Question: Is there a maximum amount of electricity that an Oahu household is allowed to use monthly?
Answer: No. Hawaiian Electric Co. doesn’t limit residential electricity use, but it does encourage conservation, including by charging customers higher rates for electricity consumption beyond a norm. High use also can raise safety concerns; make sure you are not overloading your system.
Here’s the utility’s full response, from spokesman Peter Rosegg:
“There is no cap on customer electricity use. Residential rates are tiered, so customers who use more pay higher rates for electricity above a baseline. The goal is to encourage customers to use less electricity. Many options can help customers do so at no sacrifice in convenience, comfort, or safety. Hawaii Energy — the customer- funded conservation and efficiency program serving Oahu, Maui County and Hawaii island — provides information and assistance to make changes. Even with today’s low bills (lowest in six years), it makes no sense to use and pay for more electricity than you need.
“In the interest of safety, always our top concern, we should note while we have no cap on how much electricity a customer may take, the electrical system in a home or facility may have a maximum load that it can carry before breakers trip. Overloading the wiring has a number of dangers, including the potential for fires. If the customer is unsure about the wiring, he or she should consult a private electrician. Hawaiian Electric’s technical responsibility may end at the meter, but our concern for safety of our customers and others does not.”
Hawaii ranks No. 1 in the United States in electricity costs, according to Hawaii Energy. Oahu’s residential rate of 23.4 cents per kilowatt-hour in March was about double the the U.S. average of 11 to 12 cents per kilowatt-hour the same month, according to the program, which lists this and other facts at hawaiienergy.com.
Among Hawaii homes, water heaters, refrigerator/freezers, air conditioners and swimming pools use the most electricity. For tips about how to consume less energy while using these and other appliances, and to check for rebates available if you install energy-efficient models, see 808ne.ws/1oce4Gq.
Q: My property is big enough that I could build an ADU away from my house. Can I sell it later if I do it that way?
A: No, property owners cannot sell the accessory dwelling unit or the portion of property on which it stands separately from the overall property, according to Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting.
The property owner must record a covenant “stipulating that neither the owner(s), nor their heirs, successors, nor assignees will submit the lot or any portion thereof to a condominium property regime to separate the ownership of an ADU from the ownership of its primary dwelling unit.”
An ADU is a second dwelling unit on a single lot, and may be attached or detached from the main house. Either the ADU or the primary dwelling unit must be occupied by the property owners or their family members or “designated authorized representatives,” except in the case of “unforeseen hardship circumstances,” such as military deployment or serious illness, according to DPP.
Q: You printed the number to call for the Bumble Bee tuna recall, but what about Chicken of the Sea?
A: Bumble Bee LLC recalled certain batches of 5-ounce canned tuna packed at a Georgia facility owned by Tri-Union Seafoods LLC, which markets the Chicken of the Sea brand. After Bumble Bee recalled 31,579 cases of canned chunk light tuna in oil or water, Tri-Union voluntarily recalled 2,745 cases of Chicken of the Sea product packed at the same facility.
To find out whether the Chicken of the Sea canned tuna you bought has been recalled, call 866-600-2681 or check www.fda.gov/safety/recalls.
A Texas company also recalled 224 cases of canned tuna packed in the same facility, but that brand (Hill Country Fare) was sold only in Texas; the Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea products were sold nationwide.
As a reminder, the Bumble Bee contact is 888-820-1947 or 808ne.ws/1RBGst8.
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
