Utility rates

SpeyFitter

I hope this thread isn't considered a "pricing" thread but I'm curious what utility rates are in your area for comparisons sakes as far as Natural Gas (and you can list others, but try to do it on an apples to apples basis i.e. conversions) and Electricity.



In British Columbia Canada - for  Natural Gas, right now we're paying for residential almost $9 per Gigajoule (a Gigajoule is about 950,000 BTU or 278 KW's) and that's including delivery and all the other charges. That is through Terasen gas, but some have signed 3+ year deals with "energy" providers at set rates, but most I believe are just going with the floating Terasen gas rate.



For electricity we have to buy through BC Hydro which is the socialized electricity provider for our province and we have a "two step" program where you are charged nearly 6 cents per KWh for the first 1350 KWh every 2 monthes (billing goes in 2 month cycles) and for every KWh after 1350 KWh every 2 monthes, you are charged about 8.5 cents per KWh. This works out to $16.43 per Gigajoule for the first 1350 KWh every 2 monthes, and $23.00 per Gigajoule after 1350 KWh every 2 monthes. So significantly more expensive than Gas, but I'm told we have some of the lowest electricity rates in North America so...

These prices are in CDN funds.

digger_2

Southwest Indiana

December 2009

Electricity: 14.5 cents/ KWh including taxes and service charge. 12.7 cents w/o

Gas: $1.24/ CCF. The actual cost of the gas is about 63 cents/ CCF, the other half is service, tax, and delivery.

Last year we paid $1.04/CCF plus service, tax, and delivery.

Vectren, our utility, is not allowed to make money selling gas. It earns money for shareholders by overpricing service and delivery costs.

I know that we have it better than others though. I hope someone chimes in from northern Indiana to make me feel better.

bill_105

B.C. is lucky

The cost of elec and gas, here in Anchorage, are real close to Indiana. And the U.S. dollar takes another nickel to get a Canada dollar at the moment.

The conspiracy theory here has it that the gas pipe from the North slope, in AK,  to Chicago won't be built becase of the Canadians. The belief is the Alberta feilds need the gas to extract oil from the tar sands. And if you want a right of way, well Canada wants it's cut. Just heard that one.

I heard that one when someone asked why our wonderful former Gov. quit. Seems someone told her that her efforts of a Canada line were in vain. Well, that, and lots of other things.

Can't wait till Gerties opens, gotta win it back!

Royboy

NW Wisconsin

natural gas from Xcel Energy @ $.615/therm (= $5.84/gigajoule) plus fixed "customer charge"



electricity from Xcel Energy @ $.095/kWh (= $26.41/gigajoule) plus 8.5% taxes/surcharges and fixed per meter fees



electricity from our local electric coop (Bayfield Electric Coop) @ $.103/kWh (= $28.63/gigjoule) plus similar tax/surcharge & meter fees



Bayfield Electric Coop utility interruptible "off-peak" electricity @ $.057 or $.065/kWh - depending on program (= $15.84 or $18.07/gigajoule)

SpeyFitter

Interesting so far....

To hear how much some of your guys electrical rates are. Some not bad, but others really make me question the thought of a geothermal heat pump compared to a gas boiler in potential recovery costs versus efficiency & cost of utilities.

Do you guys have any rate incentives in your areas to install geo pumps?

Our electrical rates are reasonable but I'm told they will be going up in the coming years as our electrical production infrastructure (i.e. Dams) ages and needs maintenance/retrofitting.

As for the gas pipeline, Alberta is Texas of the north. I think that's about as much as you need to know.