FPL "Program Change"

[RackinRay]

Got a letter in from FPL on a change to the Surge Protection program from the Gulf Power era. If you this get this notice, read it carefully.

The Gulf Power Surge Protection carried 200K or 250K worth of coverage to the whole house. The FPL Premium Surge program will offer 5K per electronic item per occurrence with a "2K annual coverage." This for the same price of the GP offering.

The letter said I had until "July 19 to terminate your participation in the new program terms." CS tried to pitch me a reduced coverage for $2 a month less, and I declined; insisting they cancel the coverage. He did, and when asked provided a unique ID number for the cancellation.

 

[Baddog 0302]

Thank you, I'm about to call and do the same thing. I'll refrain from pointing out the lies they put out about the 2 programs GP had for over 10 years but FP said it was to much trouble, and while they didn't say it, I'm guessing it was only cost effective to FP.
And the lawyer that keeps running ads in one of the free press paper bad mouthing FL. "All air horn and no drive shaft."

 

[kendive]

 

[JWlineman]

FWIW, my flyer went from the mailbox to the trash can...

 

[WRM]

If I really needed a whole house surge protector I would buy one and install it myself.

Just ordered a soft start for the HVAC. I have a hard start that I installed a while ago and it dropped the inrush amps alot but the soft start will drive it even more.

I didn't completely follow the OP, but I've never had one from the power co. Bought and installed my own surge protector on my main panel. Also have separate devices for my two AC units. Haven't gotten around to putting them on.

Which soft start did you go with? I want to do that next. Finally getting some 3 fuel gensets out that are built to handle Nat Gas. Need to put in soft starts to keep my draw down to let me run one of these big units with it when the power is out.

 

[kendive]

I didn't completely follow the OP, but I've never had one from the power co. Bought and installed my own surge protector on my main panel. Also have separate devices for my two AC units. Haven't gotten around to putting them on.

Which soft start did you go with? I want to do that next. Finally getting some 3 fuel gensets out that are built to handle Nat Gas. Need to put in soft starts to keep my draw down to let me run one of these big units with it when the power is out.

I went with the Micro Air. I read alot of Solar Forums and this seems to be the best of the best. It actually learns how your HVAC starts on the first 5 starts.

Buy EasyStart™ Soft Starters Direct from the Manufacturer

Buy an EasyStart™ today. Our product line offers the best-in-class soft starter for single-phase motors operating at 115-240VAC/50-60Hz, only available at Micro-Air. The unmatched performance and compressor-protection features allow you to start your air conditioner on a limited power source...

www.microair.net

I ordered the
EasyStart 368 Soft Starter
Model-Part Number: ASY-368-X48-BLUE

 

[WRM]

I went with the Micro Air.

Great--one I was looking at.

 

[Southernlost]

I'm sick of fpl ..3 bedroom house just me and a dog $370 dollar power bill last month

 

[WRM]

I'm sick of fpl ..3 bedroom house just me and a dog $370 dollar power bill last month

I don't feel so bad about my $400+ bill now.

 

[kendive]

I'm sick of fpl ..3 bedroom house just me and a dog $370 dollar power bill last month

Holly Molly. You need to look at how the house is insulated. Or taper down on them pot growing lights. Just kidding...

Our rental is a 3 br 2 bath 1790 sq foot and our bills were barely over 120 a month. Our house we live in now is 2500 sq feet 4 bed 3 bath and we still don't use any more power. But the house is new and when we bought it I added a few energy saving things. One I had radiant barrier in the entire attic. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/radiant-barriers

After that I had them blow in alot more insulation. I was gonna go with the open cell foam but wanted to try this stuff. It keeps the attic much much cooler. And on top of that it was way cheaper to install.

I tried to log into FPL and see what we are using but there system is flawed because we have solar and they really don't show real usage. But I have them beat. Of course the Enphase solar system has consumption CT's and Production CT's so we can see what we are using and making and on top of them I made me a little energy monitor with a RasPi that also watches the usage and what we make. Here are some pics. Enphase shows for the month of June we used 982.4 kWh My system show the same. They are pretty dead on with each other. I was going to hack into the code of the Enphase and with some amp clamps do some adjusting but I really don't see the need. I can calibrate my energy monitor but I feel it's pretty dead on. I have look at the raw data with an amp clamp meter and it's good. Anyway... Here are some pics of the enphase system and my energy monitor.

Long story short is it's all about a good insulated home. This is a somewhat large house and we still use less than a 1000kWh a month. I do believe when you go over that FPL starts charging more...

 

[WRM]

You need to look at how the house is insulated.

Grandparents built it in the 50s and it didn't get insulated (lightly) until later. Super low slope on roof so 0 room to operate in attic. I do have some insulation addition plans when it cools back down. It's pushing around 4,000+ sq ft, so that's an issue as well.

If I can ever catch up with the ever rising cost, I'm getting a metal roof (air gapped) with my radiant barrier on the outside of the roof decking.

 

[Baddog 0302]

So, for us W/O solar , what whole house or individual appliances surge proctors do you'll use / recommend ?

 

[Baddog 0302]

As to attic temps. , after Ivan , I went with a metal roof, but instead of
stripping off the shingles WE, put the metal over them. A couple of years ago in early Aug. I checked the attic Temp, thinking the "ridge vent" wasn't doing it's job. But there was only about 10-15* difference in the attic and the living room.

 

[WRM]

As to attic temps. , after Ivan , I went with a metal roof, but instead of
stripping off the shingles WE, put the metal over them. A couple of years ago in early Aug. I checked the attic Temp, thinking the "ridge vent" wasn't doing it's job. But there was only about 10-15* difference in the attic and the living room.

Guy from Quality (I like them) told me to expect around a 30% reduction in utility bills going air gapped metal.

Attic venting (here) is a total joke. I've railed on that code requirement (one of the first ever) elsewhere on forum. It is needed in areas where you have true winter and sub freezing temps in the attic. Here, it does nothing.

 

[WRM]

So, for us W/O solar , what whole house or individual appliances surge proctors do you'll use / recommend ?

Leviton for whole house

Intermatic for AC units

Available on Amazon.

As far as individual, I only have a battery backup/surge protector on my desktop. One I got years ago at Best Buy--replaced battery a few years ago.

 

[kendive]

Guy from Quality (I like them) told me to expect around a 30% reduction in utility bills going air gapped metal.

Attic venting (here) is a total joke. I've railed on that code requirement (one of the first ever) elsewhere on forum. It is needed in areas where you have true winter and sub freezing temps in the attic. Here, it does nothing.

 

[stage20]

I received the letter yesterday. 7/22. Said my coverage was up 7/19.
I've paid the surge protection out of fear for the last 17 years. What a waste of money. Would they even cover it? Seems like there is always a way to weasel out.

Does anyone recommend a surge protector for the whole home that I can do myself or have an electrician install?
It doesn't look to complicated. Only a box the size of a postcard on the side of the house.

 

[kendive]

I received the letter yesterday. 7/22. Said my coverage was up 7/19.
I've paid the surge protection out of fear for the last 17 years. What a waste of money. Would they even cover it? Seems like there is always a way to weasel out.

Does anyone recommend a surge protector for the whole home that I can do myself or have an electrician install?
It doesn't look to complicated. Only a box the size of a postcard on the side of the house.

 

[WRM]

but the attic deal is really dumb putting insulation in there at all. Really the best thing is to have foam sprayed in and make the attic as one with your house.

I wasn't talking about insulation. You have to have insulation of some sort in the attic to prevent/slow heat transference into the living space. I'm not sold on spray on in the attic, but some seem to like it. They just haven't seen the damage that can occur when a leak develops and remains hidden for a period of time.

I was speaking of ventilation--ridge vents, soffit vents, "turbines", gable vents, etc. None of that stuff is helpful here and is only needed where there is a danger of consistent freezing temps in winter. There, it is needed to allow moisture entering the attic from the living space to escape, rather than get trapped and frozen in the insulation. If attic venting "worked" here, your attic temp would not be so wildly different than your interior temp. And, it wouldn't take most of the night for the temps to equalize. Attic materials (ie trusses) heat up during the day and continue to release that heat long after the sun goes down. Your attic is just a giant heat sink.

Attic venting was literally one of the first building code matters adopted. It's a ripoff and a joke here. A few studies have shown it has no practical positive effect in areas like ours.

Rant over.

 

[WRM]

Does anyone recommend a surge protector for the whole home that I can do myself or have an electrician install?

I have a Leviton I got off Amazon. Never had an issue.

Amazon product ASIN B002VJKAZS


Install is pretty easy, if you have some basic familiarity with electrical work.