International Falls Daily Journal - off peak electric - Comments

I don't see how you can be

six-shooter — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:18:06 -0600

I don't see how you can be on off peak because you have to have a back up heat in order to have it in the first place.

"Off peak can be very

gordman — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:42:00 -0600

"Off peak can be very inconvenient, specially for families with little kids, you get by surprise that the heat is off, and then what? This happened to me and I got really scared as my kid got a serious could. We decided to get an electrical heater from Maytag parts this way we stopped depending on "off peak".

Sorry I posted this in the

kay — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:23:25 -0600

Sorry I posted this in the wrong place.

sker, Want some hot air??

roj2000 — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:01:17 -0600

sker,

Want some hot air?? Go to a City or Country Council meeting!! LOL.... If it wasn't for me on here, you all would have nothing to talk about. I think you all are still back in the "stoneages" with your four hours off peak, (NO HEAT) BS!! Just go back to 55 gal barrell stoves, and go chop some wood. You will keep warm that way! The VNP treehugger crowd now have y'all freezing for hours every day! Now that's technology at it's best!!

I am not sure this is what

kay — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:49:41 -0600

I am not sure this is what happened to you but when this business got their free money from the famed KEDA, part of the agreement is the hiring of a number of employees. If they hire and keep them for a period of time and then let them go and rehire it keeps the quota where it is required by the KEDA. This is what happened at the previous call center that went under. I know of a number of people who were hired and let go after a trial period just to be replaced. This keeps the number that were employeed where it is supposed to be. Its hard to explain. This brings up another KEDA business, the new Fish Processing center that keeps asking for 30 employees and as of two weeks ago did not even have a building up and running. I know of several people who applied in November expecting a job before Christmas and I just saw on the work force site that they as of Nov 26 were still looking for 30 people. What gives. Is it hiring or not. I feel for the people who were expecting a job before Christmas. Is is operating or just playing a game. Maybe someone knows what is going on. You just have to go on with your life and figure everything happens for a reason. Good luck.

After reading the previous

sker — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:28:55 -0600

After reading the previous comments, it would seem to me whether the electricity was 3.9/kw or free, if it is still turned off, it is useless especially when it is needed. As far as the comments from roj2000, if he was in I Falls with all his hot air, there wouldn't be a need for heat!!!

One of the heat brick

Anton1965 — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:18:36 -0600

One of the heat brick sources I found was
Steffes ETS. Very interesting concept for storing heat to use later. Just type "Steffes ETS" for data and other units as well. Be sure to check the other items including the "rebate" item. The cost of these units is not that bad. The cost to operate this heating method was by far the cheapest figures shown. Did not actually verify the facts but real interesting reading.

Thanks, six-shooter and

raincat — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:49:00 -0600

Thanks, six-shooter and everybody else.

Our family is also looking for solutions to what looks like a really expensive heat season. The brick thing sounds like it might be worth consideration and I'll pursue that further. Lots of food for thought in this column.

You all keep talking about

roj2000 — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:25:31 -0600

You all keep talking about 3.9 cents/kw hr, being efficient. You mean to say, "cost efficient"?? Electricity is electricity. Sure there are more "efficient" ways of producing it, but ....! I have never heard of such a "DUMB IDEA", of turning someone's heat for four hours, in the middle of the winter. DUMB, DUMB, and DUMBER!!!! I say build a nuclear power plant up that way, and you will have all the power you need. Or put up some of those huge windmills. Fifteen of them can power about 5,000 homes (about the population of the area).

Anton1965---years ago you

six-shooter — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:37:48 -0600

Anton1965---years ago you could have your hot water heater etc. on off peak but now the only thing you can have hooked up to it is your heating system.

Tnx for the info shooter.

Anton1965 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:24:10 -0600

Tnx for the info shooter. Yes a kiln would work but that requires energy so thought I would air dry my chips. Also, I have info on burning green chips from individual in Vermont who has been able to do this. Lastly, can the off peak power be used for other uses then heating? One thing that came to mind was to use the off peak power to recharge 16-L16HC 6volt solar batteries when not able to do so with the solar panals. This would be especially handy in the winter months.

This is so very true. Even

six-shooter — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:49:14 -0600

This is so very true. Even with it being off as much as it has been. Found out the no.'s today.

Comparing costs, off peak

Redcrest — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:36:21 -0600

Comparing costs, off peak electric heat is by far the cheapest type of heat you can have. Off peak is 3.9 cents a kw hour and 100 % efficient, this is through North Star Co-Op.
Yes, you have to have a back up, but it still is the cheapest if it available.

Now what I found out is

six-shooter — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:33:30 -0600

Now what I found out is rather sketchy so one would hsve to research this themselves as an option. The brick is a storage unit that has a fan that kicks on when the electric goes off. These are very heavy and would have to be in a basement or if you heat with the floor heat it could be aet up there. They have central ones and individual room ones.They generate heat until your electic comes back on. Now I don't know how you buy them to put with your existing heat but could very easily found out. I don't know if you can shut off your existing heat and then turn the brick one on to heat with then turn heat back on to heat brick and house. If anyone knows would be great if you could share the info. Also Anton1965 if you had a kiln would that dry the wood out enough to use efficiently for heat?

Okay - what is the brick

raincat — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:27:46 -0600

Okay - what is the brick thing?

Anything that does not depend on electricity is a plus up here as far as heat, because sometimes the electricity goes out.

off peak electric

six-shooter — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:05:47 -0600

Having been on off peak for many years now I find that the "off" in off peak means that the electric heat is never on. Yes we have backup which is propane but it's not the same.