ASIC MINING getting Winter Rates for Elec Heat (xcel) how to save 4c kwh!

[Searing]

Note: This is a "LONG" frigging post for folk still HOME mining ASIC's in Winter areas of the world....specifically on how to get winter heating rates at a savings ( 4.43c kwh DECREASE  in my

case with Xcel Energy (Midwest USA) .....thru the 'circumstances' I describe in detail  below...hopefully it helps some folk ..that are home Minng ASIC's like me trying to extend their

"Home Miner Dream"

If it does not apply to you in anyway ....just move on....(I don't need folk in Florida yelling it is 'not fair' I agree...it is 'not fair' but here it is in detail)



Once upon a consumer call to Xcel.......a Xmas Miracle.....

Just a note for folk with ASIC miners either BTC or LTC. I called a REGULAR help line person for Xcel Energy (Electric) (Midwest USA) on a billing question *unrelated*...and the

rep goes " Man your electric bill from last year is up 225 bucks a month on average" ...Not sure exactly what is going on...got a bit spooked ....( I have a 100 amp service running 2500w

for two KNC Titan Scrypt Miners (LTC to BTC)....I replied (to re-direct any inquiry by Xcel  because not sure where to go with above) and said....

"Yeah I have 'computer servers' in the basement (kinda true she likely would not know what an ASIC Miner machine was anyway ...and again trying to re-direct off this topic)...

" I have to cool the 'equipment' in the Summer. (If they want to think the extra electric is from central A/C use so be it ..I don't have such used shutter fans etc) keep it around 72F

and of course need to heat basement in the winter to keep the same at 72F don't ya know)

So I'm ready to hang up....again 'spooked' ...and have successfully re-directed inquiry into large electric use on my modest 3 bedroom home and such ....and 100 amp service....etc

The young woman rep goes "So that means that with the electrical use increase you are using Electric Heat as your primary heating source now and you qualify for winter rate reduction

for home heating with electric?"

Five or seconds go by...I'm dumbfounded......(It seems that in Midwest in winter they knock off about 4.43c kwh for the folk using 'electric heat in winter' from later calc's I did

So I think...yes ...electric is my primary heat source this winter (it is even true....mild winter I've kept the whole house at 62F (64F upstairs bedroom) and 68F in basement

all winter ...I mean really I used 9 therms of gas in Dec 2015 usually I use like 300 or so I think it was)

Yes indeed I say to the nice lady xcel rep... I was not aware of such....she redirects me to the back of my Xcel bill sure enough..there it is in black and white.....again dumbfounded

So she goes...OK I"ll flag your change..if it is to change back to something other then Electric as your Primary method of heat let us know (sweet girl who am I to tell

her that even if I did have 'server equip' that puts out HEAT indeed ..rather then LTC ASIC equipment ...I doubt Xcel Electric Energy Company... means for it to be used for a discount in
 
such a manner....as "winter home electric heat' etc....but who am I to tell the nice lady... it was her idea and she "flagged it" as such...(again this is a REGULAR Xcel rep on the customer

line after hours....I doubt this would work...if they xfered me to someone who goes out and checks stuff like this during the day...so call after hours on this is my recommendation..the

regular Xcel help line on billing issues it was)

So I go ...will I need an "Inspection" or something for this to go thru? (Hey what do I care ..they come by .....look at miners...grin...and go nice try buddy...again...the

nice lady flag'd this for me..helpful soul that she was...so worse that can happen is I pay my regular 13.7c kwh rate I expect to if they give me a big NO!)

She goes ...MAYBE.....but probably not in that she says she already flagged the account and they should just look at it and 'rubber stamp it' as such...especially looking at my

'logical' increase of $225 in electric costs from last year (before big ass miners) etc etc...all looked very cut and dried to her

So anyway I have sat on 'pins and needles' all month waiting on this and today got the 'good news'...

My previous bill of use of about 2505 kwh ....it came out to (again this is with fees/taxes/local/etc just the 2505 divided into my monthly bill (not budget) I think it was like
 
@235 or some such)

Anyway I did the figures and it comes out to a now electric rate of NOT 13.7c kwh ..to the current rate


wait for it...but for the next 4-5 months (probably till April bill due in May 2015) of

9.2c kwh!!!!!

Was a $115 buck savings per MONTH..you add on to the fact that at 2500 watts of 2 Titans in the basement heating the house (so far) and my GAS BILL on budget has gone down

(according to the Gas Bill from before miners) of 45 bucks.........from last year a month..this is working out damn nice for Winter Mining!

I"m gonna be $160 bucks ahead with miners in the basement with Gas Heat savings from normal budget (pre-asics)  and Winter Rate Elec Heat rates as noted above!

So anyway..call the 'REGULAR HELP REP" ...probably 'after hours' like I did .......make up a 2nd question....look on back of bill  and go 'innocently' ask

'what is this winter electric rate for home heating discount I see here (xcel bill) ...and try something like the servers in basement etc stuff above

you could get lucky...and hell again I'm not lying at all .....the damn bitcoin miners in 'electric heat' are heating the majority of my house heating needs this year

I have used like 9 therms of Gas in November...jeez ...I should be using something like 200 to 300 themes...it is all miners heating house for me so far!

Anyway ...maybe my situation was a 'fluke' but take a chance ..talk to your electric rep... with a call ..with your giant jump in electric bills since you plug'd in your Home miner....they look

at your last year electric  use and the most 'obvious' reason from their point of view is you 'obviously' have electric heat now...but again giving them the
 
'computer server equip' line of cool in summer and heat in winter to 72F ...seems to have done the trick ...I could have just been lucky..but I'm posting it

on this thread because I bet you have more then a 50/50 shot of pulling this off also ..again IF you talk to the regular customer billing rep (Xcel for sure) after hours

so they don't bump you to some 'tech folk' who would not buy the 'server equipment in basement' argument...just saying...

man it sure helps the old LTC calculator now ..at $115 bucks less electric a month to mine (2500w) and of course my previous winter savings on my Gas Heat budget from

pre-mining from before the asic's hit the basement that $160 bucks a month compensation for these 2 KNC Titan ASIC beasts ...sure does help!

Now it looks like if I can find some 'appropriate' used asic or btc miners 'next winter of 2016-2017' this STILL MAY WORK FOR HOME MINING...even NEXT Winter!

Also you only tell them WHEN you switch back from electic as your primary heat source ...to gas again. (I will do so promptly for all I know they can call the Gas company to see if I am

legit on my Bill) ..but.....hell if BTC prices (i convert ltc to btc) goes up etc this next year...as I really, really hope with halving....... I may NEVER have to change back ..till say 2017!


anyway ...sorry about the length....... but folk who can pull this off ..it is a BIG DEAL.....if you do pull this off also ..post here in thread and feel free to 'tip' to the

address below...it can be 0.000002 btc or some such ..it is not the amount..but the....thought that this helps someone that counts......(I like to keep score on advice

lame as that may be.)


I would like to see everyone who looks into this with any kind of ASIC (BTC/LTC etc) be able to pull this off if it applies to their situation......so let us know how it works out

and please post your results here.


Good Luck! (hopefully this is a slam dunk and you won't need it!)

Searing

Tips appreciated if this helps someone:        (however meager/modest appreciated as a way to 'keep score' on my advice here)

BTC address: 1PbhCD56EE1ur45UvTca5wEUkAPpTi25oq          LTC  address: LTF6G3ncCsAJ9svJt3q8vvKdZtAAvJ4cdM

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[Searing]

Dang I was hoping someone would have found this thread of use...but no real numbers for such ...

As a side note...I'm also saving on my Gas Budget Heat the house plan with the boiler furnace...a savings price drop of $45 a month year round in my budget plan Gas use.

You add that to the $115 for 5 months decrease in price of electric from 13.7c to 9.27c kwh (thru xcel) in my case and that is $1115 a year savings


Again with that kinda savings and the btc halving and other possibilities of btc and ltc price going up in 2016 with the halving etc

A person ..in a cold climate winter...especially with Xcel as an Electric provider....would have ...again with a phone call to a Xcel customer rep after hours ..they have the power to tag this you don't want this bandied about during the day shift etc....let the nice 'regular customer rep' tag it imho) ..your odds of pulling this off doing it along the lines of my above post
is better then 50/50 easily imho


Well anyway ..perhaps it is just me and a fluke...I'd like to see at least giving 1 person a happy xmas by pulling this off with his GPU farm doing etheirum and/or whatever...or the
folk with big ass asics doing btc or ltc like me yet at home...use this method

but damn...$1115 usd savings in gas for heat and electric....that's a lot of money and maybe another year of profitable 'home' mining next winter 2016-2017 to boot with some 'modest' used btc or ltc equipment as a possiblity too boot!

maybe the 'home miner unicorns' in my basement may live to mine into 2017...

anyway post here if you try this with your results or in the poll if you are planning on at least giving it a shot

but damn I thought this thread would get more action ..pass it also around to those brave fools still doing GPU rigs......also...

anyway as always good luck

[dleader]

Thanks for taking the time to post this! I'm sure it will help out a lurker or two. I'm in Canada so can't help much out here. I googled our local hydro company, can't find any rebates. Which is too bad or normal bill before miners is $360.00 a month for a 1400 sq home. yay electric heat:(

[Searing]

Thanks for taking the time to post this! I'm sure it will help out a lurker or two. I'm in Canada so can't help much out here. I googled our local hydro company, can't find any rebates. Which is too bad or normal bill before miners is $360.00 a month for a 1400 sq home. yay electric heat:(

its not a rebate for Xcel it is a flat out change of electric rates for winter.....I'm in Minnesota....

So it works like this (again my numbers are REAL cost with fees/taxes/salestax/misl ....the total 2505 kwh last month divided by my 'actual' monthly bill (not budget) ..the amount
of billed electric used for that month) so with this in mind

13.7c kwh (rest of the year)

12.3c kwh (winter reduction in electric rates for everyone Xcel..you don't do anything it is automatic)

09.27 kwh (winter reduction in electric rates IF YOUR PRIMARY HEATING METHOD IS ELECTRIC FOR YOUR HOME ONLY) (heh was not an issue as you can see in my prev post with 2500w being used 24/7 for 30 days .....ie again rubber stamped)

so dig around ...ask a rep....point out Xcel's plan...etc....maybe something is lurking out there..just saying....again it was just 'dumb luck' I tripped over it ..never heard of it..but it was on the back of the Xcel Bill so go figure)


Anyway ..between that and the 45 bucks per month on my yearly GAS plan for heat and hot water..reduction per month...(some of that is weather but still) ..it is significant indeed about $1,115 bucks combined savings from winter to winter I figure

I again am hoping the 'halving' of BTC and corresponding price jump (and LTC tagging along in its range of usual 0.01 ltc to btc comes back) that I can keep the Titan(s)
from doorstop status (ie make more in LTC (i hold but still) then the electric i'm using to make the puppies...if i can stretch it out to winter months and get the above
deal again..with again hopeful ..price rise in btc/ltc....a guy just MIGHT be able to home mine something thru winter of 2016 to 2017 ....probably used but wtf and again
another price rise of BTC/LTC in that time frame ..a person could look like a frigging 'genius' in them winter states at least with xcel and USA

then again maybe not....but i take the breaks as I get them...also remember I AM REALLY HEATING MY HOUSE MOSTLY WITH THESE 2500 PUT OUT BY THESE 2 TITAN MINERS...so IF the Electric company asks the Gas company on my 'legitness' on such ..it is the 'truth' again the Xcel Rep offered this ...I told them what I was doing...she put it thru...so again
keep that in mind...also they could 'inspect' but wtf if they see your miners or gpu's or whatever they would just laugh and you'd stay on the same rate you are now with a 'nice try buddy' (which is all I really expected in all this)

It is good to be 'lucky and wrong" does not happen to me enough

(ack! frigging Canadian's with cheap ass electric ack!)

heck you are more 'legit' then me you really do have electric heat......(unless you meant miners only) but man you'd think they'd have something like that ..but maybe not where I'm at it is all cheap Gas heat piped in from the city lines from Center Point Energy *used to be Minegasco)

And last point also again ..when the I Can't mine anything at home anymore...I simply call up Xcel and tell them my primary heat is GAS again and back to the old rates..would really like to postpone that to 2017 with the above tricks on this thread But I will play by the rules when that time comes

[Prelude]

Cool that you're saving money, but why are you nervous about your power use? They don't give a damn what you use it for so long as you pay your bill. The more the merrier, in their opinion. They'd be happy to have you max your service out. 

[Searing]

Cool that you're saving money, but why are you nervous about your power use? They don't give a damn what you use it for so long as you pay your bill. The more the merrier, in their opinion. They'd be happy to have you max your service out. 

Well they did offer and 'assumed' that I needed the extra electric per month for 'heat' not that I was mining coin and the after effect was 'heat'....but then again I did tell them it was
'computer server equipment' thus the increase of price per month ave from before I home mined from prev year...ol 225 a month

so you could be correct

but again

1) it was offered by the customer rep this 'home heating decrease in elec costs per kwh for winter heating ..if primary method of heat" and I told her it was 'server equipment'
so......she flag'd it I did not

2) offered myself up for an inspection..she said likely un-needed.they will see the increase in elec bill (225 a month) and flag it as such as elec heat as primary (obviously)

So all in all ..I told them everything ..including why my elec bill in the last year was so high..ie server equip (cool in summer and heat in winter to keep bsmt at 72F)

Worse that would happen ..is that i pay the old rates and very very worse..they come back say it was a mistake because someone reviews the reps assumptions and

I pay what I was gonna pay anyway

the 'exciting' thing is on  2 knc Titans with LTC at the price it is now with this elec rate I'm making like 550 usd AFTER elec costs taken out

If the btc halving comes and say btc was to hit 500 usd and ltc was to float back to around 0.01 ltc to btc even with major difficulty jump by next winter (double it say) I still will make 100 bucks more over electric on equip that has roi'd already

I'm like the Mar's Rover.... ...just seeing how long I can pull this off


I really need to find somebody still crazy enough to be mining with GPU's say of Etherum or some such....I'm pretty sure if they are under Xcel and I tell them this ..they would likely have my baby

pass the word around more details they can pm me here on bitcointalk or litecointalk

[Searing]

posted below on the Avalon 6 thread..pass this around to anyone with big ass asic btc or scrypt miners etc ..or hell even the really crazy GPU miners...


and again let us know if ANYBODY else has any luck with this (or it was just a fluke with me and a 'new' xcel customer rep girl after hours on this...which would

be 'unlikely' to say the least

anyway the Avalon 6 post in their thread if anyone is interested. (trying to help ....likely it will be deleted...)

later

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1257327.msg13343965#msg13343965