Energy bills getting out of hand.

[rmk600700]

Biggest mistake in Alberta history is privatizing power and gas. I own property in both AB and sask and will take the crowns I sask 100 times over. Easy to deal with and rates are reasonable without the BS overhead charges. From the government standpoint they make over 200 million a year combined! It’s a win for both the residents and the government! When old walnuts looked into selling Sasktel he quickly realized the people don’t have any interest in ****ty service and higher prices from the competition. Selling off a crown is like using your visa to pay your mortgage looks good for a short time lol

also keep in mind there is only a million people in sask so in Alberta the profits should be significantly higher due to 4x the population

 

[j335]

Did nobody lock into a fixed rate a year ago? We were hitting the 6.8 cents max for about a year while the fixed rate lock ins were about 5.9 cents, was a no brainer to lock in for several years.

 

[Greg5658]

Sorry I don't feel sorry for you guys. Here in rural MB it's $700 a month to heat a small energy efficient house and a small energy efficient shop.

 

[ABMax24]

Don't laugh.. for me to get my wood stove added on my policy was an extra $1000 per year... granted I am a log home. For $1000 per year I disconnected the chimney and insurance considers it out of service. Pisses me off every time I walk by it.

Shouldn't be that much, I pay less than $1200/yr total on my house, wood stove added about $130. We are through the Co-operators.

 

[ABMax24]

My biggest total bill this winter has been $170. $70 for gas and $100 for power. In the summer we are about $50 for gas and about $40 for power.

I like tax free energy, wood stove in the basement and solar panels on the roof.

 

[tex78]

Don't worry...the NDP will get around to outlawing the burning of wood....or taxing the phukk out of it.

Fawk them lol, good luck finding out how much I burn

 

[tex78]

Don't laugh.. for me to get my wood stove added on my policy was an extra $1000 per year... granted I am a log home. For $1000 per year I disconnected the chimney and insurance considers it out of service. Pisses me off every time I walk by it.

Screw that, for 1000 a year I. D still use it

I'm sitting beside mine right now, nothing like wood heat


And I don't think I pay any more for insurance with wood stove, and our house is all wood cedar, stove is wet inspected

Just don't tell them is the primary heat source, which mine isn't as if we're gone, the electric heat is the main source

Wood is just the heat source so the electric don't kick in lol

 

[catalac]

Gotta love the carbon tax on there... damn near 50% of the actual gas charge. Fckers.

 

[doorfx]

Fawk them lol, good luck finding out how much I burn

They will tax what you burn and the smoke you emit.

 

[tex78]

They will tax what you burn and the smoke you emit.

Lmfao, how

I bet 90% of people in this area burn wood


And reason why is cause, there is no natural gas here, stops on south side of Mara lake and east side of canoe

The infrastructure to put it in would be huge, there was talk of getting a discount on power here also, because of this and only way to heat

Most places have baseboards or electric furnace, there real cheap to run

And propane us option, but stupid expensive also

 

[ABMax24]

They will tax what you burn and the smoke you emit.

While I agree that someone in government has also thought of this, the mechanics of making it work elude me. The only practical way would be to tax the wood when it's bought, or have a flat tax for a wood burning appliance. The first way is difficult since I don't know anyone that buys wood, not to mention it's often sold by people with just a pickup and chainsaw that aren't paying taxes on the revenue anyway. A flat tax is also hard, how would the government know who's got one and who doesn't, I don't see the CRA driving around rural Alberta and BC to check, although that kind of wasteful policy is right up their alley.

 

[sirkdev]

Shouldn't be that much, I pay less than $1200/yr total on my house, wood stove added about $130. We are through the Co-operators.

so am I

 

[sirkdev]

it is not the primary I have central air. This only came up once I started dissecting our policy to see why rates were so high.

Screw that, for 1000 a year I. D still use it

I'm sitting beside mine right now, nothing like wood heat


And I don't think I pay any more for insurance with wood stove, and our house is all wood cedar, stove is wet inspected

Just don't tell them is the primary heat source, which mine isn't as if we're gone, the electric heat is the main source

Wood is just the heat source so the electric don't kick in lol

 

[pfi572]

it is not the primary I have central air. This only came up once I started dissecting our policy to see why rates were so high.

That right there is why most will argue that there’s doesn’t cost what it does ?
Not comparing apples to apples like normal ?
It’s like flood insurance a few years ago after the Calgary BS.
Ours changed so it would only cover up to $35000 . What’s that cover if a line breaks while away .
Only one insurance company that will cover over that and guess what ? Price went up .
People around me argued for a bit and then said hey ? Your right . Lol
Acreage owner .
Kids put a wood burning stove in a few years ago and insurance went up $1000 ish as soon as they disclosed .
Don’t disclose and something happens ? No insurance at all .

 

[tejay]

I burned wood for many many years along with oil backup but after the insurance company started hassling me about the inground oil tank I removed it and went above ground. Following that I upgraded the electrical service to 200 A and installed a heat pump . We are very happy with it . Heat , AC , HWT , lights , and I keep the shop/garage at about 5c for the winter. All in electrical bills for a year are around 2000. No carbon tax is a bonus although the two tier hydro billing where you are punished for using more is a sore spot. Miss the wood heat though as you get spoiled with the temperature, can’t hang out in my gaunch anymore because it’s no longer 78 f in the house. Have to keep in mind though that Revelstoke is generally a lot warmer than Alberta or Saskatchewan where the heat pump may not be feasible and you guys have natural gas anyway which we do not ( we only have have propane in Revelstoke) The heat pump is good to about -12

 

[X-it]

BC hydro has amazing programs to educate people on power usage.. team power smart. If you reduce your usage by 10% they gave you 75 dollars. I got it 3 years in a row. My bills now are 40 dollars a month, even with the new crappy NDP policies. Anything electrically heated is expensive. So easiest way to reduce is LED bulbs, Cook with gas or propane, when cooking with electricity use insta pots or toaster ovens, use cast iron for cooking on..way less energy. Dry your clothes outside, wash dishes by hand, make sure your hot water tank is gas.

 

[freeflorider]

Eliminate all heating costs. Let’s move south and ditch this country.

 

[lilduke]

Eliminate all heating costs. Let’s move south and ditch this country.

I think that's why so.many people in warm places don't bother with jobs. why work when you can catch fish and live on the beach.

 

[freeflorider]

I think that's why so.many people in warm places don't bother with jobs. why work when you can catch fish and live on the beach.

The benefits of living in a third world country. You can even park your ride at the beach when fishing and not worry about some jack off from a towing company pulling it away or getting a ticket for no parking pass.

2 weeks away from a month down in Central America again. Funny thing is our April power and gas bills will be the same even through we are away. Mmmm almost like there rigged.

 

[lilduke]

The benefits of living in a third world country. You can even park your ride at the beach when fishing and not worry about some jack off from a towing company pulling it away or getting a ticket for no parking pass.

2 weeks away from a month down in Central America again. Funny thing is our April power and gas bills will be the same even through we are away. Mmmm almost like there rigged.

they don't look at the meter every month, they just guestimate how much you are using most the time.