Somehow we're using an insane amount of electricity, ideas?

[Ken g6]

My garage is the common entry point for the city water for my row of townhouses. There's 8 units worth of exposed water piping in there... So not heating it is definitely not an option!

Then maybe you should focus the heat where it's needed?

 

[WilliamM2]

Heh, well, no justice I guess. My pipes are in there too.

They make pipe heaters that will use a lot less energy than heating the whole garage. Garage should stay above freezing anyways, from heat loss from the house and the adjoining wall.

I have a natural gas heated garage. I still only turn it on if I have some work to do out there.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Check with the utility company to find out what the electrical usage of the unit was before you moved in. It may help eliminate some things.

 

[sdifox]

My garage is the common entry point for the city water for my row of townhouses. There's 8 units worth of exposed water piping in there... So not heating it is definitely not an option!



Smart meter, so every bill is actual.



It's funny you mention the block heater. We powered 2 block heaters like crazy last year since we had no garage, and this year I haven't plugged in once thanks to the garage.

I did not mean to have it set to 20 celsius when I bought the place--it was preset by the builder and in the chaos of a new place I never thought about it. It's set to 10 now and my bill is still astronomical.

All you need is some heat on the water pipe, not the whole garage. Why the hell is the watermain in the garage in the first place? The are supposed to be below freezing line, i.e. in your basement.

 

[Leros]

My garage is the common entry point for the city water for my row of townhouses. There's 8 units worth of exposed water piping in there... So not heating it is definitely not an option!

Sounds like the other 7 units have some responsibility in keeping your garage heated then.

 

[Scouzer]

All you need is some heat on the water pipe, not the whole garage. Why the hell is the watermain in the garage in the first place? The are supposed to be below freezing line, i.e. in your basement.

My garage is semi below grade--it's below grade on 2 sides and against the neighbour on one. So it's sort of a basement.

I am going to think about the pipe tracers you guys are mentioning. A $300 power bill isn't really viable for us.

 

[sdifox]

My garage is semi below grade--it's below grade on 2 sides and against the neighbour on one. So it's sort of a basement.

I am going to think about the pipe tracers you guys are mentioning. A $300 power bill isn't really viable for us.

No, it is not below the frost line. That is why you need to heat the water pipe. Bastard builders.

 

[stormkroe]

OP, go to Princess Auto and buy their $13 clamp-on ammeter, take the cover off your panel, and check each wire where it comes out of the breaker. All it takes is an over-tightened clamp or otherwise failed insulation to have a constant drain.
Also, if you discover it IS your electric garage heat, replace the thermostat with one that goes down to 2 or 3 C.
Hell, if you're in Alberta, depending on where, I'll do it for you.

 

[Colt45]

Put a gas heater in our garage last year... way cheaper than the electric, and warmer. the electric one was brutally expensive to run (so I mostly only ran it when doing car work, etc.)

 

[jaedaliu]

Talk to your neighbors about their electricity bill and compare.

Are you on an end unit now and were in the middle before you moved? I like the idea of renting a FLIR scope to see where heat's coming out. (never knew you could rent one)

If you end up not buying the pipe heater, just turn the garage temperature down to 1 C or however close to 0 you can get. That'll be plenty warm for your cars to start up, and the pipes won't freeze. What more do you need?

 

[darkewaffle]

My parents burn through 2600 KWH per month and think nothing of it, I swear they're paying for a neighbor or something.

 

[ultimatebob]

Check for extension cords going to a neighbors or to a camper or to a homeless camp.

Or a geeky neighbor who's "mining" Bitcoins. You might want to Google that one if you're not sure what that is.

 

[bonkers325]

poor insulation is the culprit here. i lived in a poorly insulated house in upstate new york and during an extremely cold december/january, with the thermostat set at 55 degrees (to keep the pipes from freezing), the heating bill was $1200...

 

[Red Squirrel]

Could also look at putting some kind of heat strip along the pipe, then wrap with insulation. Include a small thermal sensor so that the heat strip only goes on if it reads less than 3 or so degrees. It's weird they would put pipes in the garage though. I don't even know if that's code.

 

[kalrith]

Could also look at putting some kind of heat strip along the pipe, then wrap with insulation. Include a small thermal sensor so that the heat strip only goes on if it reads less than 3 or so degrees. It's weird they would put pipes in the garage though. I don't even know if that's code.

This would be my recommendation as well. Heat tape/strip that only kicks on to keep the pipes above freezing and then kill the breaker to the garage heater.

 

[Sonikku]

Did you move into NY? They pay twice per kilowatt hour as the other states. NYC in particular pays triple.

 

[feralkid]

OP, go to Princess Auto and buy their $13 clamp-on ammeter, take the cover off your panel, and check each wire where it comes out of the breaker. All it takes is an over-tightened clamp or otherwise failed insulation to have a constant drain.

Leaky wires? Is that a Canadian thing?