Monday, November 30, 2015

WINTER IN MAUI

Brrrrrr.

Last night it got down to 68.  I have ductless a/c which means each room has it's own temperature control.  For me, I only turn on the air in the room I am in.  Maui had an absurdly HOT summer, breaking 14 heat records.  It was still pretty warm when I returned but now I can feel it changing ... to winter!

I decided to let in the fresh air in the great room and one bedroom (I slept with the a/c on in my room).  It was so cool when I got up at 7:00 am, I had to put on my robe!  I closed up all the windows and sliding doors and may not even need to turn on the a/c in the great room until this afternoon!  This is the season everyone loves Maui.

Despite getting solar panels last year, the electric bill this summer was NOT $20 as predicted ... over $100 and sometimes $150!  At first we thought the panels might not all be working.  The company did a remote check and everything is working fine.  Then we called the electric company ... oh yeh, we really did use that many kWh.  Once you use past a certain miniscule amount, the rates go way UP.  

Personally, I think Maui Electric is just mad that so many homes now have solar.  They will just keep raising their rates until I am back to paying $300/month like we were prior to photovoltaic (new fancy word for solar!).  But I can outfox them.  I love line dried clothing so I'm hanging my clothes in the garage to dry and saving that electricity.  I have a small toaster/oven in the garage which is perfect for one.  Love my microwave.

But I cannot sleep in a warm room.  Even with the ceiling fan.  My bedroom will always have the a/c on.  At least for those delightful 8-10 hours of bedtime!

3 comments:

  1. I cannot sleep in a warm room either. I keep a fan going all year round. I think I like the sound of a fan as much as the breeze. $300/month is a lot. Ours was always over $200 at our old house, but never $300 and it was a large house. Thank goodness, we're much lower now and the house is smaller.

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  2. I can't sleep in a cold room. I don't heat rooms I don't use either but I still have high electric and gas bills in the winter. Can't help that in the snow belt. Few people have solar here because we don't get enough sun for it to pay off.

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  3. My thermostat is set at 73 degrees--winter and summer. I am old and I deserve to be warm in winter and cool in summer. My neighbors freeze in winter at 65 degrees and sweat in summer at 80 degrees in their homes. NOT ME!!! So there!

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