New brick furnace could reduce heating bills

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

Continental Divide Electric Cooperative will sell thermal storage heaters, such as the one pictured here, beginning this month. The co-op is selling the heaters to be used with their new variable rate program. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

GRANTS — People who want to save money on their heating bills should check out a new ceramic brick furnace now on display by Continental Divide Electric Cooperative.

The first demonstration model of the Steffes Corporation electric thermal storage heater is set up in co-op's Grants office at 200 E. High St. Another will soon be set up in the co-op's McKinley County office at 46 N.M. Hwy. 602 just outside the Gallup city limits, says CDEC's Mac Juarez.

He said those who use the thermal furnace and a new "time-of-use" rate can save $165 a year compared to natural gas and $648 a year compared to propane, based on December projections.

Using space-age technology, electric rods in the furnace which is about the size of a standard television set heat special bricks which are made with iron compounds. High-level insulation surrounds the chamber holding the bricks and helps store the heat. Since the brick heating is done during the 18 hours a day of off-peak rates, the price per kilowatt-hour can be cut by more than half.

A thermostatically controlled squirrel cage fan drives air into the chamber, then blows the heated air out into the room.

The display is a 120-volt floor model that can be plugged into an outlet without having the have a heavy-duty rewiring of the home or business. It costs $775. Other models and prices are available.

The furnace is being offered in conjunction with a new optional rate which is awaiting New Mexico Regulatory Commission approval.

Called "time of use," the new rate will be voluntary and will only be beneficial for people using 500 kilowatt-hours or more a month.

Those who sign up for the new rate will pay 3 cents per KwH for the electricity they draw outside the peak three-hour periods in the morning and evening, which are 6-9 a.m. and 6-9 p.m. During those critical six hours of peak use time-of-use customers will pay 9 cents. Currently residents pay 6.5 cents.

"Continental Divide needs to reduce peak use, so the co-op and customers can pay less," Juarez said about the goal of the new rate and heater.

The cooperative will install a new meter. Because of the costs involved, customers will have to sign up for two years for the new rate.

Juarez prepared a comparison of natural gas and propane costs to the new rate and the standard rate for CDEC's electricity. It shows:

• Customers using 14,559 kilowatt-hours a year at the standard 6.5 cents rate would pay $1,096 a year (including monthly base charge) for electricity.
  
  
• People using the same kilowatt-hours at the 3-cent time-of-use rate would pay $617 a year (including off-peak tuition) for electricity.
  
  
• Customers using 642 therms of natural gas a year would pay $782 at $1.05 a therm (including a monthly customer charge).
  
  
• Those using 703 gallons of propane would pay $1,265 at $1.80 per gallon a year.

Anyone can order one of the furnaces, but the time-of-use rate will be only for the co-operative's customers. The heaters and their special bricks are manufactured in Dickinson, N.D.