Lowend

iTrader: (5)

I'm really tired of PG&E on many levels... does anyone know if it's possible to use a different company for power in San Jose?

I live in a condo so going solar isn't practical

stupidchicken03

iTrader: (38)

My dad is tired of them up here too. I was just over at their place a few days ago and he was talking about it.

He wanted to just get a huge propane tank at their house and run things that way. But he said something like "i just cant get rid of them". not sure if PGE is required for certain areas or to power certain things but it looks like my dad is stuck with them.

sorry i dont know more specifics

Krinkov

iTrader: (21)

hell yeah, just got a $200 PG&E bill, Im totally ready for solar panels, at this rate they would pay for themself in less than 3 years

http://www.wholesalesolar.com/solar-cost.html

foosh

iTrader: (2)

ive seen people using huge tanks of propane to power their homes. once you go propane i guess youd be more conscious of your power usage too and use less

solar panels are ok but at the current technology, i head it takes 2 panals the size of a table to power a single light bulb

jic

two wooden sticks..rubbed together very quickly...good bye PG&E

Krinkov

iTrader: (21)

nope, have a client that converted his house (WAY bigger than mine!) to solar, after the federal rebate it was less than 8K, powers his house and he sells the rest back to the grid

Selling Power Back to the Grid

Heedz

iTrader: (51)

Govt approved monopoly

Calsoldier

iTrader: (6)

Truth, yet you still do not circumvent PG&E as you have to pump (sell) the energy back into the grid either way and receive reimbursement (at their rates) that either offsets or in most cases, simply lowers your electricity bill. You are still using the PG&E infrastructure and buying their electricity either way. You can't simply disconnect, although solar technology is advancing and becoming cheaper, so an investment in residential solar panels looks less silly with a break even point of 3-4 years (vs the current 8-15yrs on average).

Harry Maneuvers

iTrader: (2)

Being 100% serious...

Solar is your answer... PG&E is one of the most expensive in California.

You are only 8-15 years out for break even if you are paying for the system up front. And even then, your return on investment is often in the double digits.

I have NUMEROUS customers who have taken their $400+ bill and turned it into a $50 bill with a $50 lease payment on the solar panals. A great option for anybody who doesnt want to put their own $25k on the roof of their home which could still be declining in value.

The lasting benefit is that when you enter into a power purchase agreement with PG&E (going solar), you are actually locking in your energy costs and limiting the amount that PG&E can raise your energy costs compared to every other customer. The result is in 10 Years, the amount of electricity that you are using from PG&E will be costing you less than their standard rates being sold to everybody without solar.

paramountsolar.com - We are currently doing about 210 homes per month throughout CA, OR, AZ, and CO.

Call me at 916-218-7049 and I will get you over to a solar specialist to get you a quote/consultation for free. I am in the office from 8am - 7pm weekdays and my office line is forwarded to my cell phone when I am not at my desk.

Although I am not a solar specialist, I know enough about it to answer most questions... feel free to call me if you just want to chat or pick my brain about it.

DerekB707

iTrader: (21)

Not sure how it is in your area, but here the pg&e rate starts at somewhere around 14 cents a kwh and tops out in the 40 cent range depending on what tier you are in. I have never managed to end a month being in the first tier. When I was in WA state, power was .04 cents a kwh, it was actually difficult to get a $100 electric bill, lol.

Harry Maneuvers

iTrader: (2)

The one thing that is nearly certain is that costs for electricity are not expected to decrease anytime in the foreseeable future.

OP updated original post to show that Solar is not an option for him considering he is in a condo.


My next suggestion would be something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/HQRP-Portable-.../dp/B005HPJ720

Or a set of portable panels designed for camping.

But unless you are using most of your electricity during the day (unlikely), you would need a bank of batteries to store the power you would generate during the day so that you could use it at night.


The problem is that what is using most of your energy is the HVAC, lighting, refridgeration and washing machine/dryer.


Imagine running a separate cord from each of these items in your home to your new power source...

stupidchicken03

iTrader: (38)

at our place we have both PGE and Smud.. but together both bills are normally less than $100

Marioshi

+1 move to sacramento

SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utilities District) is one of the best energy companies in the Country because it is "community" owned.

Jodice112

iTrader: (4)

We only have our heat set to 68 during the afternoon and not at all during the night and morning and our electric bill is still $300! Ridiculous.

queeg9k

iTrader: (11)

http://homepower.com

I also live in a condo and hate that I can not make my own power. I heeellllaaaaa would but the home owners association said "you want to put what on the roof? NO"