Lost Electricity

 xposted: alt.energy.homepower,alt.home.repair.misc.rural

Our average electricity usage for the last 6 years for December is 653 kwh
with a range of 120.  December 07 our usage was 682 kwh. This would not have
been unusual except for the fact that, due to an ice storm, we had NO
electricity for 6.5 days.  Billing cycle per the bill was 31 days. I was
expecting a bill 20% lower than the average bill and was dismayed when it
was actually higher.  So far this month of January,  we are using at the
about average rate (22kwh/day) as we did in December, the only odd thing is
that we had NO power of nearly a week in December.  I've spoken with a few
neighbors who also lost power and 'come to think of it' their bill went up
or didn't go down as much as they would have expected for a 20-25% time of
no usage.  I ask the REC and they said we 'just used more'.  They also tried
to blame 'recovery usage'.  I'm not buying it.  They claim they didn't
estimate the bill and when I received the bill I immediately checked and the
meter reading seemed in line with normal. I'm talking KWH her not $$ which
can be affected by rate changes, surcharge and taxes etc.

Facts:
During the ice storm we used a gas generator intermittently during the
daylight to power the freezer, tv, occasional PC and a few lights .
We relied 100% on wood heat, never falling below 60F.  
For the entire billing period we did nothing that we can think of unusual
that would increase the consumption over the previous December.   No extra
Xmas lights,  no 'recovery' usage after power restoration other than 1
refrigerator .
Normal is LP furnace supplemented by high efficiency wood fireplace.
Gas water heater and stove.
Elec clothes dryer.
1 powered outbuilding.
We live ¼ mile away from nearest neighbor so no chance of somebody running
an extension cord and stealing from us.

After receiving the bill, I shut the power off below the meter and it quit
turning. We've done some other testing by turning off house circuit breakers
and watching the meter but have isolated nothing unusual yet. With all house
breakers off the meter stops.  I have purchase a Kill-a -Watt and have begun
looking for the energy thief.  I've found nothing yet, although the KAW is
fun and interesting.

Where would the electricity go?
When reconnecting the lines, can a 'surge' spin the meter forward?
Previously we had 2 lines coming into our neighborhood, both lines fell but
only 1 was reconnected to restore power. Can this have any bearing?
What am I missing?
What other testing can I do?
 
Your thoughts and comments appreciated.

Steve IA

  On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:40:37 -0600, Steve IA wrote:


Check your utility bill to see if it is an estimate or direct read.  Some
utilities try to save money by not reading meters every month.  Instead
they take an average.  Any differences are made up in subsequent billing
cycles.

Have you called the utility to find out what they think?  

 wrote:


It can be frustrating for a poster to write a detailed description of
a situation, only to read a response from somebody who obviously
didn't read it.

Here is the part of the OP's posting that should have prevented your
question:


I suspect that some utilities have lax procedures that benefit them,
but are only detectable during situations like this.

Bernardo

      I would not rule out an estimate.  They could have under estimated the
prior month and while the current "month" was not directly based on an
estimate, it would have included the automatic adjustment for the past
month.


Joseph Meehan

 Dia 's Muire duit

 

 
Get a clamp on amp meter that goes to 0,01 amp, not found a stores but
electric supply houses, a 35$ Greenlee is good. Clamp on each circut
on your panel to check consumption and compare it to what is plugged
in by their watt ratings, then check with everything off, then
unplugged. You might find a direct short to ground. When you are done
you will know what everything uses in power and standby and know what
to change. Dec is maybe the darkest month so you of course use more
electricty to light you home turning lights on earlier and off later.
Your boiler or furnace runs more consuming more electricity. Try CFLs
and unlugging things not used,  most everything takes standby power
and wastes electricity not even being used, even you garage door can
be put on a switch. I found my sprinkler system timer was costing me
1$ a month over the winter being left plugged in. 680 kwh is alot, im
down to 200-275 or so