Enmax

[EmilyB]

With rates expected to soar, what do you think of the fixed rate plans now being offered by Enmax ? Too risky, or a good option?

[zulu_principle]

Whats an Enmax ?

[StirCrazy]

and what rates are expected to soar?

Steve

[Quinn]

Enmax: Energy company in Alberta.
Soaring: The cost of natural gas.
Absurd: Deregulation so a few elites can make money at the expense of small business and home owners.

[EmilyB]

Enmax runs my halides for dollars a day .....the lock in rates are at roughly $0.07.

[trilinearmipmap]

IMHO prices of both natural gas and oil/gasoline will rise relentlessly in the long term.

There is a fixed supply of oil and natural gas in the world, perhaps 70 years worth. There is an increasing consumption of oil and natural gas as nations like China become more developed.

We can explore and develop more areas, such as off the B.C. north coast. This will buy some more time but the end result will be the same. As areas become more and more expensive to explore and drill, and as the world demand for oil and gas continues to increase, there is only one direction prices will go -- up.

We consumers have been spoiled by low energy prices over the years. That will change in the future.

A fixed-price plan by your Alberta gas company may even out the bumps in price but in the end the company wouldn't offer this plan if they didn't intend to make money on it.

My approach to dealing with this problem is

1. Invest in oil and gas companies.

2. We had better be prepared to accept and pay for new technologies which minimize hydrocarbon fuel use.

[Tau2301]

With deregulation, more companys are coming to Alberta to compete for your enery dollar. An article in the Calgary Herald today suggests waiting until all the players are in the game.

The prices do not reflect competition at this time. So you will get the price swings with the market changes. On the whole you might find that your enery dollars averaged over the whole year will probably equal out to what you would pay on a current fixed contract.

A better solution is to look at "green" alternatives. Wait for the Federal gov't to anti up for their part of Kyoto and get grants to modernize your home.

Another way to go would be to get a co-generation furnace. This uses natural gas to run a small turbine engine that can generate up to a 175 kilowatts electricty. The exhaust is use to heat a boiler to heat your home. The excess energy could be used to light your fish tank or sold back onto the electical grid.

Take a look - I want one.

http://www.mariahpower.com/

[trilinearmipmap]

I am interested in the method of home heating/cooling that uses a fluid pumped through a pipe into the ground, then recirculated through a kind of heat exchanger into your home.

I forget what these are called, I believe they have a significant start-up cost but then the operating cost is pennies per day.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by trilinearmipmap

I am interested in the method of home heating/cooling that uses a fluid pumped through a pipe into the ground, then recirculated through a kind of heat exchanger into your home.

I forget what these are called, I believe they have a significant start-up cost but then the operating cost is pennies per day.

geothermal heat pumps.


ok who here has natural gas and can figure out the cost for 10 days to run
440 000 kJ/h (420 000 Btu/h) worth of gas.

Steve

[Canadian Man]

I was mixing my compost bin tonight and it was giving off ALOT of heat!
I was extremely suprised. Maybe a few huge compost bin's in the back yard to heat the house and tank

I do like your idea's/explanation's Kim. I don't know a whole bunch about the topic so I don't have much to contribute. I am kina a sucker for saftey Deb so If I was offered a secure rate plan for like 5 year's then I probably would take it.