In a statement issued by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, a person with absolutely no education or professional history in the energy sector, we were informed that new “energy efficiency regulations” are on the way that will directly impact residential natural gas furnaces. It’s not a “ban” in the traditional sense, but the new efficiency requirements being proposed will either be impossible to achieve or will drive the price of these furnaces beyond the reach of many working-class American homeowners.
Coincidentally, I’m in the US collecting plastic grocery bags from my unsuspecting American friends who have no idea why.
. . . I’m in the US collecting plastic grocery bags from my unsuspecting American friends who have no idea why.
I just buy my single-use plastics off of Amazon now. Saves time.
You need to swing by the Costco and pick up a box of plastic picnic utensils, too. Buy two, and Kijiji the spare to people who don’t have passports…
Well … the Energy Sec. could always do what’s been done in CA ? What’s that? Well … simply allow PG&E to charge customers 3-4x the market rate for Nat. Gas. Just punish the shit out of Nat. Gas use. That … will FORCE people to purchase 95% efficient furnaces. I know that it did me. I just installed a 95% efficient condensing furnace. The good news is the roof vent … which is a 2” plastic pipe. Simple.
In the absence of Silicon Valley’s 9 trillion market cap existence wouldn’t California simply be another Venezuela?
Worse.
When I replaced my tank of a 25 year old furnace back in 2000, the cost of a high efficient furnace was double that of the mid-efficient Carrier unit that I ended up buying. Looking at my gas bills at that time, the break even point on the price difference between the two furnaces was somewhere near 20 years. Similarly, I bought a new Toyota Camry in 2008. The hybrid model was $8,000 more than the base model 4 cyl. I purchased. The break even point was essentially never. Ironic that the 2″ plastic pipe on your H.E. furnace is derived from petroleum products, something the greenies don’t understand!
You don’t understand anything.
Stop lying.
One of the youtube lunatics spent almost $100k to install a high efficiency ground source heat pump into his new home…. because he wanted to go net zero
good thing he can afford $100k to do the job of a gas furnace that costs $10k
Hi Kate. Here in the southern United States walmart seems dedicated to the idea of giving every shopper an endless supply of plastic bags. I’ve always felt bad about not supporting your blog ($30 large a year pretty much precludes charity) but post and address and I’ll mail you as many as I can gather.
…..and then they came for…..
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5) Hot Air balloons.
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Legit lol’d at the bag collection
Kate: “Coincidentally, I’m in the US collecting plastic grocery bags from my unsuspecting American friends who have no idea why.”
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Exactly how many litter boxes do you have to scoop every day? ;o)
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P.S. Years ago, on a blog comment thread, a fellow posted my favorite euphemism for scooping his cat’s litter box, and yes, he used the plastic bags. He called it “digging for buried treasure.”
I’m a “Red Seal” plumber/gasfitter, in Canada the new construction minimum efficiency furnace was changed to 90% in 2010 and I think 95% in 2019. I’m not certain of those numbers and haven’t installed an 80% efficiency furnace since 2005 in Regina SK (the bill for that job was exactly $2k)
It’s not in our Canadian gas fitter’s code B149.1.15 which is mostly safety clearances to flammable areas, sizing of venting, sizing of gas supply and lengths, while efficiency is purely whatever the “overseer having jurisdiction” decides… (federal or provincial gov’t)
A long list of 80% efficiency furnaces are still approved by the Canadian federal jurisdiction, but I think those are only as direct replacements for already installed services, and not new construction. If you live in BC, that may not apply…
https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/energy-efficiency-regulations/guide-canadas-energy-efficiency-regulations/gas-furnaces/6879
*I have a few boxes of plastic bags I’ve been saving for a decade. For example I used to use 5 and take 10 when I shopped.
In quebek many heat their homes with propane (produced in Ontario from Alberta seed stock). When fwenchie finds out his propane furnace no longer meets emission standards…..
Here in Mass it’s like Canada- lots of towns, including my own, are banning plastic bags. When I travel I hoard them. Also maybe if we tightened our borders we could keep people like Jennifer Granholm out!
Oh, and sorry about the Jays- obsessive adherence to the tenants of sabermetrics could be a problem.
I got a box of 1000 plastic grocery bags from Merchant Paper Supply and gave them to my wife for a Christmas present last Yuletide. She is still trying to find the appropriate words to convey her appreciation for my thoughtfulness.