我们的电从哪里来?
为你的家庭或企业提供电力有三个基本步骤. 这些步骤是发电、传输和分配.
波胆网站 (MCRECC) 成员所有者是 大河电力公司(BREC). MCRECC is a distribution cooperative that purchases its wholesale electricity from BREC—a generation and transmission cooperative.
Generation is the process where a natural resource, in our case coal, is converted to electric power. 煤被磨成很细的粉末,然后燃烧把水加热成蒸汽. 蒸汽带动涡轮机,涡轮机带动发电机发电. It takes about one pound of coal to produce one-kilowatt hour of electricity; about the amount it takes to power your stove burner for one hour.
Transmission is the step where the electricity is transported from the power plant to the various substations located in your communities. 电压提高到69000 - 765000伏特. 电压增大,电流减小, 这允许使用更小的电线并降低功率损耗.
MCRECC负责分销. 在变电站,电压再次降低到更可用的7200伏水平. 我们的配电线路将电力输送到您家或公司以外的变压器, 在哪里电压再次降低到120 - 480伏之间供我们的成员使用.
电表问题
千瓦时是多少?
A kilowatt-hour (kwh) is a unit of electrical energy equal to the energy delivered by the flow of one kilowatt (1,1000瓦的电力,持续一小时. 例如,一个100瓦的灯泡燃烧10小时将使用1千瓦时的能量.
我怎么知道我用了多少电?
你用的电量是用电表测量出来的. Your meter measures kilowatt-hours continuously the same way your car’s odometer measures miles and is read in the same fashion, 从左到右.
我怎么知道我的计价器是准确的?
Members frequently assume there must be something wrong with their electric meter if they receive a larger-than-expected electric bill.
事实上,电表是非常可靠的设备. 在安装仪表之前,我们要测试仪表的精度. 根据要求,MCRECC将测试会员仪表的准确性,费用为40美元.
如果仪表测试检测到我的仪表有问题怎么办?
如果仪表测试显示仪表有故障,无论是慢速还是快速,MCRECC都会调整账单. 然而, if the meter is within the two percent tolerance allowed by our “Terms and Conditions for Supplying Electric Service”, 账单不会调整.
账单的问题
账单高于正常水平的原因是什么?
如果你收到的账单高于正常水平, the first thing to look for is how many days of service were included in that billing period. 在账单的下半部分找出每天的平均服务费用. 将这个数字与过去几个月的账单进行比较.
如果有显著的不同, stop to think if you have added a major appliance or altered your lifestyle in some way that would account for the increased usage.
为什么我没有买新的电器设备,我的账单就有变化?
很多因素会导致你的电费变化. 最常见的包括天气、习惯或生活方式的变化.
在炎热的天气里,由于空调甚至窗扇的使用,使用量可能会增加. Hotter weather also leads to higher humidity so some dehumidifiers may run more often and for long periods of time.
In colder weather electric consumption can be increased by use of central heating equipment or space heaters. Typically during the colder parts of the year it gets dark earlier and people stay inside more. 这导致更多地使用电灯、电视、收音机和其他电子设备.
习惯或生活方式的改变也会导致电费的变化. 在节日期间,你的家人可能会多做饭. 你可能有过夜的客人. 做饭和客人会导致更多的水(和热水)的使用。. 如果你有一个井和/或电热水器,这将导致更多的电力使用.
另一个重大变化可能是新家庭成员的加入. 带孩子回家通常会增加要洗的衣服, 更高的房间温度和更多的照明在晚上.
Why does my oil or natural gas furnace contribute to my higher electric bills in the winter?
炉子有电吹风风扇,当炉子开着时,风扇就会运转, 并继续运行,直到炉冷却超过预设水平,然后关闭.
假期 & 季节性使用问题
我不在的时候,我的电热水器会用电吗?
If you have an electric water heater it will use less electricity when you are away than if you were home using hot water. If an electric water heater is left energized during your vacation it will continue to maintain the tank temperature, 即使你不用热水.
热量通过顶部的绝缘层和铜管散失. 如果你要离开超过几天, 你可能要考虑在面板盒处关掉热水器.
如果我把恒温器调低一点,我不在的时候,炉子用的电不是更少吗?
If the temperature drops while you are away your furnace or electric heat will still run to maintain the temperature set on your thermostat. 把恒温器调低一点可能会省钱,但情况并非总是如此.
Be careful not to set the thermostat so low that a potential for freezing could occur in your home.
当我不在的时候,我的冰箱或冰柜会用多少?
If refrigerators and freezers are not emptied and turned off while you are away they will continue to operate in order to maintain preset temperatures. 其他电器,比如钟表, 安全的灯光, water heaters and televisions with an “instant-on” feature will continue to use electricity if they are not unplugged or shut off at the panel box.
当我的房子空置时,我可以免用电吗?
如果你决定在度假期间不用电, 关掉家里的主断路器. 但请记住,当你这样做时,自动电器和照明将停止. 你的冰箱和冰柜会解冻, 当你返回时,你的热水器将没有热水可供使用, 当你回家的时候,你的家可能会遇到冰冻的问题,或者很冷.
我可以自己安装应急发电机吗?
国家电气规范(NEC), 第700-6条和第230-83条要求出于安全原因使用“双极”, 安装双投转换开关.” It is MCRECC’s recommendation that the transfer switch be installed by a licensed electrician for safety reasons as well as for proper application.
壁炉能节约能源吗?
不是真正的. 在大多数壁炉里,所有的能量(热量)都来自燃烧的木头, 加上家里的其他热量, 丢在烟囱上了吗. 开放式壁炉是通往室外的通风口. 因此, even when the fireplace is not in use heat can escape through the chimney if the damper in not tightly closed.
灯光的问题
什么时候应该关掉标准的荧光灯?
关掉荧光灯比开着荧光灯花费更多,这是一个神话. This was true in the 1940s when 荧光 lamps first became popular because turning them off and on again greatly shortened the lamp life. Today’s lamps are not as affected by start-up damage and the energy surge to start them up is so small that it’s cheaper to switch them off when they’re not needed..
我能做些什么来降低照明成本吗?
只使用你需要的光线. 紧凑型荧光灯和三路白炽灯泡让你选择.
为了获得最大的照明效率,使用更高的流明每瓦灯泡. 瓦特测量进入灯泡的能量. 流明测量灯泡的光输出或亮度. 这些信息印在灯泡包装上. 要确定效率,用流明除以所使用的瓦数.
例如,一个100瓦的灯泡测量1710流明的效率将是17.1流明.
使用紧凑型荧光灯有什么好处吗?
Compact 荧光 lighting delivers three to four times the light of incandescent bulbs of the same wattage and last up to 10 times longer.
长寿命灯泡更经济吗?
寿命长的灯泡效率较低, 因此,只在难以到达的地方使用它们,因为这些地方很难更换灯泡.
设备的问题
如果我把旧的冰箱换成新的,我能省下电费吗?
一台使用了20年的冰箱每个月的费用比一台新冰箱要高. This is due to the increased efficiency of compressors and the higher quality insulation value found in newer model refrigerators.
我怎样计算我的电器的电费?
找出每个设备每月的运行成本, multiply the total kilowatt-hours used by the current energy rate (you can find in our electric rates section).
我如何确定一个电器使用多少能源(千瓦时)?
你需要的信息不超过三条.
首先,看看设备上的铭牌. 你要找的数字旁边有个“W”. 这代表瓦数. 有些器具提供安培数(A)和电压(V)来代替瓦数. 要得到瓦数,只需将安培乘以伏特. 一个例子是额定电压为12的120v加热器.5安培. 这等于1500瓦.
Now to determine kilowatt-hours (kwh) you need to take the length of time (in hours) an appliance operates. 用瓦数乘以工作小时数. 使用上面的加热器的例子,我们将有1500瓦乘以使用小时数. 如果我们用那个加热器两(2)小时,我们就会用3000瓦时的电.
要把瓦时换算成千瓦时,你必须除以1000. 因此,我们的1500瓦加热器运行两小时将使用三(3)千瓦时.
节能问题
恒温器是个好东西吗?
If you have a mechanical thermostat it would be beneficial to install a programmable thermostat and then you can program it to come on.
Is it OK to adjust your thermostat up or down at night or during the day when you’re not at home, 然后把它调回正常设置? 如果是这样,你应该在你的房子温度波动的最大限度是多少?
通常用热泵, 建议将其保留在理想的设置上, 但如果你想移动它, 以一度的增量进行吗.
把家里不用的房间关起来有什么好处吗?
如果你使用热泵作为热源,不需要. Heat pumps are designed to operate more efficiently with an open house effect because of the balancing and cold air returns of the system.
如果你为了提高能源效率而更换热泵, 但增加热泵的吨位, 你的使用率会下降吗??
Usually the usage will increase because the unit you install may need more electricity to operate because of the compressor size.
如果作为主要热源使用,新的空间加热器是否像宣传的那样高效?
不,如果作为主要热源,一个1500瓦的加热器使用1.每小时运行5kw.
供暖系统的过滤器应该多久更换一次?
At least two times a year, but you should check them monthly and replace more often if needed.
吊扇比空调更有效率吗?
是的, because they do not have compressors and do not use the same energy levels as an air conditioner.
热泵应该多久维修一次?
您应该检查制造商或安装程序提供的信息, 然而, as a rule it is recommended that you should have heat pumps serviced before the heating season and before the cooling season.
Does setting the thermostat higher in winter and lower in summer cause more energy consumption?
是的. 建议的温度设置是冬季68度,夏季78度.
降低热水器的恒温器是否有助于节约能源?
是的,建议的温度范围是120到125度.
在水管上安装绝缘材料是否有助于减少能源消耗?
是的,如果你把热水管的前六英尺绝缘的话.
旧电器比新电器耗能多吗?
是的, the technology used today makes energy efficient appliances a fairly long term return on your investment.
我们应该用节能灯或荧光灯代替白炽灯泡吗?
是的, 建议使用CFL, 荧光, 或者在你家里最常用的地方安装新的LED照明.
我们应该用洗碗机和洗衣机洗整件衣服还是小件衣服?
你应该满载以最大限度地利用自行车使用的电力, 不管大小. 您还应该尝试在非高峰时间运行这些设备.
我应该拔掉烤面包机、台灯、咖啡机、收音机等的插头吗. 节约能源?
不,这些电器和设备没有足够的负载来承载(虚负载).