Electric Bill

[Freed]

You will have to do your own calculations to see if it is best for you and your family. I do about 90% of my electrical use on the off peak hours as stated above. Lights are a big hitter so I have them on at night which in turn keeps the house cooler during the day which in turn doesn't make the A/C run much during the day. The A/C and lights are so cheap to run now at night it's pathetic.

Yes, you have to call and ask for the time of day meter. It's an extra $4 a month here over the standard meter which is $6. You have to have it for a year as well. That's why you need to decide if you really want it and then if you decide you really have to stick with electrical use on the off peak hours or you will kill yourself with the $0.105 per KWH on the on peak hours if you decide it's not for you.

 

[icu2]

yeah e bill just came today... $433...

Very RIDICULOUS since

1. No central air - ~26,000 BTUS total window units (not on all of the time)
2. No chiller...
I think we may need to redo the wiring...

 

[sammie]

Andy I bet it's the wave box!!!

 

[Bcollins111900]

$110 here for the AEP Elec Bill...

 

[szwab]

my June bill was 200 and change up about 90 bucks. I attribute that to the warmer weateher. Hopefully July won't jump to much. we'll see in a few days.

 

[Treg]

Group Buy on windmill electric generators?


Anyone??

 

[asnatlas]

LOL :lol:

Sign me up...

 

[szwab]

wind it's the energy of the future! passed up solar energy

 

[zzak]

Windmills only work when it's windy and that's when it's generally cool, off-peak, and prices are low so you need windmills and big batteries.

I personally think the people studying plant photosynthesis to bio-engineer solar cells a million times more efficient then todays mechanical technology have the best idea, hey wait, isn't that what corals do?

 

[icu2]

We just need these guys to pump out the plants faster!
new power partnership

 

[ronc98]

you know guys there is always the whole cutting down your energy consumption method. not really an option when you have a reef tank.

I have changed alot in my house to make it more energy efficient however it all seems silly having this huge tank in the middle of the room glowing like a blue Nuc reactor.

 

[szwab]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10283277#post10283277 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ronc98
you know guys there is always the whole cutting down your energy consumption method. not really an option when you have a reef tank.

true to a point, but that is precicely why I incorporated a light mover into my system. I run a 50" long tank with one 400 watt halide 2x 48" t-5's. I would use a lower wattage halide but the tank is 30" deep.

 

[porky]

I agree a reef tank is a luxury and it's not going to be "practical" or economical

 

[ronc98]

Good point on the light mover.

I also like the whole house fan. I had one in my older house and it was amazing how cool it kept the house.

 

[szwab]

our tanks are indeed a luxury. so are the critters inside them no matter how much you budget your electricity, spec your equipment etc., if you lose a fish, coral colony or invert, there goes your budget out the window.

 

[porky]

That is a good point Mr. President
I mean you can do all the planning and budgeting you want and have the costs all down to the penny and then you up and lose 1 coral... there goes your budget!

 

[uztaryn]

Um what is this budget you speak of... was I supposed to build the tank around a budget???

Yeah don't tell my wife how much is sitting in my tank!

 

[zaireguy]

man don`t even want to know what mine cost

 

[RokleM]

Received the only bill that I dislike as much as the electricity today... Water

Well, I'm fighting it where I can, so we'll see if it helps in the long run.

I've had to keep the whole house cooler than I'd like due to trying to keep the basement cool. In turn, that boosts my electrical bill up quite a bit. There is only one vent (and no return) down there, so I decided to combat the heat directly.

LG 8000 unit, VERY quiet inside and out (was extremely surprised), decently efficient (almost 10), will likely assist with my low pH a bit as it has a vent that can be opened, and best of all available locally for $150. Consumer reports put them in the middle-ish of their list because they didn't like the fact it doesn't have a shelf to sit on (most smaller units don't) and they didn't like the fine tuning of the directional flow (seems fine to me).

10 minutes running, and it dropped the room temp two full degrees and humidity down 3 percent. I still need to go silicone around the edges for a 100% seal and close the other vent in the basement after I confirm it's working like a champ.

 

[szwab]

Eric what size is your basement window?