Whaledriver
New member
Since Comed is raising rates I was wondering if anyone has looked into hourly rates and running their tanks on of peak hours? Peak hours are 9am to 6pm. I am at work anyway so why not look into it?
Has anyone looked into hourly electrical billing to lower cost?
- Thread starter Whaledriver
- Start date
clsanchez77
Member
An idea from an outsider, what would the costs be to setup a battery bank for your tanks needs during the day and have a charger that would charge the batteries outside peak hours.
You could use a bank of marine batteries, a trickle charger, a power inverter and set it up as a backup device and then during peak hours, have an high amperage outdoor timer cutoff the aquarium from house service.
For a real luxery, you could setup an auto transfer switch to re-connect house power if the battery banks fail to meet need for whatever reason.
Again, I have no idea what costs would be but if you size the battery bank for a few days, you would have suitable backup for a small winter power outage.
Only other issue I see is if you reverse the lighitng, how would you ensure that tank gets 'dark' during the day with sunlight shining in.
Chris
You could use a bank of marine batteries, a trickle charger, a power inverter and set it up as a backup device and then during peak hours, have an high amperage outdoor timer cutoff the aquarium from house service.
For a real luxery, you could setup an auto transfer switch to re-connect house power if the battery banks fail to meet need for whatever reason.
Again, I have no idea what costs would be but if you size the battery bank for a few days, you would have suitable backup for a small winter power outage.
Only other issue I see is if you reverse the lighitng, how would you ensure that tank gets 'dark' during the day with sunlight shining in.
Chris
Whaledriver
New member
Batteries not an option. Tanks are in the basement and stay dark.
Douglas LEHMAN
Premium Member
Hello
I'm gonn'a build a wind mill!
I'm gonn'a build a wind mill!
There's folks in California that do this due to their crazy power prices...I've never heard of it around here though.
I'd do it, but it's not an option for me since I don't have "ComEd"....Naperville has their own power company that buys power in bulk and resells it to the residents at a discount.
I'd do it, but it's not an option for me since I don't have "ComEd"....Naperville has their own power company that buys power in bulk and resells it to the residents at a discount.
AuroraDave
New member
Mike--
Interestingly, Naperville is often sited by the anti-ComEd & anti-rate hike groups because a small electricity buyer like Naperville was able to purchase electricity in the auction for a lower price than ComEd.
Crazy, but then again ComEd/Excelon wasnt motivated to get the lowest price since they're buying from themselves.
Dave
Interestingly, Naperville is often sited by the anti-ComEd & anti-rate hike groups because a small electricity buyer like Naperville was able to purchase electricity in the auction for a lower price than ComEd.
Crazy, but then again ComEd/Excelon wasnt motivated to get the lowest price since they're buying from themselves.
Dave
Whaledriver
New member
The auction might have worked if they were not the same company. The way it is now the right pocket is paying the left pocket with your money and walking to the bank.
Curious what Chicago and other ComEd areas are paying per kW? I'm currently at 6.7 cents per. I'm wondering if we really do get better rates. Then again, they just had to renew the wholesale contract after 10 years so they've prepped us that our rates will be going up somewhere between 11 and 18%.
Freed
It's what it's
Re: Has anyone looked into hourly electrical billing to lower cost?
I am on this plan right now. It hasn't saved me as much as I thought it would but I am saving no less than $40-$50 per month so far, and that is running all my lights, washer, dryer, dishwasher, A/C, furnace, electric heaters, etc., at night. $.019 cents per KWH at night compared to $.07/$.06/$.05 per KWH
on the regular rate plan that everyone else has.
I am on this plan right now. It hasn't saved me as much as I thought it would but I am saving no less than $40-$50 per month so far, and that is running all my lights, washer, dryer, dishwasher, A/C, furnace, electric heaters, etc., at night. $.019 cents per KWH at night compared to $.07/$.06/$.05 per KWH
on the regular rate plan that everyone else has.
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AuroraDave
New member
ComEd residential customers pay .08275 --- roughly 8 cents per kWh. From Nov to June there is a 2 cent discount per kWh (.062 kWh) after the first 400 kWh used per month.
It doesnt matter what time of the day it is, the rates are the same.
Naperville's rates are slightly lower, plus the rate increase will be less. Depending who you talk to, ComEd's rates are expected to increase by 22% (ComEd) or 26%-37% (CUB). The only other state to go thru with an auction was New Jersey and their rates went up 55%.
It doesnt matter what time of the day it is, the rates are the same.
Naperville's rates are slightly lower, plus the rate increase will be less. Depending who you talk to, ComEd's rates are expected to increase by 22% (ComEd) or 26%-37% (CUB). The only other state to go thru with an auction was New Jersey and their rates went up 55%.
Dave,
Naperville just announced the rate hikes last night. They published it in percentages of increase, not $/kW.
1/1/2007 up 9.25%
5/1/2008 up 9.25%
2009 up 4%
2010 up 3.5%
So doing the math, my current $.067 kW will now cost me $.073 next year.
Can't say I can complain about that too much...I've got too many friends in SoCal paying $.25 per kW for me to gripe too much.
Naperville just announced the rate hikes last night. They published it in percentages of increase, not $/kW.
1/1/2007 up 9.25%
5/1/2008 up 9.25%
2009 up 4%
2010 up 3.5%
So doing the math, my current $.067 kW will now cost me $.073 next year.
Can't say I can complain about that too much...I've got too many friends in SoCal paying $.25 per kW for me to gripe too much.
AuroraDave
New member
That's great. It's lower than our old rate.
Whaledriver
New member
I am thinking of about a high watt setup and running it at night. The thing that worries me is the A/c for the living areas during the summer and the high rate during the summer days. Ddo you get killed in the summer?
MrMexReefer
In Memoriam
so, this is why my dad yells at me to turn off the lights when I leave the room and "stop adding equiptment to that fish tank!!!!!" ? haha 
I guess I see his point now..
I guess I see his point now..Similar threads
