First full month on E-9 rates

[idunk]

Linkim, people in PG&E area, you can check your hour by hour consumption on PG&E's website. Being PG&E, it's a hassle to do it, but it is doable. You'll get roughly 3 months of consumption.

I am waiting to switch to E9 because I am close to 100% of baseline without my LEAF, and I don't have reliable data on my AC summer consumption. So, I'll stay on E1 until after the summer and then take a decision.

 

[jmillington]

Just got my bill from PG&E after the first month of nightly Leaf charging. I believe we're E6 with a 4.3Kw PV array. Monthly total was minus $34 for May. June, July and August will be lower still. So, happily, I see little impact from my wife driving her Leaf 1000 miles per month thanks to solar!

I'm in the same situation (E6 with 4.3Kw PV array) and saw similar monthly results.
I figure I spent about $31.04 to drive 1000 miles, or about 122 MPG with gas at $3.79.
Love my solar system!

 

[linkim]

Linkim, people in PG&E area, you can check your hour by hour consumption on PG&E's website. Being PG&E, it's a hassle to do it, but it is doable. You'll get roughly 3 months of consumption.

I am waiting to switch to E9 because I am close to 100% of baseline without my LEAF, and I don't have reliable data on my AC summer consumption. So, I'll stay on E1 until after the summer and then take a decision.

Thanks for the info. I started to analyze my usage on an hour-by-hour basis to see what the difference in cost will be on E-1 and E-9A. For the limited data I used, not much difference. For the near future, I don't see my electricity bill, even with the Leaf charging, exceeding the baseline amount. If it does then will re-evaluate the possibility of switching to E-9A.

As an aside, from reading many of the posts, I am surprised at the number of Leaf owners with A/C. We only need ceiling fans for the very hot days, so our electricity bill tends to the low side in the summer months.

 

[idunk]

As an aside, from reading many of the posts, I am surprised at the number of Leaf owners with A/C. We only need ceiling fans for the very hot days, so our electricity bill tends to the low side in the summer months.

My house is very hot, I can't even sleep in days like Tuesday. Today no AC needed though. I actually have started measuring temperature everywhere (especially in the attic) trying to figure out the best of of cooling the house without AC (e.g. solar fans in the attic). It'll take me a while though.

 

[gascant]

My E9A was made retroactive to the start of my billing cycle (which was actually the day I originally called to request the switch). I charged the LEAF all but once between Midnight and 5AM, so off-peak rates. It cost me $46 for the month and I drove something over 1600 miles. Not bad--that's under 3 cents/mile. The Prius would have cost me $128 at $4/gallon. It'll be interesting to compare this summer to last (without the LEAF).

 

[EVDRIVER]

I won't be giving up my solar E6 for E9.

 

[Spies]

I won't be giving up my solar E6 for E9.

Without hourly usage data I find it extremely difficult to estimate if E9A or E6 would be better for me once I have solar. I have historical data for E9A since I have been on it for quite a while. If PG&E would just get the darn SmartMeters working with these rates I would already be building this historical data and saving the meter charge to boot. I suppose the other option would be to purchase a TED and start building the data myself.

 

[edatoakrun]

I won't be giving up my solar E6 for E9.

Without hourly usage data I find it extremely difficult to estimate if E9A or E6 would be better for me once I have solar. I have historical data for E9A since I have been on it for quite a while. If PG&E would just get the darn SmartMeters working with these rates I would already be building this historical data and saving the meter charge to boot. I suppose the other option would be to purchase a TED and start building the data myself.

So, even with a "Smart" meter, you still cant monitor your TOU?

I am still on E1, and am considering PV. PG&E has not installed my "smart" meter, and as of yesterday, said they would, in between two weeks and nine months...

I was also told I could get a "smart meter" immediately on changing to E9a or E6, but of course, the decision on which plan to choose-as well as the location and size of my potential solar installation-would be much easier IF PG&E would give me a way to monitor my peak/off peak use NOW.

 

[Spies]

So, even with a "Smart" meter, you still cant monitor your TOU?

I don't have a SmartMeter since I am on the E9A time of use rate and the reason I don't is that PG&E has not figured out or taken the time to update their software to handle time of use billing with a SmartMeter. So I still have a dedicated time of use meter programmed for the E9A rate and a meter reader still comes out every month to read it.

Now if one already has a SmartMeter and not on a time of use rate I suspect that one could get the hourly use data from PG&E. However the last time I checked the minute you switch to a time of use rate such as E9A or E6 you will lose the ability to check hourly usage because you will be either switched to time of use meter that does not have SmartMeter functions or the functions of the SmartMeter will be disabled as a result of the billing software not being able to handle the rate and in either case a meter reader will still need to come to your house once a month.

The people at the PG&E office don't seem to know about this even though the guy they sent out when I asked to get a SmartMeter installed called the office and told them it was not yet possible.

 

[Bassman]

Same here. On the E9B TOU rate and no smartmeter, just a pre-programmed TOU meter and the meter reader comes out every month.

 

[Nekota]

I won't be giving up my solar E6 for E9.

Without hourly usage data I find it extremely difficult to estimate if E9A or E6 would be better for me once I have solar. I have historical data for E9A since I have been on it for quite a while. If PG&E would just get the darn SmartMeters working with these rates I would already be building this historical data and saving the meter charge to boot. I suppose the other option would be to purchase a TED and start building the data myself.

I am pleased with using a Current Cost system to monitor whole house readings and added a dedicated 3rd sensor for the LEAF AC input power for about $150. The sampling rate is 1 reading from each sensor every 6 seconds and the total of all three are displayed on a remote monitor. It and a killawatt helped reduce my springtime electrical use from 750KWHr to 450HWHr per month. Now that 300KWHr/month is going to the LEAF.

 

[planet4ever]

I am pleased with using a Current Cost system to monitor whole house readings and added a dedicated 3rd sensor for the LEAF AC input power for about $150.

I had not seen any reference to Current Cost before. From a quick look at their website it appears to be similar to TED (The Energy Detective). Can you or others speak to their relative advantages? When I looked at TED some time ago I decided it wasn't practical for me because my breaker box is packed to capacity (everything doubled up with half-width breakers).

Ray

 

[greenleaf]

I did some research before selecting the TED5000.

If I recall correctly, CurrentCost measures kVA, not kW, i.e. it does not take power factor into account. Unlike the TED5000, it only monitors current (does not monitor supply voltage).