2stoned4this
Active Member
How much should I expect to pay in electricity per month for any given number of watts/lumens?
Electricity Costs For Indoor Lights
- Thread starter 2stoned4this
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FilthyFletch
Mr I Can Do That For Half
My comed electric just doubled as they unfroze rates but still 1 1000 watt light on 24 hours a day added about $65 a month
videoman40
Well-Known Member
Depending on vegging or flowering, my 400 costs about $13.00 to $19.00 monthly.
Peace
Peace
Al B. Fuct
once had a dog named
It's easy to calculate power costs.
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a 1000 watt load running for 1 hour. If you run a 1000W light for 24 hours, you have used 24 kWh. If you run it for 12 hours, 12kWh.
A 400W lamp running 24 hours a day (24 x 0.4 kilowatts) would use 9.6 kWh/day.
Look on your power bill for the rate per kWh. Probably somewhere around 10-12c per kWh.
Multiply your kWh used by the kWh price.
In example, a 1000W lamp running 12 hours per day uses 360 kWh in 30 days. Presuming a rate of 12c/kWh, 360 kWh x 0.12 = $43.20. A 400W running 24 hours per day is 9.6 kWh x 0.12c/kWh x 30 = $34.56 for 30 days.
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a 1000 watt load running for 1 hour. If you run a 1000W light for 24 hours, you have used 24 kWh. If you run it for 12 hours, 12kWh.
A 400W lamp running 24 hours a day (24 x 0.4 kilowatts) would use 9.6 kWh/day.
Look on your power bill for the rate per kWh. Probably somewhere around 10-12c per kWh.
Multiply your kWh used by the kWh price.
In example, a 1000W lamp running 12 hours per day uses 360 kWh in 30 days. Presuming a rate of 12c/kWh, 360 kWh x 0.12 = $43.20. A 400W running 24 hours per day is 9.6 kWh x 0.12c/kWh x 30 = $34.56 for 30 days.
videoman40
Well-Known Member
AllmanBro
Active Member
ok so for a 400w HPS and a few fans and a heater it ran 34 a month,
now i added another room-
400 watt MH and a few fans and heater and humidifier and it cost about 60-70 more a month
No matter how you figure it, useing the old rule of thumb that 1 dollar a day is usually a good idea
now i added another room-
400 watt MH and a few fans and heater and humidifier and it cost about 60-70 more a month
No matter how you figure it, useing the old rule of thumb that 1 dollar a day is usually a good idea
Al B. Fuct
once had a dog named
Far too general. It's possible to add up the power consumption figures for all the devices in your grow op and come up with a very close estimate of the power cost- a lot closer than $1/day.
Keep in mind that power consumption figures listed on most devices are a bit higher than they actually are as a rule.
$1/day wouldn't come anywhere near what I spend every month... but I'm running 2x 1000W HPS, 1x 400W HPS, 6x 18W fluoros, a shitload of fans and a dehumidifier.
If you REALLY want to know what's going on, use a clamp-style ammeter to directly measure the current drawn by your op. The clamp goes around either the hot or neutral line- but not both. You will have to separate the wires leading to your op so you can get the amprobe clamp around just one wire.
Once you have an amps figure, do the maths:
amps x volts (your local line voltage - 110v or 240v) = watts
So, let's use my op as an example.
I measure 14.2 amps with everything in my op running, as it does when it is lights-on time in the flowering area.
Zo....
14.2 x 240 = 3408 watts (3.408 kilowatts or kW)
This is what my op is drawing for 12 hours each day.
So, during flowering lights-on time, my op is drawing 3.4kW x 12 hours = 40.8kWh per day. My power cost is 12c/kWh, so 40.8 x $0.12 = $4.89 per day.
Now, once the pair of 1000W HPS are off (as they are for 12 hours/day), each which draw 4.6A while running, the total current draw figure drops to 5.8 amps:
5.8A x 240V = 1392 Watts (1.392 kW)
1.392kW x 12 hours = 16.704 kWh/day
Now let's multiply the kWh used against the per kWh price:
16.704 x 0.12 = $2.00/day
So, my op costs $4.89 + $2.00 = $6.89/day.
AllmanBro
Active Member
DUDE NO SHIT your spending more than 1 dollar a day man, look at your setup!!!!
All i was saying is that at the bare MINIMUM 1 buck a day is the least it will cost you, now if you make your own electicity like me, it dont cost you shit!! and no shit if you got a ton of lights and a bunch of fans and shit its gonna cost more, no the electrical company lets you run those for free. I mean come oneman its not general for a small setup of 1 400watt HPS and a few fans, shouldnt cost more than 1-2 dollars a day. Thats what it costs everyone else with that type/size setup. Now if you live in a state like cali where electric is expensive then yea its to be expected to cost you more. but thats not hard to figure out. Why you gotta flame me man? i was only trying to help, besides who wants to make a fucking science out of how much power you are gonna use. If your indoor growing this shit its gonna cost you atleast a buck a day. Imean areyou worried when you buy a new fridge how much power and money it will cost you in the long run, nope, you know why, cause regardless of how much it will cost you to run it, your still gonna run it.
Anyway, tell us what your setup is and AL B. Fuct will figure out how much it will cost you , right down to the penny
Al B. Fuct
once had a dog named
Do you really think you got flamed?
You ARE kidding, right? Talk about an overreaction!
That 'who' would be just about anyone inclined to plug in a light over a cannabis plant!
If you're not concerned with how much power you're using, you don't have enough information to make several good grow-op judgments about electrical safety and overall security, by virtue of how much power you're using.
Electricity happens to be a science- whether it's a fucking science or not depends on your own imagination.
Unfortunately, that science has to be used to know what's on. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.Anyway, tell us what your setup is and AL B. Fuct will figure out how much it will cost you , right down to the penny
Umm... didn't I already just do that?
AllmanBro
Active Member
my whole point is are you really gonna stop growing casue it might cost you $2.50 a day over $2.65? Thats my whole point, the power company gots you by the balls unless you get off the grid, get a quite natural gass generator or a wind turbine and power it yourself, and sell the extra power back to the power company. and no i was kidding when i mentioned i thought i got flamed. I was being very general in my estimate, probably cause i could care less how much more power i use, its not gonna stop someone from growing. ya know, now i know better to get a huge setup and think that someone over at the power company wouldnt notice the difference in usage
mogie
Well-Known Member
I don't get all the whining about electric bills. My entire house is electric (heat with wood). I run my lights for my plants. I conserve like hell. More then most of you I bet. The highest bill I have seen has been in the $65 range. So stop complaining and start doing something to lower your bills. I'm sorry I'm usually more positive but damn stop fighting over a few cents and do something.
You can get up and turn that light off. Turn the water off when your not using it. Good grief it is common sense. We have had it preached to us for years how to save. Now all we have to do is get off our butts and do it.
You can get up and turn that light off. Turn the water off when your not using it. Good grief it is common sense. We have had it preached to us for years how to save. Now all we have to do is get off our butts and do it.
Al B. Fuct
once had a dog named
mogie, we've just put in solar water heat. Knocked $280-300 off our quarterly bill, bango... and we pay an artificially low 'off peak' rate for water heat power- 4.5c/kWh vs 12c/kWh full rate for the rest of the house. The solar system cost $3000 to put in, so we are paid back in 2.5 years. No friggin' brainer.
Water heat is the biggest waster of energy in western-style housing. You could run 7-10 damn decent little grow ops for the amount of power consumed by the average electric water heater (9.6kW).
Water heat is the biggest waster of energy in western-style housing. You could run 7-10 damn decent little grow ops for the amount of power consumed by the average electric water heater (9.6kW).
mogie
Well-Known Member
We have a passive solar water heater. Being passive it simply preheats the water before it enters the regular water heater. We use a gray box. That is a timer (folks who grow should be into timers) that only allows the water heater to come twice a day. And then for only one hour at a time. That little $35 investment paid for itself within six months. That and turning your thermostat down to 120 degrees alone will save $$$.
The simple fact is that most people are too lazy to do the little things that add up. Hang their laundry out on a line to dry, wash in cold water, turn off the light when they leave the room, unplug electrical appliances not in use because those applicances are still using juice (phamtom loads), etc.
The simple fact is that most people are too lazy to do the little things that add up. Hang their laundry out on a line to dry, wash in cold water, turn off the light when they leave the room, unplug electrical appliances not in use because those applicances are still using juice (phamtom loads), etc.
videoman40
Well-Known Member
I like those "on demand" tankless water heaters.
Peace
Peace
videoman40
Well-Known Member
There suppose to be excellent, there only about $500.00 and provide a real savings.
2stoned4this
Active Member
Shit I'd better start cutting back on long hot showers when I start growing so my parents don't notice such a difference 
