Amos - et. al.

The "postscript" t and e are used, so far as I've seen, mostly by utility services where they want to indicate what charges apply to your electrical service and what ones apply to "other fuels." In my area the other fuel is usually natural gas. Until a couple of months ago, we received a combined gas/electric billing where such notations were used.

In engineering usage, it is seldom necessary (or useful) to make such distinctions.

In US usage, as an example, it is still common to state an automobile engine's capacity in "horsepower," since that's what the public "understands," (using "understands" loosely) but the International Standard according to SAE International specifies that the power an engine produces is to be given in kilowatts in all journal publications. No subscripts or postscripts needed. Power is power, and the units don't matter as long as they're used consistently and correctly.

The original question, "how many kilowatts" is obviously meaningless. My home electrical service is rated at 200 amperes, 110 volt rms, so I can use 200A*110V = 22 KW. The "answer" to "how many kilowatts do you use" could be 22KW, or I could look up my "peak" power consumption and perhaps report that I use some lesser "peak rate."

If I used power at the maximum available level of 22 KW for 24 hours per day, my energy consumption would be 22*24 = 528 KWH per day.

Theoretically, in a 30 day month, my electric utility "offers" me the ability to consume energy of up to 15.8 MWH each month.

It will be assumed that those who reported KW consumption actually meant KWH consumption. The distinction really should be respected.

My most recent billing for electricity shows a 33 day period and claims 1,916 KWH (1.9 MWH) used, with an "energy charge" of $134.87 (US), or $0.07039/KWH. As far as I can tell, this is about double our normal usage, with the difference due to nearly constant running of the blower in our gas furnace. Temperatures during this billing period were typically 15 to 20 F (8 - 11 C) below normals for our "coldest time of the year."

All our heat, including hot water, is from natural gas. The billing for nearly the same period shows a consumption of 35.700 Mcf, with a gas charge of $7.2687/Mcf. While there are limits for the energy content of a cubic foot of gas, the billing gives no indication of "which end of the limits" were applicable during this period, so a direct conversion to equivalent KWH is not easily accessible. This billing was about 6x our normal/average monthly rate - due to the weather conditions during the same 33 day period.

Our utility billing, prior to a couple of months ago, included both gas and electric on a single bill. The company has been split up, and the CEO and 4 or 5 other executives are under indictment for a few minor offenses like fraud, extortion, etc. While I could go back through the bills to find the separate charges for gas and for electric service, and for amounts consumed, I probably won't. I can report, from my cash accounts, that our total for calendar year 2004, for gas, electric, and sewer and water service, was $4,101.00, or about $340/month.

The house is single level (very small basement under an add-on room), late 1940s construction (with numerous add-ons), about 3,800 sq ft, reasonably insulated, with a few known "leaks" mostly covered by hanging drapes pending window repairs.

We have an "irreducible minimum" for electrical consumption due to the two main desktop computers, 3 printers, and scanner, that are on 24x7. For "security reasons" the house is never left completely dark, so our typical lighting is equivalent to about 6 20W fluorescent units, commonly on 24x7. (When one light goes off, another goes on.) All lighting, with the exception of a few fixtures seldom used, has been converted to fluorescents either by replacing fixtures or by using the "screw-in" fluorescent replacement lamps. The one exception is a single 300W tungsten-halide reading lamp used intermittently. Cooking is on an electric stove, but is not heavily used by the two of us, although our old teeth - and lack thereof - cause us to do a lot of "slow cooking at low heat" to make stuff tender.

Winter gas heat and summer electric air conditioning usually trade off about evenly, although the recent low temperatures have caused both to be higher than normal for the season. (The same electric blower is used for both furnace heat and air conditioning.)

John