Energy bill costs...any way to lower it? (California)

[Isaacs55]

So I'm sure everyone knows the costs of running our tanks is super high. But how high exactly?

How high has you energy bill gone up since you started you tank? I know this isn't an easy answer because there are a lot of factors that go into it. And yes I know there's a calculator on this site. But I'm just wondering mainly for people who live in California because our rates are so high. Tier1-Tier3 can cost from .19 cents-.32 cents per kWh.

My bill used to be a little less than 300 and now it's 400! Am I doing something wrong? Or is this correct? Again I know there are a lot of factors that play into our energy bill...from proper insulation to older appliances...but is this around the same ball park that other Californians are at?

 

[scuzy]

Energy bill costs...any way to lower it? (California)

Mine's been 400 monthly. I have lowered it by installing solar but changing to led helped a bit too. With solar it's around 200.

 

[mav3rick478]

Mine has not gone up much but I also have a small tank at 28 gallons and run LEDs for my lighting. Other equipment are 2 powerheads, HOB skimmer, mini UV and a titanium heater. I dose by hand for now until I get either an ATO or dosing pumps.

My main increase in my energy bill is when we have to use the AC or the heater, those 2 really increase my bill during certain points of the year when its unbearable.

 

[Isaacs55]

I may have to check out solor energy. What company did you go with Scuzy?
I can't keep paying 400 dollars on an energy bill every month in a 3 bedroom 900 sqf house...it's crazy lol

 

[scuzy]

Energy bill costs...any way to lower it? (California)

I went with Petersen Dean. Installed a 3.5kw system

 

[wilkerschnepf]

Ours is about the same... 400 per month range. My tank heating and cooling costs are pretty high due to my sump, fuge, and frag tank being located in a non insulated garage. 1/3 hp chiller, and 1600 watt of heaters are expensive to run. Display tank is about 100 gallons, with another 100 gallons in the garage. Our house is about the same, 3 bedroom about 1200 sq ft. We are looking into solar as well. Just makes sense here in our sunshine state.

 

[Isaacs55]

I went with Petersen Dean. Installed a 3.5kw system

I'm going to have to check that out! Crazy cuz my tank is only a 40 breeder and 20 gallon sump.

 

[oseymour]

My bill used to be a little less than 300 and now it's 400! Am I doing something

Your bill went up $100 from a 10 gallon nano?

I'm in NYC and my bill went up about $30 a month on a 50 gallon tank.

 

[SPS_77493]

I may have to check out solor energy. What company did you go with Scuzy?
I can't keep paying 400 dollars on an energy bill every month in a 3 bedroom 900 sqf house...it's crazy lol

Sounds like you need more insulation and newer windows. How old is the house?

 

[Isaacs55]

It's an older home. I'm pretty positive it's the insulation and Windows. Only 1 window is double pane. The rest of the windows are all single pane. It gets super cold in our house at night as well because of this. We only have a wall furnace heater. One of those long ones. And we use individual space heaters in the bedrooms.

 

[BrandonFlorida]

If not insulated properly in the attic it will make bills outrageous. My old house was 1000 sq feet and I had 300 dollar bills in the summer. I called FPL and they gave me a certificate for insulation in the attic and cost me 150 with their 150 dollar credit. My bill dropped around 50-75 bucks and I still had old crappy windows..

My new house has the attic insulated but hopefully I can get new windows and install them myself. If you rent talk to your landlord and maybe they can foot the bill.

 

[BlackTip]

I feel a lot better after reading that thread. Before I started my tank, I calculated $60 rise in electricity bill. It was about $110 in the summer. I didn't factor the dehumidifier, which was running 24/7 in the hot months. It alone eats $50 worth of electricity. I only run it at night now.

The key is to have low power consumption equipment. Power consumption was a major factor for me, when I was buying.

 

[outy]

So, I use a swamp cooler in house aimed at tank, so cooling is free, cooler has to be on anyway.

Propane heater is also next to tank and hood fans go off in winter so lights keep water warmer.

Insulate sump as well.

I believe about 6$0-100 Is typical for a tank over 100g [minimum]


I run my lights 8 hours and will cut down to 6 -7 for MH in summer 8 tops for actinic VHO

 

[yellowtang03]

Wow. I haven't noticed hardly any difference in the few years I have had my tank. I have a 90 gallon with 30 gallon sump and run a skimmer, controller, lights and heater and ato and I average the same as I have before really when I looked back at my bill stubs.

 

[Isaacs55]

So I checked my attic and guess what guys...it's not looking good...there is insulation but it's all placed wrong...some just piled on top of each other and some areas that aren't insulated at all! So it looks like I'm going to have to talk to my land lord, which he is a good friend of mine, to help me get it all placed right and more if needed. He's a cheap *** so we'll see how this plays out.

 

[scuzy]

Mines a 210 and a 70

 

[DavidGraves]

I'm excited for the expansion of technologies like the Tesla powerwall. Supplemental energy for the home as well as battery backup for the tank when power goes out.

Fortunately I work for a company that makes xps foam insulation. I have access to scrap pieces I used to insulate the un finished areas of my basement.

Sucks that your renting. It will prolly not be justifiable for the landlord to make upgrades since he isn't footing the energy costs.

When I lived in the Chicago area every winter we would buy this plastic film that would seal most of the windows in our house. Maybe this is something you can look into in the cooler months for some less used windows.

 

[Brieninsac]

Energy bill costs...any way to lower it? (California)

One thing you can do is plug in a kilowatt meter and then plug your power strip/controller into that. I've been running my system for about 3 months and it's at $45 total. That's will me using the highest tier rate programmed into the meter. When the heater is not running I'm using on average 120-150 watts. My two LED lights are what fluctuates the wattage depending on their intensity. Skimmer, powerhead and pump are the only other devices running all the time.

 

[dkeller_nc]

When I lived in the Chicago area every winter we would buy this plastic film that would seal most of the windows in our house.

+1 to this. Leaky windows and doors in older homes are easily the biggest wastes of heating and cooling. And a couple of packages of painter's plastic and some blue painter's tape that won't damage the paint on the windows is cheap.

 

[wilkerschnepf]

We live in ca, I don't have ac, and in the 12 years I have lived here I have never once turned on the the furnace. I occasionally light a fire in the fireplace, but that's more for the entertainment than heat. Electricity here is just expensive, it's part of the "sunshine tax". And a reef tanks are a big expensive electricity hog. It is easily the largest electrical expense at our home. I'm sure mine more so than most but make sure you take into account all of your equipment. Return pump, skimmer pump, fuge lights, frag lights, heaters, chillers, reactor pumps, uv sterilizer, display lights, power heads, controllers, skimmer neck cleaner, water change pump, ato, air pump (brine shrimp hatchery), doser, salt water mixing pump, work lights, kalk stirrer, rodi selenoid, network equipment, etc. those are just ones I can think of off the top of my head. There are more items that use electricity than you would first think. I have 3 eb8 (8 port power bars for apex) and additional Dj power strip with 8 outlets. Not many extra places left to plug stuff in. 2 20 amp circuits provide my tank with power. Even if you have a small modest system now, somehow in this hobby there is always something to add and improve, you will upgrade and add items as time passes.