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strider3700 · 03-19-10, 01:11 PM

I think degree days for your location are about the only way to get an accurate comparison of houses in different locations. Then with some discussion we can compare the differences between super insulated heavily shaded homes vs little insulation south facing full sun homes in winter. I'm sure some number can be created like kwh/degree day for comparison.

There should be 1 overall usage number probably in kwh where all categories are converted to 1 unit and added. This would allow my all electric house to compare to a gas/electric, oil/electric, whale oil/peddle power...

I personally track the following in separate spreadsheets
Water usage - meter read and billed quarterly
- billing date
- number of days on bill
- consumption in cubic meters
- cost of the water
I calculate
- consumption in gallons
- gallons/day
- cost per gallon
- decrease from last bill
- a seasonal chart to compare multiple years (we get billed 4 times a year)
Electric usage meter read and billed bi-monthly
- billing date
- number of days on bill
- kwh used
- total cost
- fees/taxes/surcharges/...
- usage charge
I calculate
- kwh/h
- kwh/day
- cost/kwh (total cost/kwh)

I don't have gas/oil/propane or anything like it.

Both my water and electric are tiered systems and they keep adjusting the tiers. I just track total cost and cost/gallon cost/kwh to keep a rough eye of how I'm doing.

I've been wanting to get degree days going in the calculations since my winter electric usage is far higher then my summer and this last bill was my worst ever (first winter in the new house which is 4 times the size of the old one). Having said that I haven't tracked down a good location that will let me get the information to calculate this. I can find some local stations that display the degree days for the month or today but it's not in a nice easy to grab chart.

03-19-10, 01:11 PM	#18
strider3700 Master EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Vancouver Island BC Posts: 745 Thanks: 23 Thanked 37 Times in 30 Posts	I think degree days for your location are about the only way to get an accurate comparison of houses in different locations. Then with some discussion we can compare the differences between super insulated heavily shaded homes vs little insulation south facing full sun homes in winter. I'm sure some number can be created like kwh/degree day for comparison. There should be 1 overall usage number probably in kwh where all categories are converted to 1 unit and added. This would allow my all electric house to compare to a gas/electric, oil/electric, whale oil/peddle power... I personally track the following in separate spreadsheets Water usage - meter read and billed quarterly - billing date - number of days on bill - consumption in cubic meters - cost of the water I calculate - consumption in gallons - gallons/day - cost per gallon - decrease from last bill - a seasonal chart to compare multiple years (we get billed 4 times a year) Electric usage meter read and billed bi-monthly - billing date - number of days on bill - kwh used - total cost - fees/taxes/surcharges/... - usage charge I calculate - kwh/h - kwh/day - cost/kwh (total cost/kwh) I don't have gas/oil/propane or anything like it. Both my water and electric are tiered systems and they keep adjusting the tiers. I just track total cost and cost/gallon cost/kwh to keep a rough eye of how I'm doing. I've been wanting to get degree days going in the calculations since my winter electric usage is far higher then my summer and this last bill was my worst ever (first winter in the new house which is 4 times the size of the old one). Having said that I haven't tracked down a good location that will let me get the information to calculate this. I can find some local stations that display the degree days for the month or today but it's not in a nice easy to grab chart.