Monday, March 4, 2013

WOOD..You Believe It?

Every Winter I do a post on wood.  Exciting? No. Hard work? Yes. Pretty? No. Necessary? Yes.  We heat with wood.   It makes the house nice and toasty warm.   Heating with wood  helps with the utility bills.  However, last year the electric company wrote us a nasty letter.  They noticed we weren't using as much electricity as we should if we were heating with just electric heat. Well, duh. We would also be frozen if we just used electric heat.  What they are really saying is they aren't getting as much money as they think they should.  So to help us out they raised our rate. (took away the "all electric" rate)  If we would (wood) have responded to their notice and said we weren't heating with any alternative methods they  threatened  cautioned us that they would come to the home and inspect it.  If they found out what we were using they would calculate a bill on what they thought we should be paying and then charge us interest on that amount. I kid you not. I still think I live in a free country...just don't tick off the utility companies. What I'm trying to figure out is if we discontinue to use air conditioning and just open the windows would they come and do the same thing? We only use wood about 3mo. of the year. The big whiney babies!  None the less, we chop, gather, move, split, load, lift, clean out ash, and continue to heat with wood.  Oh wait, when I say "WE" I don't mean "ME."  Although I do help occasionally, it's mostly the two fellas featured in this post:
Sorry they are so blurry...they move faster than the speed of camera!
Big pile of loveliness! I'm betting Jordan isn't thinking that!
As I said, it's a bit messy in the yard until Spring comes in with nice warm temps and we can quit all this.
We were suppose to get a big snowfall tomorrow.  I'm getting different reports so I guess we'll just wait and see.  In the mean time, I'm glad for the work and the wood and the warmth.  And my two favorite lumberjacks...one who actually is named Jack!
Eddy agrees!





19 comments:

Stacy said...

I can't believe the electric company gave you a hard time. Interesting.

Cindy said...

Wow...that's just crazy that the electric company still tries to come after you!!? At least you're trying to do the right thing... We are expecting a storm, too (probably same one). Rumor is its supposed to stay just a bit south of me. We shall see! Stay warm!

acorn hollow said...

I can't figure all of this out because my daughter is not using the gas they think she should she has to pay an extra 150.00 once a year.
We use oil but mostly heat from wood. our hot water is from our furnace.
I do love wood it is a nice warm heat.
Cathy

PoetessWug said...

WOW! O_O I never heard of an electric company doing any such thing!! And I have a friend who burned wood chips in the winter time. I don't ever remember her having problems with the electric company!! I think your "Whiney Babies" assessment was well worded! LOL You know ow much I like a well written word!! ^_^

rjerdee said...

That utility company is absolutely nuts! I've never heard of such wrangling. It sounds like some form of corruption. Greed.

Hilary said...

Wow.. that's outrageous to me. I can't imagine anyone else getting away with that kind of business. Imagine the water company saying "you don't use enough water.. I think you should be showering more often. And oh, is that orange juice I see in your fridge. You should be drinking our H2O instead. We're upping the bill."

selvageedge said...

That is absolutely unfair!

gin said...

Aren't we suppose to be independent and take care of ourselves! I would open the windows this spring too.

Kim said...

WOW.....that is unbelievable! I can't imagine they can do that. There seems to be no way to get ahead, there is always some loophole to squeeze more money from people.

Cheltz said...

Oh, I wish we had a wood stove! We would definitely use it because nothing can compare. And Woo would probably (secretly) relish the fight with the electric co.

Nonnie said...

Now that is just not right! It is my understanding that somebody in Texas got in trouble for collecting rainwater, too. Cutting all that wood looks like really hard work, and it seems to me that as long as you own the trees you are cutting, it's none of their business how much electricity you are or are not using.

I wonder if the electric company (wood) be as quick to lower somebody's bill if they were freezing because they couldn't afford to heat their house?

Julia said...

I don't think that they can monopolize what you heat your home with. You pay for what they sell . It just not fair and I think that they make enough money.

It's unbelievable... I hope that you called them up to protest.

I love heating with wood especially when it's very cold.
JB

Scriptor Senex said...

Tell the utility company it's OK - I'm paying for yours as well, and half the neighbourhood over here, I think. My bills for gas and electric are rapidly reaching my total income. So at least I'll be warm and have an oven when I die of starvation because I can't afford the food to put in it...

Willow said...

It is lovely to heat with wood, hard work but so earthy. I LOVE your Eddy with his white whiskers, but you know by now that I adore Boxers. Lol

karen said...

I've never heard of an electric company doing that. If it wouldn't be so much trouble it would be interesting to see what a lawyer could do with a class action suit. But that really would be a headache. Easier to just give in, which is what they're hoping you'll do.
We don't use our heat OR A/C for most of the year. California is a crazy state, but give us points for the great weather. Gas for cars is sky high, but our utility bills are normally pretty low.
Did you get snowed in with the latest storm?

MunirGhiasuddin said...

It is not fair with you that the electric company should give you a hard time like that. Man, how do businesses get away with such none sense? Do businesses have a line that they hesitate to cross?
Wood heat is the warmest and is it ever so cozy. Too bad, not every one has the fireplace in his/her house. Enjoy and be safe.

Rick Watson said...

That would burn me up (no pun intended) to get that letter. Have you written your congressman? That really doesn't sound legal.

Kay G. said...

The shenanigans from the electric company does not surprise me one bit!
My Dad is 85 and still splits his own wood.
Gotta love those woodcutting men!!

Susan Anderson said...

Would I believe it??

I certainly wood!

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