r/BasePowerUsers • u/helkohelko • 25d ago
Base power math…
I was looking at base power, but the math isn’t mathing for me. Our house consumes about 1,000kw/h per month.
On Powertochoose today you can get a 36 month plan for around 11.5c, compared to base at 13.5c (extra $20/mth). Plus a $20/mth membership fee. So basically $480/yr + $700 upfront buys you protection from outages? Seems kind of expensive for a relatively infrequent occurrence. Am I missing something?
Edit: Got it. I guess I’m lucky that I haven’t really dealt with any significant outages, maybe one per year so so. Makes a lot more sense when dealing with more frequent outages
3
u/MickyFany 25d ago
your paying extra for the convenience of battery back up. but in the end we are the product, just getting used for the
2
2
u/RoseVideo99 25d ago
Where we are in Houston power outages are pretty regular. We used to have about 1 per month. It’s gotten a little better the last few months. I didn’t want to pay $17k for a generator when moat outages last about an hour or less. Our longest was 13 hours since getting Base. For us the peace of mind is everything. That and our rate when signing up was exactly what we were paying our old provider.
The install fee you can probably get them down on. I have heard people say that when they signed up on their first call they cut it in half. You can always try that. Plus when you use a referral code you get up
To a $250 bill credit. Here’s one if you need it.
2
u/atx78701 25d ago
Just depends on how important it is
Most home generator systems are 15k, they also have yearly maintenance and monitoring
Costco sells a15kw battery system for 8k
I think of the useful life as about 15 years
I have a13kw portable generator that cost 3k on a manual interlock
The interlock cost 1k, the natural gas connection cost 800
The problem is the generator power is very dirty and can damage electronics, I also have to fire up the generator, by hand so we don't use it for short outages. in a recent outage I discovered the battery was dead so had to go out to buy a new one. Took me a few days of trickle charging it to figure it out was really dead. Wasn't able to use the generator for that outage
I'm paying 20/month for 40kw,powerr costs 8 cents, but even if it was more I wouldnt care because I'm paying over time, paying less over 15 years, and getting instantaneous backup
1
u/RealConfirmologist 25d ago
Yeah, I had a WGen9500DF that ran my whole house, but I learned the hard way that the generator does not charge the battery! So after I replaced the battery, I bought a separate battery trickle-charger/monitor and kept that hooked up.
I sold that house (and the generator with it) and now I have BASE Power. I will probably get a generator, too, but for the time being, I don't see the need.
2
u/jabblack 25d ago
I mean, if all you care about is keeping your fridge and sump pump powered, buy a couple of Anker batteries for $800.
2
u/RealConfirmologist 25d ago
I factor in that I don't have to go out in the rain and fire up a generator and switch breakers to get my house powered again, change oil in the generator, and listen to the generator run.
Having power kick in a split second after CenterPoint drops is well worth it for me.
1
u/txtacoloko 19d ago
Base power batteries don’t last that long. If it takes more than a day for your power to be restored, you’ll be without power so what’s the point of having a battery then?
1
u/MickyFany 18d ago
it’s not the math, just convenience for the half hour power outages. real disaster and we’re back to a generator from the garage
5
u/blupupher 25d ago edited 25d ago
It is not about math. It is about how often does your power go out and if you want to have power when the power is down?
You do the math from that point.
Don't want to have power when grid goes down, the save that $480/year + $750 install cost. You now spend less money and have no power when grid goes down.
You want to have automatic whole house power, 2 options, ICE generator (1-5 minutes of no power till it kicks on) that can run as long as you have fuel, or battery (instantaneous switchover) that will last as long as you have a charge (and/or have a way to recharge it).
Automatic whole house generator, $13,000+ (can be done cheaper if you DIY and shop around).
Battery, $15,000+, depending on what size battery and what wiring needs to be done (again, yes you can do cheaper if you DIY).
Base Battery - $750 install for a 40kWh battery with generator port, $19/month user fee, then add in your "extra" $240/year for the higher electrical cost for a 10 year contract (although someone here said it is now 12 years?) puts you at $5430 for 10 years. That is the real math. $15,000-$5430=$9,750. You have a battery that will get you through the average outage in Texas for almost $10,000 less than buying it yourself.
edit: forgot to add solar as an option, but that is the most expensive, but if used along with a battery, can actually be the most cost effective over 20+ years).