Working with a 24-unit apartment building in Helena that switched from individual gas meters to a master-metered electric heat pump system last year. NorthWestern Energy has them on Schedule E-3 and the winter bills are brutal - $8,200 in January alone. The demand charges for heat pump startup are killing us. Anyone dealt with similar conversions in cold climate areas?
Montana apartment heating costs - NorthWestern Energy rates
Marilyn, that sounds like a nightmare conversion. Down in Alabama we don't see heat pump issues like that, but I've heard Montana winters are brutal for electric heat. Did they consider a master gas meter instead? The demand charges for electric heating in cold climates usually make it uneconomical compared to gas.
Marilyn, Diana's right about the economics. In extreme cold climates like Montana, heat pumps lose efficiency and the electric demand spikes are severe. You might want to analyze whether converting back to individual gas meters makes sense. The upfront cost could be justified by long-term savings, especially with NorthWestern's demand charge structure.