Electric PLP Skyrockets during the winter

My electricity costs for my 3 family absolutely skyrocket during winter months, from about $90 a month to $400 a month.  Each apartment has its own gas boiler (3 new ones about 3 years old) and hot water heaters.  The basement part of the first floor also uses a normal 1500w (high setting) Lasko space heater at night on really cold nights only for a 300 sq foot space.  So, the only tangible differences are the space heater and boilers, since hot water is used throughout the year.  Could powering these boilers really be responsible for such a jump in electricity?  Any options to reduce this?  I was thinking about rewiring the boilers to each apartment’s electric if possible, but don’t know if that’s cost effect.  I live in one of the units, so I would also be increasing my own electric bill with this option while reducing the PLP cost.   Anyhow, things are tight these days and need to cut expenses!  Thanks for your input.

webby1000

in Energy Efficiency 12 years and 1 month ago

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webby1000 | 12 years and 1 month ago

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I called Con Ed and they suggested an Energy audit. The only rented portion of the building that has PLP energy is the rented portion of the basement, but I am often in there “unannounced” (I am friendly with tenants and occasionaly walk their dog who lives in the basement) and rarely find the heater on.  Also, It was roughly the same cost increase during the two years before with different tenants. There are separate hot water heaters, so I don’t know how that relates to the boilers.

curiositykilledthecat | 12 years and 1 month ago

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I’m sorry, I just read your post and realize that each apartment has separate electricity, so even if there were a space heater, it shouldn’t be on your electric. The only other suggestion I can come up with is to say that when our condo was built, there meters were swapped so that one of the apartments was paying for electric to the common space, and the common area meter was tied to her apartment.  Any chance your meters are reversed? Good luck

cm | 12 years and 1 month ago

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By any chance are the boilers supplying heated water to heat pump units?

curiositykilledthecat | 12 years and 1 month ago

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You say that this is a 3-family.  Are you *sure* the folks in the other 2 apartments aren’t running space heaters?

eme1million | 12 years and 1 month ago

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That is hard to fathom.  The main electric use for the boiler would be your circulators.  But, really hard to see how 3 circulators can use that much electricity.  Lighting costs go up in winter, but again, this is such a big increase.   I would look at the electric heater (is it left on all the time?), and I would question whether there are other electric heaters being run off that meter that you are not aware of.