My solar water heater to be installed today.

[trof]

4' X 10' self draining panel on south facing roof.
80 gal. tank.
A recirc pump and plumbing to get instant hot water to bathrooms at other end of house.
No more 2-3 gallons of perfectly good water down the drain waiting for shower to heat up.
Total cost around $5200.
Approx. $1600 tax credit.
Net cost $3600.

Payback 4-5 years at CURRENT electricity prices.
Faster as prices rise.
Which they will.

[madokie]

1. cool

I'm not sure it cost so much to heat water with resistance though as to have a payback in such a short time. Our total electric bill is 70 some bucks a month, averaged. We use an airconditioner for a good 5 months or so a year and its factored in that total cost to us. So what gives?

[BrklynLib at work]

2. You must have VERY cheap electricity where you are.

My bill is around $100.00 per month, and that is without the cost of air-conditioning which I use only in the Summer. I have a 2 bedroom apt, and unplug EVERYTHING except the refrigerator when I am not using it. That includes the microwave, my PC, the TV and VCR, and all the other appliances that drain power even when not in use.

[madokie]

3. we're total electric except for wood pellet heat

we pay 8 cents per kwh. What do you pay?

[BrklynLib at work]

5. I have Con Edison as a provider.....

<snip>
Some customers, particularly larger commercial and industrial users, have been pressing the state to reduce electric rates quickly. The state has some of the highest rates in the nation, and some companies have threatened to move out of the state.

Con Edison's rates are exceeded by several utilities in Hawaii and by the Long Island Lighting Company. Lilco, which may be taken over by the state, was not required to file a plan yesterday for reducing rates.

The freeze proposed by Con Edison would lock in rates of about 13.5 cents a kilowatt hour. The national average rate last year was 7.2 cents a kilowatt hour.

<snip>

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0DE2DA163FF931A35753C1A960958260

[kristopher]

9. self delete

[One_Life_To_Give]

4. $100/ mo for the Fridge?

That sounds awfully high to me. I think something is running very inefficently. Does your hot water heater also run in this $100 total or is it truly just the fridge? If it is you could probably cut that bill in half with a more efficient model.

[BrklynLib at work]

6. I do have three ceiling fans that are on all day, and one clock/radio.

I do not pay for heat/hot water. My landlord does.
Perhaps the problem is more than mere efficiency. I should have the company come in and make sure that I am not subsidizing someone else's electric usage. But, a new refrigerator sounds like a wonderful idea, anyway.

[jpak]

8. I saw a Kenmore Energy Star fridge on sale for $499 that uses 375 kWh per year

If your fridge is that old and inefficient, it would pay for itself pretty quickly...

[LiberalEsto]

13. Amen to that

In January we replaced a 10-year-old Maytag refrigerator (which was forever having problems - the brand has gone completely downhill) with a new energy efficient Kenmore that was on sale.

I did a lot of research at the Energy Star web site and on consumer ratings to pick it, then waited until the model I wanted was on sale.

Our monthly KW usage has been cut by about 33%. It runs almost soundlessly and keeps food much better and longer. It cost about $800.

One other thing we did that helped cut electric usage with the new refrigerator. We never connected the automatic icemaker, which uses a lot of power.

Since the kids moved out and it's just me and DH, we don't use a lot of ice. I picked up two nice lidded Tupperware ice cube trays for next to nothing at a yard sale, and that's enough ice for us.

Refrigerators use an unbelievable amount of energy, especially old ones. Hanging on to an old refrigerator as a beer cooler is a huge waste of electricity. Even worse is keeping the old refirgerator someplace like an un-airconditioned garage that gets hot in the summer.

[trof]

10. I'm paying an average of $.10 per KWH

2300 sq. ft. house in subtropical zone.
All electric.
Heated and cooled by heat pump.
Average bill is around $130.

[jpak]

7. K&R and good on you trof!!

:toast:

[trof]

11. Update:

3 guys came to install at 8:30 a.m.
Said "2-3 hour job".
We left for a get together with friends at 5:30 p.m.
"You guys lock up when you leave."
;-)

They were gone when we returned around 8:30.
And wouldn't you know the first day it's installed the sky is overcast.
:-(

[madokie]

14. Kudo's to you. This is great news all around

Its good that you did this to start with as it gives us a positive example to draw from when any of us might be making the decision to do the same and the install without a hitch is another plus for our cause. As is said Rome wasn't built in one day, nor was it built by one person, it took many like minded individuals much effort so it is important that we keep on doing the little things that together will turn into big things.

Been working on lowering my carbon footprint in earnest since the winter of '92, long before it was cool :-)

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. *jealous* Gratz!