Anyone use a generator part-time to save on electric bill?

[Fishhead]

Bought one when I moved to Florida for electrical outages during storm season.

Now I find myself running a C-S-S wire from inside the house to the generator which is positioned on the patio and it cuts down on my utility bill.

Only hazard is fire and carbon monoxide poisoning if your not careful.

Anyway, do any of you guys use a generator more than most people?

FH

[jjgold]

This is bizarre, I never heard of something like this.

[Fishhead]

This is bizarre, I never heard of something like this.

Didn't even know how to use one until I moved here.......great invention.

[andrea]

This is bizarre, I never heard of something like this.

Agree! This is really strange.. hehe..

[jjgold]

How much money can you save using a generator?

[Fishhead]

Here is a good guide.....VERY INFORMATIVE........

http://www.homegeneratorsystems.com/buying_guide/works/index.cfm

[flyingillini]

No interest in this, even if you save money, not worth the hassle.

[MartinBlank]

How much can you possibly be saving to have to deal with that kind of pain/ass?

[LVHerbie]

A small generator is something I thought about buying but never got any further then that... We used them quite frequently in the military and surprised to hear that they are cheaper to run then buying electricity... Then again this was fairly large one and I'm sure it wasn't the newest or most efficient model...

Can you give me some idea of the cost of purchase and of running it?

[Fishhead]

http://www.homegeneratorsystems.com/buying_guide/select/

[jjgold]

Fishhead I am going to look into this, I have stole electric and of course that is free but risky.

[CaneDawg]

only use one when camping

[Team Ramrod]

how big is the one you have?

[Fishhead]

how big is the one you have?

2x5........on wheels.

[pavyracer]

How many years of use and maintainance would take to depreciate the generator initial investment cost plus OEM?

[Robust]

I got one too.. for fixing up our rental properties in between tenants..

they are great.. ours is too small to run the house, but we have thought of purchasing a propane generator.. they make them for your whole house and is much cheaper to run than paying the electric company..

here is a thought tho.. i saw in california, one of their public libraries has cut down on power consumption by using coils linked to your air conditioning system (the freon runs through the coils) and put them in a sort of ice chest filled with water(the bigger the better).. you put a unit in there to freeze the water over night and the next day, your A/C lines are running through ice and water.. cools off the freon very fast and your A/C unit turns off very quickly..

I am gonna look into this.. I bet the electric bill can be reduced by 50% or more..

Robust

[Fishhead]

How many years of use and maintainance would take to depreciate the generator initial investment cost plus OEM?

The generators main purpose is to provide power when it goes out..........the savings are all gravy.