our house with an electrically-powered heat pump. (We don’t have one of those super-insulated houses with fancy heat exchangers where you can leave the heat off into December.)
Using more electricity naturally means paying more. But there’s also a rate hike as we use more, and that hike will hit our household in the next few days.
Under B.C. Hydro’s two-rate system, usage over 1,332 kWh during our current two-month billing cycle costs 11.27 cents per kWh, up from 7.52 cents. The higher rate is meant to encourage me to use less, so that B.C. Hydro doesn’t have to spend big money to increase its electricity supply.
I wrote about the nitty-gritty of all this in an earlier post.
We got through the summer without hitting tier-two, and I thought we might be able to get through the early fall as well. But it’s not happening. With eight days to go before the start of the next billing cycle we have only about 120 kWh left at the 7.52 cent rate. Based on our recent pace of usage, that means we’ll have to pay the higher rate for about four days.
I could avoid using the oven and the dryer these final days, and maybe just sponge-bath instead of showering. But that might be seen as too obsessive, even for me.
Our electric use will soar in the next four months as heating season really kicks in. There’ll be no avoiding many, many days of that higher rate. So, I’ll just have to get use to it.
If you have a residential B.C. Hydro account, you can check your usage after signing up at bchydro.com.
The new energy monitors, which you have to buy, also show what's happening with the price of electricity.
- - -
- - -
Most-popular posts:
Review: B.C. Hydro’s EMU-2, energy monitor and nag
Figuring out how to eat unfamiliar foods properly, like dosa
Despite hassles, travellers pack public transit for ferry trips
To stay cool, leave house windows closed or open?
A guide to public toilets in downtown Victoria
How to block unwanted text messages
Why B.C. Hydro bills sting more on Vancouver Island
Why newer dishwashers run for an alarmingly long time
Riding the ferry for fun, and for the buffet
Most credit cards charge 2.5% for currency conversion; a few charge 0%
Why paying $720 for a phone can be a better deal than a 2-year contract
Tips to make applying for a passport a little easier
How to pronounce Ucluelet, Tsawwassen, and that outdoor gear place
How to travel between Victoria and Vancouver on public transit
- - -
