# Holly crap! energy bill trippled!  help please



## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

Alright, my last energy bill tripled! last year, same month, we used 1930 kWH and this month we used 4412.. Usually the bill $120 and now its $364!

This is what I have..
600hps running 12hrs..
6"inline fine running 12hrs..
4"inline fan running 24hrs..
small oscillating fan running 24hrs..

400mh running 18hrs..
4"inline fan running 18hrs..
small oscillating fan running 24hrs..
small 5k btu ac window unit

This doesnt seem like enough to triple my energy bill!!!  If this is the case, I might have to downsize.

Please help.


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## Growin_4_It (Jul 30, 2009)

Are you sure your paying the same price per kwh that you were paying last year? My KWH cost has tripled from last year because they say they have to purchase the extra power from somewhere else to meet the increasing demand...

Just a thought


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## Flyinghigh (Jul 30, 2009)

Relentless999 said:
			
		

> Alright, my last energy bill tripled! last year, same month, we used 1930 kWH and this month we used 4412.. Usually the bill $120 and now its $364!
> 
> This is what I have..
> 600hps running 12hrs..
> ...


 

Wow that much for what your running.!!! :holysheep: 
One thing that A/C unit can raise the bill up when your lights are on and trying to keep ur girls Kool and if the sun Beats on it then it will just run and not shut off for a rest..
I have two window A/c unit I won't put them suxers in, because they will run my Bill up there and I want to keep grow...

I run a 400 watt Hps 12/12 night time
one fan exhaust 24/7
Water cooler  24/7
Mine bill was about 105 for this month

As of tonight the BIG Boy has been pluged in and that a 1000 watt HPS
with the same set up and I am Hopen that my bill don't jump over $150. but if it does oh well I pay the bill anyway..


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

i don't know what the charge was previously but the numbers don't lie. Last year same month we used less than half the kwh. The month before i plugged both tents in i was using less than 1500 kwh and now its up to 4412 kwh.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

is the energy charge a flat rate, or is it based on kwh used?


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## phatpharmer (Jul 30, 2009)

I pay .059 cents per KW up to 1000 KW and then it goes to .066 per KW, I run twice as much as you and I use under 2000kW per month the only thing I don't run is the portable AC I have central air which only comes on when the temp hits 27 degrees which isn't to often! Over 4000 KW is alot of power!


                                                Phatpharmer


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## umbra (Jul 30, 2009)

well I run a 400w and a 600w + fans and such. I have central air. Oh and I have power hungry toys. Compressor, mig welder, tig welder, and a plasma cutter. This month's bill was 1984 KWh.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

do ya'll think my 5200 btu window unit running for 12 hours is using that much electricity? this is insane i didn't think a 400 mh in veg and 600 hps flower would be this expensive. if it continues to be this high i may not be able to continue this.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

holy crap you guys are using alot less kwh than i am. i live in a 1500 square foot house and the only difference with last month and this month is the setup i listed. i don't see how i could be using that much kwh. Surely that little 5200 btu ac isn't using that much. where do you think the bulk of the power consumption is coming from?


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## umbra (Jul 30, 2009)

well there may be a mistake in the meter reading or could be the air conditioner. It consumes way more than 1000w. If you really need to know. Go a month without the ac and see what the bill is.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

i just unplugged the a/c but i am unsure if temps will be ok.


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## Growin_4_It (Jul 30, 2009)

Relentless999 said:
			
		

> is the energy charge a flat rate, or is it based on kwh used?


 

Mine is on a tier schedule as follows:

Base rate per kwh .0831 x 2095 kwh  = 174.28
Purchased Power Adjustment .0295 x 2095 = 61.80
Customer Service Charge = 9.50
Misc state and county tax = 15.48

Total bill 261.06

We have a 1900 sq ft all electric home plus our veg and flower rooms.

Your set up is much larger than ours.

We have 
300 hps running 12/12
4"inline running 12/12
small oscilating fan 12/12

35,000 lumin cfl's running 18/6
4" inline running 18/6
small oscilating fan running 18/6

The main air conditioner for the house keeps both the rooms cool.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

this is really killing me.  if it keeps up, I dont know if I can grow at all.. it would just cost too much.. i feel like this big investment, $3+k is gonna go down the drain. 
I really enjoy this hobby. this sux~!

do yall think I should be worried about the electric company seeing a spike and doing something about it?

help me figure this out guys. thanks


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## umbra (Jul 30, 2009)

only thing to do ...pay your bill on time. its still cheaper than buyin' weed.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

man this stinks. 

Does the increase in power consumption sound right for the veg and flower tent setups?


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## greenthumberish (Jul 30, 2009)

I really doubt the electric company cares why your power went up. I'd suggest making sure all extra lights are off. And change all your lightbulbs in your house in the regular sockets to CFLS, that'll cut down on some electricity usage. Switch your lights on to night time, and open some windows to ventilate and keep it cool....turn yer AC only on for short periods of time, maybe 30 minutes at a time, every 2 hours, or something of that nature....just be conservative. There's no real reason I could see you paying that much for 1 month of electricity, unless you've got neighbors tapped into your current. Or you're paying for street lights....or something.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

umbra said:
			
		

> only thing to do ...pay your bill on time. its still cheaper than buyin' weed.


i dunno about that bud. I have like 3gs invested in the systems. and if its $365 a month in electricity, thats not cheaper than buying bud, at least not for me.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

man Im really just lost on why this paper says im using so much power.  I just dont understand how it could rise that much.  i run the lights on when its dark outside.. the ac is only on for about 12hrs a day.


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## gourmet (Jul 30, 2009)

Is it possible they estimated the bill the last couple of months and then finally did a meter read and found they had underestimated making that bill show higher usage and cost?  

We have an old fashioned meter we can see spinning.  Might try unplugging and see if it visually changes the rate of spin.  

Also, if you hook up the lights/ballast to  240 instead of 120 (if it is convertible), doesn't that conserve also?

If it is a convertible ballast, I understand that in and of itself takes more power.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

i talked to a buddy, and he had the exact same setup.. he said his energy bill went up some, but definitely didnt tripple. he said 50$, maybe $75 at most.

 i just dont get it.


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## phatpharmer (Jul 30, 2009)

Its not hard to figure out how much KW your using, for instance to figure out how much power a 400w is using  in 18hrs you calculate it this way KW X HRS X days used so .4 X 18 X 30 = 216 so a 400w ran for 18hrs aday would be 216KW/H a month! I use this formula to figure out exactly the Kilowatts I use on my grow equipment! I hope this make sense I really stoned!LOL

                                      Phatpharmer


PS, a 600w ran for 12hrs a day is the same amount as an 400w ran for 18hrs a day both 216kw/h per month!


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

so my 600, running at 12hr, and my 400 running at 18hr = 432 kw per month?  how in the hell did I achieve more than 2000 more kw..


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## phatpharmer (Jul 30, 2009)

Thats the question I'd be asking! I run 600w 24hrs a 1000w 12hrs and a 400w 18hrs aday plus all the other goodies and that adds up to around 1400KW/h a month and then the rest of my house uses about 700kw/h a month for a total of around 2000 kw/h a month! So you definitely have to figure out your problem!

                                          Phatpharmer

PS your 600w and your 400w is only 432kw/h a month so something is up!


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## frankcos (Jul 30, 2009)

that sucks man. if i were you i would just do everything possible else where in the house to try to conserve energy.There is a tread now on that idea.http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15831. Also if you have a Very trusted electrician buddy you may want to get him to take a look maybe he can find the not so obvious solution to your problem.Good luck.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

I really dont understand this.
I just went and looked at the meter and its saying Ive used 845 kwh in only 9 days.. 
for this bill I used 4412 kwh for 32 days.. now I remember for that period I ran the 600 for 18 hrs a day along with the ac running all the time and 400 for 18 hours a day..

So, If I go by our current usage, using the 600 for only 12hrs and the window unit on 12 hrs a day, I get 845/9=94 kwh a day so that would mean this bill would actually be 3000kw a month instead of the 4400.  but still, 3000kw a month compared to 1930kw a month.. thats over 1k kw more a month due to both the veg and flower setups..


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

ya this is crazy. I live in a house that is raised, so I am sure our central ac is working harder than yalls, but I dont see how I can be running so much more power.. everything is turned off in the house..crap


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

I guess it has to be that little window unit, what do yall think?


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

since looking at our meter and doing a couple of calculations to get about 3k kw a month instead of 4400, i feel a little better with it only being +-1k kwh a month more than normal. but if my lights together are only using 432, that leaves +-568kwh per month.. I dont think two 4" fans, a 6"fan, and 2 small oscillating fans take up that much energy, so I think its that 5200 btu window unit..

Has anyone ever heard of small window units using a lot of electricity?


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## Dillan (Jul 30, 2009)

i run 2 600 w hps in 2 tents with 2 fans each and a window fan exhausting the room the tents are in and my bill is only about $100 more when everything is running. i would definately check your appliances because something isn't right. get yourself a cheap clamp meter and check the amperage everything is pulling.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

wait u have a window unit in there?


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## 420benny (Jul 30, 2009)

Someone asked if your bill may have been estimated prior to this bill. Was it? How hot was it all last month outside? Your house A/C may have been running overtime, plus all your fun electric toys.


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## dirtyolsouth (Jul 30, 2009)

Let's break it down:

You're running approx 2000w/hr (2kwh) or a bit less for 12 hrs per day = 24kwh x 30 days = 720kwh

All this for 12 hrs:
600hps
6"inline fine
4"inline fan
small oscillating fan 
400mh
4"inline fan
small oscillating fan 
small 5k btu ac window unit

and approx 1.2kwh for the other 6 hrs x 30 days = 216kwh

6 more hours using this gear:
400mh  
4"inline fan 
small oscillating fan 
small 5k btu ac window unit
4"inline fan 
 small oscillating fan 

And this gear using maybe 300w x the other 6 hours = 1.8kwh x 30 = 54kwh

6" inline fan
4"inline fan 
 small oscillating fan 

Adding these up you use a total of approx 990kwh per month for your grow room without taking into account the a/c unit. 

Typical new Window A/C Unit:
5,200 BTU cooling capacity
Window Air Conditioner, BtuH 5200, Voltage Rating 115, EER 11.0, Current Rating 4.2 Amps, Power Rating 472 Watts, Dehumidification 1.4 Pints Per Hour
The a/c should be approx 500w/hour or .5kwh x 24 hours x 30 days = 360kwh

Total with a/c = 1350kwh

So... where's the other 1100w of increased usage coming from?  I just don't get it...   I hope this helps but something doesn't sound right to me either...  What is your local power rate R999?  Who's your power company?  Bendover Electric? 

Peace!


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## AcesUp (Jul 30, 2009)

Bendover electric. LOL


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## StoneyBud (Jul 30, 2009)

This "Kill-a-Watt" Meter will tell you exactly what each item you have is pulling per/day.

killawattplus.com/?gclid=CNvC96L3_psCFQpgswod6GQt_A

Put it on each device for EXACTLY 24 hours.

Then just do the math with the kwh and price per/kwh.

Don't make it harder than it needs to be. This is an easy thing to calculate.

The meter costs 22 bucks.

I've saved hundreds of dollars by using it to spot energy hogs and eliminating them or controlling their usage.

Your kwh costs are on your bill.

Actually, I take the total cost of my electric and divide it by the number of kw used. That includes all the taxes and junk they add, but it's a more realistic number than trying to do all the other math.

I've found this method to be pretty damn accurate.

With all the other taxes and crap, my current costs are 11 cents per.


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## Super Silver Haze (Jul 30, 2009)

i feel for you, better find that energy hog.

googl "kill-a-watt" they dont cost too much and it will let you monitor the power usage of your AC or lights etc.

damn Stoney you beat me to it, at least you provided him a link.


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## gourmet (Jul 30, 2009)

Meters also go bad although usually when they get old they get slower not faster, but could be the meter itself.  Also, sure no one else is tapping into your electrical when you are not around?  Any construction nearby?


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## monkeybusiness (Jul 30, 2009)

I think the nails been hit on the head twice when it was suggested that your power company might be doing estimates.

If you don't know, here's how it works. Power company doesn't want to pay someone to read your meter every single month so it gets read every 3 months or so instead. The in between months they charge you based on previous use (estimates). Then when they finally read it, they factor in the difference.

 I live in the desert and they do this with our water bills. It totally sucks because in the summer you start watering your yard and the water bill doesn't seem to get too bad, and then... BAM, it goes up by 200 dollars in a single month! But it was the difference over the 3 months that we get hit w/ at once. 

I'd look into how often your power company reads the meter.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 30, 2009)

Well that bill had the ac running 24hrs a day and the 600 running 18hrs.. 

Im not running the ac now to see what the temps were like, but for the past 9 days I have run the 600 for 12hrs a day and the window unit for 12 too..  in those 9 days I have accumulated 845kwh, so that would mean I would have 3000kwh per month instead of the 4400..  that comes out to about $245 electric bill, which is much better than $365, but still not great IMO.  Hopefully it lowers without the window unit. hopefully the temps dont get too high and I dont have to run the window unit.


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## Relentless999 (Jul 31, 2009)

anyone think I should be worried about the energy bill doubling?


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## bluealein56 (Jul 31, 2009)

Relentless999 said:
			
		

> do ya'll think my 5200 btu window unit running for 12 hours is using that much electricity? this is insane i didn't think a 400 mh in veg and 600 hps flower would be this expensive. if it continues to be this high i may not be able to continue this.




:ciao: welcome to growing indoors.........:giggle:


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## PencilHead (Jul 31, 2009)

That window unit isn't pulling squat--certainly not enough to warrant running your temps up and jeopardizing your grow.

What's that sound?  Oh, it's Reality knocking.  Yeah, what's up, Reality?  Hmm, 90 plus degree days, 80 plus degree nights.

Wanna feel better?  My electric shot up to...$700 last month.  Was the heat, folks.  That and the power companies playing with the rules--buying high dollar power from outside sources so they can add their %%%%%%% on to it (See, with the percentage game, the power company WANTS to pay higher costs to outsiders because the turn around is percentage based, like with building contractors.  When I was contracting, the more I paid a sub, the more I made.  Go figure.).  I'm running 2 600HPS plus the accessories now, but last month add 1 400MH plus fans etc.  Plus I run aportable AC in my grow room which is about as efficient as a squirrell operated system.

Sure I'm cooling 3000+ sqft, but I'm running gas hot H2O and stove top.  I've set my thermos up to 79 now and I'm dying.  I walk around turning off lights all day long--my wife doesn't know what the down motion on the switch does.  

But here's the uncontrollable kicker--had all the Juniorheads and Juniorhead III come stay that month.  Our kids think that if it's hot, turning the thermo down to like 50 gets it cooler waaaay quicker than if you just drop the thermo a couple of degrees.  I'm getting lock-boxes next time these knuckleheads visit.  Hmmm, I may charge a security deposit too--well, not to Juniorhead III.


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## 420grower (Jul 31, 2009)

man for a first time grower you sure took on a hell of alot of plants,2 full grows at once,what you need my friend is a good electrictian,you need to see if you can run on 220,I had a very similar problem when I finished my dream room,I have around 2000.00 in mine,I am completely run by a central controller,I am sure you are set up well just by how much you have spent,have someone go through your comsumption,you can also buy a meter that will tell you if you are overusing due to the extra load you have,it sounds like you have thought this out well,get a pro to check you out


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## StoneyBud (Jul 31, 2009)

Relentless999 said:
			
		

> anyone think I should be worried about the energy bill doubling?


I think you should do three things.

1. Buy and use the "Kill-a-Watt" meter.

2. Learn how to read your own meter every 24 hours. hXXp://www.glps.net/meterread.htm

3. Learn how to calculate your own expected payments to the power company to the penny.

If you do these three things, you'll know every 24 hours where every cent of your electrical usage and money are going.

Or, choice number 4 is that you can talk it to death and act like it's some kind of a mystery.

Not being mean, man, but this is NOT rocket science. It's simple math.


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## Johnnyrotten123 (Jul 31, 2009)

Relentless, i think someone suggested this earlier. I've had this problem before. I have the "spinning"  meter type. Simply unplug your "high" current appliances one at a time. Check your meter, see if meter slows down. Your weed stuff(light,s a/c), hot water heater(if electric), oven(bake potatoes in an old style oven r costly) r places to begin--i'm betting on that a/c unit being your current hog-hope this helps


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## Relentless999 (Aug 1, 2009)

THANKS MAN. where might one acquire one of these kwh meters? im guessing places like home depot or lowes?


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## jmansweed (Aug 1, 2009)

Hey Man - relax. Before I lived in a medically freindly state I had a steady $350 monthly bill with occasional spikes to $450 and more over the course of 7 years. Electric companies almost always require the police to have a warrant to access bills and account information. The only time they'll give info out is if your payments are late and your info is shared with a collection company. Pay things on time and you'll be all good. A sudden spike in an electric bill can be a number of ligitament things and is no need for panic. An extra rainy season for example would turn my sump pump on for hours a day sometimes sending the bill through the roof. With or with-out a grow room this would occur. FYI : my bill currently is well over $700 monthly...............relax..


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## StoneyBud (Aug 1, 2009)

jmansweed said:
			
		

> ...my bill currently is well over $700 monthly...relax...


OMG, thanks man, you've just made me feel much better about my $250 per/month bill. $700 !!!! Oh My God!!!! Does the electric company send you Birthday and Christmas cards? hehehehe


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## StoneyBud (Aug 1, 2009)

Relentless999 said:
			
		

> THANKS MAN. where might one acquire one of these kwh meters? im guessing places like home depot or lowes?


I put the link in my post below. I've only seen them online. A few phone calls would tell you if you can buy the "Kill-a-Watt" meter locally.


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## 420grower (Aug 1, 2009)

thanks stoney,I think you can find the kill-a-watt at radio shack,they have a ton of gadgets,I still think I would find a medical using electrician,and make a trade,thats a hell of alot of juice your pulling


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## Barbapopa (Aug 2, 2009)

Mine is based on KWh and my bill was 1064.00 for 4x 600w lights, 6" inline, 2x 4" in lines, AC and some pumps.  Lights were on 10 hours a day.
I need solar and wind power.


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## smokingjoe (Aug 2, 2009)

It will be the AC for sure, it's like running a second or third fridge; costly suckers to grow.

What's the ambient outside temperature?

Cannabis can handle significant temporary spikes in temps.

Do you have cool tubes?


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## MeNtAlPaTiEnT (Aug 2, 2009)

Around here we have "off times" and "peak times" where electricity is cheaper on the off times and more on the peak times. If you would like to save a few bucks and if your electric company does this, you should probably set your timers to run the lights during the night.


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## dirtyolsouth (Aug 2, 2009)

At my sister's place outside Charlotte, NC they have some kind of 'governor' on their power usage during peak times.  I think their downstairs A/C will operate fine but the upstairs A/C isn't able to operate until after a certain time late afternoon or early evening.  

With all the high tech advances I can see where it's heading.  Do they have electronic meter reading in areas now or is there still a meter reader person wherever you live?  I'd think that before long they'll wire in a reader that can send them the readings and usage instantly.  And then it's big brother time...

Dear Sir,  

We have noticed and unusual pattern in your electrical usage.  Your KWH do an extreme spike right at 8pm and sustain heavy usage until precisely 8 am where usage falls back to normal power consumption levels.  We will be contacting you to assist in managing your power needs and to investigate this anomalie further.  We appreciate your patronage.

Bendover Electric Company

I'll have to get a ceramics kiln to keep around for a cover and tell them it's my 'firing' schedule...

Peace!


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## dr pyro (Aug 2, 2009)

Also, if you hook up the lights/ballast to 240 instead of 120 (if it is convertible), doesn't that conserve also?

 240 does nothing to save you money.relent i got a breakdown in one of my books that gives you your cost of running lights i'll see if i can find it i'll tell you exactly what your using for light consumnption. i'd do the math rigth now but im to stoned to do it.my guess is like mentioned earlier estimate bill prev months then they took an actual and simply made up the diff. or the a/c is the culpret? how old is the ac? i run 2-600 12hr and 2-400 fans  pumps all kinds of stuff and i'm pushin 1400-1600  kw @ .12 kw 250-350 month plus 4 a/c not on all time just when really needed. water heater on timer and my stove washer dryer etc


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## smokingjoe (Aug 3, 2009)

dirtyolsouth said:
			
		

> At my sister's place outside Charlotte, NC they have some kind of 'governor' on their power usage during peak times. I think their downstairs A/C will operate fine but the upstairs A/C isn't able to operate until after a certain time late afternoon or early evening.
> 
> With all the high tech advances I can see where it's heading. Do they have electronic meter reading in areas now or is there still a meter reader person wherever you live? I'd think that before long they'll wire in a reader that can send them the readings and usage instantly. And then it's big brother time...
> 
> ...


 
Mandatory installation of smart meters are coming to a Victorian household near you; apparently useage is optional but the technology is there.


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## ArtVandolay (Aug 3, 2009)

Most electric utility websites contain a power calculator where you can specify major electrical items in your house and estimate pretty closely what to expect when your bill comes.  I'll see if I can find one...

Here's one: hXXp://www.consumerspower.org/home_energy/billestimator.php


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## Hick (Aug 3, 2009)

hee hee.. man, I have to read my own meter, then mail it off to them. They check my meters once per year to make sure I ain't fibbing.


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## Relentless999 (Sep 3, 2009)

just wanted to tell yall the energy bill was only $200 last month! only using 1100 more watts than normal.  ive since added a 400hps on 12hrs a day, hopefully it wont increase the energy bill that much.


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## 2Dog (Sep 3, 2009)

where I live they charge more for energy between 2-7 pm. My light go off for 6 hours everyday from 1-7 pm....this seems to help some. also that is when we need the air most so i am not running them at the same time hope this helps!!!


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## SMOK3R (Sep 3, 2009)

I got a bill for 575ish a few months ago... Called up the electric company and they asked me to read my meter to them.  Apparently the guy read the meter wrong and they issued me a new bill


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## dr pyro (Sep 3, 2009)

what your saying makes no sense if he is using 60 kw a day that is what he is billed for unless he has a faulty meter. balanceing a load saves no money you just drawing less current off that one pole or post but its still the same.if you saved money by doing this then somewhere you by passed the meter.


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## jmansweed (Sep 3, 2009)

Go invest in a " Kill-A-Watt electrical usage meter " . Plug your devices in one unit at a time and find out your consumption. It's obvious with the spikes in your usage and your bill something is drawing an unusual amount of current. I know prices of electricity have gone up but the large Kwh increase must be coming from somewhere. Best of luck - on a positive note IMO $360 to $400 electric bills are not uncommon. I'm sitting w/ a freind now who pays $350 monthly and doesn't grow a thing. When I grew in a weed UNfreindly state I paid well over $400 monthly and never had an issue. Even spikes can be explained easily w/ sump pumps and random projects. My point is if things are paid on time.......RELAX. Keep growing your herb and do it proper - good Karma man and again best of luck.


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## StoneyBud (Sep 3, 2009)

jmansweed said:
			
		

> Go invest in a " Kill-A-Watt electrical usage meter "


 
Great advice!

I bought one some time ago and have plugged everything in my house to it.

It's kind of fun to play with too.


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## SkunkPatronus (Sep 3, 2009)

Relentless999 said:
			
		

> Alright, my last energy bill tripled! last year, same month, we used 1930 kWH and this month we used 4412.. Usually the bill $120 and now its $364!
> 
> This is what I have..
> 600hps running 12hrs..
> ...


 
Someting doesn't look right with those numbers...

just in case you heat water by electricity rather than by gas, read below, if not, just dump the AC?

You should check your hot water heater and ALL of the lines in your house, it actually sounds like you might have a hot water leak or a blown out heating element in the actual heater... It surely doesn't sound like it's the growing thing, although AC can be a huge energy consumer and i'd dump that first.  When the lines leak, you have a heater that doesn't turn off at all.  When you have an element in the heater itself burned out it puts more than a double load on the one remaining and increases consumption dramatically.


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## SkunkPatronus (Sep 3, 2009)

Relentless999 said:
			
		

> Alright, my last energy bill tripled! last year, same month, we used 1930 kWH and this month we used 4412.. Usually the bill $120 and now its $364!
> 
> This is what I have..
> 600hps running 12hrs..
> ...


 
Check the use time on your bulbs, the HPS and MH bulbs suck power at the end of their lives and produce far fewer lumens for it.  They might need replacing.


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## StoneyBud (Sep 3, 2009)

If the compressor on that a/c unit is running constantly, that could eat some juice. Compressors are energy hogs. Even the little ones.

Put the "Kill-a-Watt" meter on it for a week.

That thing takes all the guessing out of it.


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## OGKushman (Sep 3, 2009)

I pay 300$ a month.

Happily


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## dman1234 (Sep 3, 2009)

i pay $450 every 3 momths, 

600watt 12/12
400 watt18/6
6 inch vortex 18/6
2 oscillating fans 18/6
1 oscillating fan 24/0

i was pissed at my bill but now i don care.

thanks guys!!!!


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## Relentless999 (Sep 3, 2009)

Thx guys but check out my last post. My most recent bill was 200, and I'm fine with that.
Thx


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## Johnnyrotten123 (Sep 4, 2009)

> Sorry bud but if your using 60kw a day then that reading is being read off of only 1 leg... If you have an unbalanced load lets say 40 amps on one leg and 60 on the other you will be charged for the 60... But if you can even that number up close to 50 on each leg then you only pay for 50..
> 
> I do this for a living.... I work for an energy managment/ HVAC company



Wrong-i said 2 months ago , unplug each heavy "current pulling device. Check your meter. Agin, the compressor in the ac unit is my bet

   No disrespect on the "theory" ur sugggesting, but he's pullin wayyy too much current-he has a bad appliance- friggin unplug em till u find it-not a electrician per se, but this is an easy one-meters also "Rarely" defect--- throw that da^n AC away haha-thats your $$-i quit reading this thread a long time ago so i;m sure all this has been said. Just too tired to read the whole thread-peace all


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## Johnnyrotten123 (Sep 4, 2009)

> Thx guys but check out my last post. My most recent bill was 200, and I'm fine with that.
> Thx[/QUOT
> 
> See, living in the dark and  no AC is worth it!!


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## dr pyro (Sep 4, 2009)

MindzEye said:
			
		

> Sorry bud but if your using 60kw a day then that reading is being read off of only 1 leg... If you have an unbalanced load lets say 40 amps on one leg and 60 on the other you will be charged for the 60... But if you can even that number up close to 50 on each leg then you only pay for 50..
> 
> I do this for a living.... I work for an energy managment/ HVAC company


all i can say is wow you have no idea what your talking about it will NOT save you money.if your pulling 60 on one and the other 40 thats 100 amps right so by balancing them to 50 50 your disperse that same amount of energy just more evenly down both sides right your usage is still pulling 100 amp not 50. i mean what do i know im just an electrician stick to your a/c leave the electricity to people who know what there talking about


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## dr pyro (Sep 4, 2009)

if you are hvac energy management you would have  noticed in the begining of this thread that the ac running for 24/7 was the culprit. oman  the company who hired you is def losing some cash


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## dr pyro (Sep 5, 2009)

well maybe you should not comment on a subject you know nothing about.it just irratates me when people like you come along and start posting wrong info.


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## SkunkPatronus (Sep 5, 2009)

MindzEye said:
			
		

> Sorry bud but if your using 60kw a day then that reading is being read off of only 1 leg... If you have an unbalanced load lets say 40 amps on one leg and 60 on the other you will be charged for the 60... But if you can even that number up close to 50 on each leg then you only pay for 50..
> 
> I do this for a living.... I work for an energy managment/ HVAC company


 
Hey, can a normal electrician, like my guy that rewires my basement outlets to make them water safe, do that?  If i call him and ask him to balance my legs, will he be able to do this for me ya think?


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## StoneyBud (Sep 5, 2009)

Ok folks. I couldn't care less which of you is correct, I don't know either of you.

I called a guy who is a "Master Electrician" and TEACHES the subject.

I don't know why someone didn't do this before this escalated out of sight into a flame war.

I'm told by this guy who has 40 years of experience wiring buildings, that Load Balancing is done only to provide a safer system. If too much power is on one leg vs another, it creates more heat in the line drawing more power and causes a faster insulation breakdown. The resistance of the line as a result of the additional heat would make a difference on the power bill of pennies per month, not dollars.

That settles the argument.

There are dozens of "Myths" out there that are popular. They get handed from one person to the next and through either embellishment or ignorance, the myth gains popularity strictly because it sounds good. When taken down to it's base elements, most myths can be weighed for accuracy as this electrical myth has just been resolved.

If anyone disagrees with this result, the person who instructed me on it told me to tell them to just call any electrical contractor and ask to speak to someone who is an "Master Electrician". They will have the education and experience to tell you that what he's told me is something you can take to the bank.

Pardon me for stepping in on this, but the flames were starting to get out of hand.


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## dman1234 (Sep 5, 2009)

and thats  that.


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## dr pyro (Sep 6, 2009)

my point excatly and most of my post are questions and yes im a rookie. there was no explaining anything to him he beleived what he thought was right and was no convinceing him otherwise thanks stoney for the helpful post.


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## Johnnyrotten123 (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks stoneybud even thogh mindseye "fix" made no sense from the get go. I work in 3 different casinos, dealing with current pull from different types of games and work with "electricians' This is no "master;' issue here. H runs his ac 24/7-period. I feel dr pyro has said NOTHING wrong.  Only comment when positive.  Mindseye, its pennys, not triple the amount. Also on a side note, gfic outlets, hopefully "his guy' understands before he wires this outlet. Alotta topics on here  can be right or wrong but not dangerous. Dr pyro is just reminding that electricity can hurt/kill- i hardly ever post either but i know a lil on this topic. Still at $200, guess u only runnin hat AC 1/2 as much-it draws alot of juice bro


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## StoneyBud (Sep 7, 2009)

Like I said in my post, I don't know either of these guys and don't want a flame war between them being in the public eye of the group.

I doubt that they will come to peace, but I do hope they just take it into PM's where it needs to be anyway.

All I wanted to do is settle the argument with facts.

Let's get back to growing MJ.


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## Hick (Sep 7, 2009)

> Load Balancing is done only to provide a safer system. If too much power is on one leg vs another, it creates more heat in the line drawing more power and causes a faster insulation breakdown. The resistance of the line as a result of the additional heat would make a difference on the power bill of pennies per month, not dollars.


  I am NOT a sparky... but this only makes sense. 100 kw is 100 kw, wether all off of one leg or 50 off two.  


> Ok I havnt read anyone talking about this yet... In your main circuit panel there is two legs. The meter that reads how much energy you use reads off of the leg that has the higher reading and that is what you are billed for every month.......
> Sorry bud but if your using 60kw a day then that reading is being read off of only 1 leg... If you have an unbalanced load lets say 40 amps on one leg and 60 on the other you will be charged for the 60... But if you can even that number up close to 50 on each leg then you only pay for 50..


.:confused2:.. wait a minute..."if" I'm consuming 100 kw, then the utility co. is only going to charge me for 50 if my legs are balanced???..


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## dr pyro (Sep 7, 2009)

hey i apologized for the insult. i have no hard feelings toward him. i could have saved someone a grand. you call an electrician and have him balance both sides and you pay him and find out you just wasted a grand for nothing. lets face it most people are honest but there are people out there who would def take advantage of the situation. now lets grow some bud


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## HippyInEngland (Sep 7, 2009)

MindzEye said:
			
		

> So far my career has been questioned and was accused of trying to kill people, lets let it die...


 
:rofl:


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## dr pyro (Sep 7, 2009)

:yeahthat: :fid: :hitchair:


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## dr pyro (Sep 7, 2009)

o and one of these 



  :**:


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## dr pyro (Sep 7, 2009)

:**: :joint: 


ok im done now


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## dr pyro (Sep 7, 2009)

mindz you def have some nice looking ladies what strain is  that 12 incher


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## dr pyro (Sep 7, 2009)

black widow never seen it before ill have to do some lookin around.looks like they should be ready soon how much longer?and also what are your methods for curing and how long?


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## Hick (Sep 8, 2009)

..."puuuuurfect"...........THANKS guys..


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## dr pyro (Sep 8, 2009)

hahahha love the signature to funny alright i think i jacked this thread enough over to your journal


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## MindzEye (Sep 11, 2009)

I just wanted to say Im sorry to all and to Dr Pyro, I was wrong.... I asked a senior journeyman at work who has been doing this for 30 years and he told me that load balancing will only save you money on a 3 phase and not on a single phase.... Almost all of the electrical i deal with at work is 3 phase, I was taking a commercial application and applying it to residential....

I deleted all my other posts in this thread so that it didnt confuse anyone...

Sorry folks.....


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## dirtyolsouth (Sep 12, 2009)

NO worries Mindzeye...  At least you said it with absolute conviction!   That's what counts... lol...   When it happens to me fortunately Hick comes along and taps me gently on the shoulder and tells me what the real deal is...   and I'm all the wiser! 

No matter how many times I've seen it... I just love the title of this thread R999....   I LOL everytime someone digs it up again...  :rofl:

Peace!


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## Johnnyrotten123 (Sep 12, 2009)

Mindzeye, All good man  Let it grow


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## me myyself and I (Sep 13, 2009)

I cant really see the power company trip'n over your power consumption. the more you use the more they make. dont seem like good business practice. but thats just my opinion.( what do I know)  heheh  
Im running a 600 and a 400, hps's, a 5200btu a/c unit, 3- 6" inline fans ,2 box fans one osculater, and 11 pumps and I run mine during the day. my bill is about 50 to75bux a month xtra allso. so you def got somethin wierd goin on it sounds like.


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## Hick (Sep 13, 2009)

MindzEye said:
			
		

> I just wanted to say Im sorry to all and to Dr Pyro, I was wrong.... I asked a senior journeyman at work who has been doing this for 30 years and he told me that load balancing will only save you money on a 3 phase and not on a single phase.... Almost all of the electrical i deal with at work is 3 phase, I was taking a commercial application and applying it to residential....
> 
> I deleted all my other posts in this thread so that it didnt confuse anyone...
> 
> Sorry folks.....



....'stellar' fellar.. 
It takes a big man to admit he was wrong!


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## NorCalHal (Sep 13, 2009)

Thanks Hiick...that was the first thing I thought of when I read his post....your a Champ Mindz!


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## StoneyBud (Sep 13, 2009)

Hick said:
			
		

> ....'stellar' fellar..
> It takes a big man to admit he was wrong!





			
				NorCalHal said:
			
		

> Thanks Hiick...that was the first thing I thought of when I read his post....your a Champ Mindz!


 
Ditto!


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## Relentless999 (Sep 28, 2009)

Im beginning to think the meter was read incorrectly... This is the second month in a row where I have used less than 2k kw.. Three months ago they said I used 4400 or something like that and thats when I got the $364 electric bill.. the second month i used like 2k and the bill was $200, this month the electric bill was $150 and we used 1900 kw.
Im very happy, but at the same time I feel like a puss for not saying something a couple of months ago.. do u think theres anyway I can say look i think yall read the meter incorrectly, can u refund me or credit me? what do u think the chances are of them doing anything?


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## sundancer245 (Sep 29, 2009)

i have a very old 5 bedroom victorian which leaks like crazy and i run  3 window a/c's  during the summer months and never shut them off and our bill only goes up around 20 to 30 bucks a month.....


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