large increase in power rates (low income, credit card, house)

[roadrat]

Anyone re-thinking there purchase of mini split heat pumps after the PUC announced the 88.6% increase in power rates?
Glad I stuck with wood pellets, I've only seen a minor increase in price since last year.

[mainebrokerman]

Millions was spent … stopping
The cmp corridor… they said it won’t make a difference
After the election now we are hearing
30-40% increase

[roadrat]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

Millions was spent … stopping
The cmp corridor… they said it won’t make a difference
After the election now we are hearing
30-40% increase

It should be noted that CMP has nothing to do with the power generation side of the bill, This rate spike is basically from inflation and the high price of Nat Gas.

[yaeger07]

We have electric heat in our bedrooms, so (as I've been told) the cost of running heat pumps would still be cheaper than those. But we haven't put them in because I think there will likely be further subsidies for the actual units in the next few years. Right now the state subsidies, if you're not low-income, aren't that enticing.

[yaeger07]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

Millions was spent … stopping
The cmp corridor… they said it won’t make a difference
After the election now we are hearing
30-40% increase

This price hike has been in the works since before the recent vote to stop the corridor. This from election day, so the data obviously pre-dates it: https://www.pressherald.com/2021/11/...tes-next-year/

[nm9stheham]

While it does not seem that CMP corridor going forward would make any difference this year, it is nonsense to think that, in the long term, it would not make the reduction in electric bills that was forecast. There is no good basis to believe the current electric sources within New England are going to get cheap again; overall energy futures and projected energy demands will see no relief next year, and Federal policy attitudes are currently anti-fossil fuel. Solar build, transmission, and maintenance costs are not going to make it cheap either.



So not taking advantage of the CMP corridor's access to Quebec's hydropower is gonna cost Mainers down the road. The CMP Corridor DOES have a lot to do with the generation side of the equation; cutting out that access to hydropower IS a decision to raise generation prices, so is is just foolish to claim that it has nothing to do with the power generation side of the costs.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by yaeger07

We have electric heat in our bedrooms, so (as I've been told) the cost of running heat pumps would still be cheaper than those. But we haven't put them in because I think there will likely be further subsidies for the actual units in the next few years. Right now the state subsidies, if you're not low-income, aren't that enticing.

My Dw and I are both getting older, our medical issues have been causing us to slow down. This last winter was rough on us to keep our house warm. In February I vowed to get some other form of home heating installed in our home, to try to supplement our woodstoves.

I called Efficiency Maine in March and we had two heatpumps installed in our home in May.

The subsidies they were offering were great. [yes, I am considered to be 'low income']

On the other hand, I own a commercial building in town. Starting in June I called every office I could find to get help to install heatpumps in my commercial building. The best that we could find was financing at credit card rates.

When discussing heatpumps in Maine, you must keep in mind how many days on average do you expect your power grid to be down each month? [Are you going to be okay with no power for a week in any given month. You don't want to be like my neighbor who was upset that the monthly bill for his generator fuel was $150.]

This is entirely different from mid-winter storms, or when we get the tail-end of some hurricane that destroyed the gulf coast, those power outages at least have some logical reason for happening.

[Fooey]

We have two Mitsubishi mini splits, an 18k and a 12k, and I love them. Our other heat source is electric baseboard in each room. Last winter we had a week or so with -10 temps and the heat pumps were still producing heat. We still use the baseboards in the bedrooms when it's really cold, just close the bedroom door before turning it on. Doesn't add too much to the bill.

I've been getting mailings for Maine Solar. They claim it saves on electric bill, but I see it as two electric bills in place of the one so have been opting out. Anyone sign up for it that can share experience?

[roadrat]

Originally Posted by Fooey

We have two Mitsubishi mini splits, an 18k and a 12k, and I love them. Our other heat source is electric baseboard in each room. Last winter we had a week or so with -10 temps and the heat pumps were still producing heat. We still use the baseboards in the bedrooms when it's really cold, just close the bedroom door before turning it on. Doesn't add too much to the bill.

I've been getting mailings for Maine Solar. They claim it saves on electric bill, but I see it as two electric bills in place of the one so have been opting out. Anyone sign up for it that can share experience?

I got burned pretty good with that "electricity Maine" scam some years back, So I have no intension of signing up for another one.

[nm9stheham]

Originally Posted by Fooey

I've been getting mailings for Maine Solar. They claim it saves on electric bill, but I see it as two electric bills in place of the one so have been opting out. Anyone sign up for it that can share experience?

Is this the outfit you are referring to? Maine Solar