Home and Business Utilities

[chedder]

Edit. Directed to existing thread below. Thanks.

My Atco plan is coming due shortly. Anyone thinking that locking in might be prudent? Direct Energy offering 5 years of 7.39 cent power and 3.99 gas. Atco is pretty much the same but have a 6.99/month fee on top.

Any reason to not go with Direct Energy?

[Ducay]

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showth...ighlight=enmax

Good thread for utility plan discussions. That said, Enmax might be cheaper right now

[bob-loblaw]

I changed my Atco plan to a 2-year fixed plan a couple of weekends ago when I heard natural gas was going up. When it was really hot over the summer my electrical bill shot up to about $450 for one month because of my A/C. That was a bit of a shocker.

Plus, we downsized into an attached town house a couple of years ago. Apparently the building code makes an electric water heater mandatory in those circumstances. It's definitely more expensive to run than natural gas water heater.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by bob-loblaw

I changed my Atco plan to a 2-year fixed plan a couple of weekends ago when I heard natural gas was going up. When it was really hot over the summer my electrical bill shot up to about $450 for one month because of my A/C. That was a bit of a shocker.

Plus, we downsized into an attached town house a couple of years ago. Apparently the building code makes an electric water heater mandatory in those circumstances. It's definitely more expensive to run than natural gas water heater.

That just seems bonkers. How's that better for the environment? Have gas burned by the plant to create steam, generate electricity, send that down the line with all it's losses, then use that to heat water again?

[bob-loblaw]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

That just seems bonkers. How's that better for the environment? Have gas burned by the plant to create steam, generate electricity, send that down the line with all it's losses, then use that to heat water again?

This is what I was told by the builder. My son just moved into a 8-year old townhouse condo and his heater is elecitric too. If a natural gas furnace is fine in those places, I don't see why natural gas water heater isn't. Perhaps some backroom dealings between the power company cabal and government instead? Lol.

[Ahuch]

Originally Posted by bob-loblaw

This is what I was told by the builder. My son just moved into a 8-year old townhouse condo and his heater is elecitric too. If a natural gas furnace is fine in those places, I don't see why natural gas water heater isn't. Perhaps some backroom dealings between the power company cabal and government instead? Lol.

Cheaper for the builder, probably all it is. I don't think there's any building code that says a townhome can't have a gas water heater, but I could be wrong. They are building some new ones near me and the multiple PVC pipes for Furnace/Water heater seem to indicate that they have gas heated water also.

[timun]

There is absolutely nothing in our building code, plumbing code or energy code that mandates electric water heaters.

The only reason you have an electric one is because it was easier for the builder to install. That's it. If anyone tells you otherwise they're misinformed or lying.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

That just seems bonkers. How's that better for the environment? Have gas burned by the plant to create steam, generate electricity, send that down the line with all it's losses, then use that to heat water again?

It's worse for the environment, and not a code requirement.

But it is cheaper to install for the builder, and most people don't care.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by bob-loblaw

I changed my Atco plan to a 2-year fixed plan a couple of weekends ago when I heard natural gas was going up. When it was really hot over the summer my electrical bill shot up to about $450 for one month because of my A/C. That was a bit of a shocker.

Plus, we downsized into an attached town house a couple of years ago. Apparently the building code makes an electric water heater mandatory in those circumstances. It's definitely more expensive to run than natural gas water heater.

$450 in a townhouse? Holy cripes that's brutal.