Received Some Discouraging News Today

[MylesBAstor]

From Con Ed.

Sure it's common knowledge that New Yorkers pay the most in the United States for their electricity. But to add insult to injury, Con Ed recently mailed out a Home Energy report to customers detailing their energy usage over the last six months. While I'd like to blame my inefficient AC units, truth be told my audio system is an energy hog. Compared to 85 "neighbors," I used 91% more electricity than the average user and 327% than my efficient neighbors. Yes well some of my neighbors are never home. That's it. Lots of empty townhouses. The bottom line is that my audio system costs me about $300 extra every six months to operate.

[Rob]

yeah but which neighbors gets as many smiles per kilowatt hour that you do

[dan31]

Are you 100% powered up 24/7?

[MylesBAstor]

No, not with tube gear.

[1morerecord2clean]

Myles I get the same report here in San Diego. Personally I don't believe the report because living in a city as you and I do who are your neighbors? Apartments of all sizes and build qualities? Townhouses of multiple levels? Neighbors in your building or blocks away? And isn't con-ed trying to interest you in a consult to weatherize your home because certainly my power company wants to do that here.

[jonathanb]

$600/year extra on the electric bill because of your audio system? It's easily the best bang for the buck you'll get for your system!

[Bill Hart]

It's all relative. We have a friend, a born and bred NY'er who has lived in the same apartment for 30 plus years. She doesn't believe in air conditioning. She's of the view that "it only gets hot a couple of weeks a year." I remember summers where the real temp was close to 100F and the humidity was so heavy you felt like you were walking under water. So, she gets bonus points for low carbon footprint. But, I'd rather be comfortable.
The guy I had install air conditioning in our Brooklyn brownstone (when we lived in the city) was the best. We first used him to do an emergency repair on the water line from the street to the building. Done in a couple hours on a Friday afternoon. After that, i'd call him for anything. And, he'd send guys to take care of it.
Years later, up in Westchester, I was lamenting the fact that the contractors were incompetent, unreliable and expensive. I said to the wife, "I should really call that guy from Brooklyn." A few weeks later, splashed over the first couple pages of the NY Post, was a lengthy article about him-- he allegedly had a kick-back scheme with the MTA (transit authority), his business partner was going to turn "State's evidence" but disappeared, an investigation into the disappearance was quickly closed and finally, some years later, my guy was indicted for murder, obstruction, kickbacks, money laundering, and probably RICO violations.
I said to my wife, "you know I really think I should go to court during sentencing and appear as a character witness for the guy. I mean, yeah, I get it, he killed somebody, stole public money, interfered with a police investigation and all kinds of bad stuff, but Your Honor, do you know how hard it is to find a good contractor?"
I'm sorry I didn't do that. Just goes to show, you never know....

[Rob]

try being a GC and hiring reliable subs. I always played babysitter, shrink and financial advisor to guys that worked for us which In part was why i left that business eons ago. there isn't a more talented pool of people i can think of (construction trades) that are at the same time so socially dysfunctional.

[Bill Hart]

Rob- my wife took over as GC on our kitchen renovation back in Grandview when the contractor went into rehab. All his guys were good, but they were majorly fucked up- alcoholic, getting thrown out of their own house and sleeping in their car, etc. Liz used to go to the Irish bar in Nyack to gather them up and get them to work. We came in under budget. I could never do that for a living- I'd go insane.

[c1ferrari]

Wow! That's one hell of a story.

[rockitman]

I'm 100-150% above similar neighbors for electricity. Such is the Class A bias life....They probably think I'm a weed grower...lol

[MylesBAstor]

Now that's funny!

[Bruce B]

Studio = Don't Ask.....

[Rust]

Well, you could always go with those highly efficient class D amplifiers for ecological responsibility. Electricity is liable to get more expensive in the metro area when they shut down the Indian Point power plant taking about 2,000 megawatts offline.

[MylesBAstor]

Maybe need to get ahold of some of Jeff Rowland or Merrill Audio amps. 🤑🤑🤑

[jonathanb]

Myles, I'm sure Merrill would be happy to set you up with a pair of Veritas for your listening (and reviewing) pleasure.

[Mike Lavigne]

I have a totally different viewpoint. if your interest was fine automobiles, or wine, or a sailboat.......what would the ongoing expenses be? compared to the hours of enjoyment?

unless your hobby is running, or reading, or similar.........somewhere you are paying for it.

and $50 extra a month as your 'fuel' is cheap. what is that per hour of use?

[MylesBAstor]

Well on average is 321 kWh per month.

Reckon about 20 hours per week.

[Mike Lavigne]

well then......

321 x 12 divided by 52 divided by 20 = 3.70 kWh use per hour of listening. *26.99 cents x 3.70 = $1 per hour of use.

*based on the most accessible down and dirty 'coned NYC' estimate I could find with an easy google.

really not too discouraging....

[MylesBAstor]

Love you Mike! Always seeing the bright side! 👍

[Ritmo]

Ditto Mike's perspective. That is pretty inexpensive for the enjoyment you are getting out of your system Myles!!

[JackD201]

Studio = Don't Ask.....

Tropics = Don't ask either!

[Rust]

Sounds like you're dealing with Florida Power and Light in southern Florida. You have my sympathies.

[JackD201]

I once lived in Central Florida over summer and fall. I would say YES, less the lightning.

[Johnny Vinyl]

ONTARIO - Don't ask either.

According to numbers released mid-year 2016 Ontario has the highest consumer rate per kwh in North America.

[pcosta]

I hear you. Political crooks. Time of use billing is the biggest pile of bull shit out there.

[Mike Lavigne]

OTOH......

the cheapest power rates in the USA are just east over the mountains from where I live, along the Columbia River with it's many hydro dams and source of water with all the rain/snow in the mountains getting the north Pacific storms and power friendly topography (water + elevation change). many server farms are located there to take advantage of the cheap abundant reliable power. and my town (on the east edge of the Seattle metropolitan area) is the closest populated area to that same clean abundant power source.

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2...e-country-but/

[Alrainbow]

Down south in North Carolina is far cheaper then up here.
My system when all on at idle is above 25 amps. It's why I turn it off unless I am going to play. Only the music server and dacs stay on. I even shut done my 4 naz drives each having 4 spinning drives. Only one naz and two internal solid state drives stay on. Electric is nyc is just nuts like Long Island. Also on the Meter subject coned plans to over the next few months swap out all Meters to a new wifi meter. I am sure this will add more noise to our power incoming.