How much electricity do you use? Poll

[Mibz]

Our power meter shows a digital reading of current usage so I didn't have to buy anything.

The two computers use about 450 kWh a month at idle thanks to no standby. Mine uses a shitton more while gaming so that explains a decent chunk of it. I've turned on the power saving options, hopefully that helps.

The furnace fan was running 24/7 and using ~150 a month so that's on Auto now.

I'm still using nearly double what comparable houses are, even accounting for that. I guess we'll see what my next couple bills look like.

[codetrap]

Originally posted by Mibz
Our power meter shows a digital reading of current usage so I didn't have to buy anything.

The two computers use about 450 kWh a month at idle thanks to no standby. Mine uses a shitton more while gaming so that explains a decent chunk of it. I've turned on the power saving options, hopefully that helps.

The furnace fan was running 24/7 and using ~150 a month so that's on Auto now.

I'm still using nearly double what comparable houses are, even accounting for that. I guess we'll see what my next couple bills look like.

That's crazy power usage man. Either you typo'd it, or something is seriously wrong with your PC. I got one of those killawatts from CanTire, and my HTPC server PC costs me like $2/month to run, and it's running with little to no power management active 24x7.

If you want, you're welcome to borrow it and go through your appliances. I found the fridge was my big killer. The old builder fridge was eating a good third of my power every month. If I recall, the old one was chewing like 200kWh/month, and the new one uses like 400kWh/year. (numbers are probably off, but it was a ludicrous difference).

[Mibz]

It's a brand new house, brand new appliances, I'd be hard pressed to believe that the appliances are the cause. But if my next couple months of bills are still ridiculous I'll definitely take you up on that, thanks.

I wouldn't doubt the gaming computer is a big cause. It was running SLI for a while, just switched to a newer single card, 3 HDDs, 6 fans, overclocked. It's, I dunno, 3 years old? And let's be honest, I spend most of my day on it :P

My HTPC is in standby 90% of the day and it's a little micro-ATX thing with a passive video card, I really don't expect it to use a whole lot of power.

I've since enabled standby on both the gaming and wife's PCs. It's so weird walking into a silent and relatively cool study. We'll see what my February usage is like and go from there.

When we were testing everything and had all computers in standby, furnace fan off and only one light on our usage was consistent with ~360 kWh a month so I don't think our meter is fucked. I have a feeling we just underestimated what kind of usage these things have.

[codetrap]

Easy to check them.. takes one day of logging with the killawatt to know for sure.

Here is the link to the one I bought.. works like a charm for $30.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pr...=1329488865659

[Mibz]

Oh shit, it does logging? I thought it was just "plug it in, check usage, try something else". Fuck it, I'll just buy a couple of my own, haha.

[ga16i]

Originally posted by Mibz
Oh shit, it does logging? I thought it was just "plug it in, check usage, try something else". Fuck it, I'll just buy a couple of my own, haha.

Well... it won't do true "logging" where it tells you a timestamp and usage at time x, but it will keep a running tally so you can reset to zero and check back in a day to see how much it used in a day.

I have this one too and pretty interesting.

[B20EF]

Originally posted by C_Dave45

Huh??? Read the op again. Slowly. It wasn't for 86 days. But it's not a typical month.

Originally posted by C_Dave45

Huh??? Read the op again. Slowly. It wasn't for 86 days. But it's not a typical month.

Lol. I think I have it now. Thats a ton of electricity used. An average of 1300kwh/month doesnt seem too bad though.

[ZenOps]

600 KWH in the winter months, about 450KWH in the summer months.

One computer on 24/7 as well as camera and security system.

I specifically spent more on a 86% efficient power supply (Seasonic) for the computer (most generics were around 65%) At the time, it was basically the most efficient.

Lights are mostly Rona 50 watt halogens which put out 15% more light than regular bulbs. Fridge has two one watt LED's, which is just enough to see by. CFL's used outdoors, just incase they ever burst and spread that toxic mercury.

Older refridgerators are sometimes better than newer ones. The old ones usually have gigantic copper cooling fins and may still use Freon gas (which is 30% more efficient than the new environmentally friendly gas) Truth be known, all new refridgerators are *pure crap* compared to two decades ago.

[bignerd]

On another forum I read, other people have been complaining about their last bill being much much higher than normal, so not just you. I haven't received mine yet so can't say.

[core_upt]

Someone at my work was just complaining about her's spiking too (from $58 to &85) in a condo.

I average about 380kWh (low around 280, high around 460) per month in an oldish house; 1,800sqft, one TV, one mac mini running constantly, some new lightbulbs, no outdoor lighting, two fridges, no freezer, old/crappy dryer. No big stereo, but we do have a few guitar amps and PA running a few times a month.

I think the biggest change was the rates from EnMax spiked in December, so I switched from floating that was around .10 a kWh to fixed at .08. The floating is around .13 now....

[Cos]

.

[baygirl]

My usage actually went down from 904kWh to 871kWh(my place was about 1100sq. ft with everything running all day and night........)

After reading this thread I decided to compare my electric bill to my parents in Newfoundland. My cost was $194 for 871kWh while my parents bill was ~$130 for 1080kWh....

[Zorac]

hot tubs are a killer if your keeping that thing heated the whole time. i'd be looking into that.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by Zorac
hot tubs are a killer if your keeping that thing heated the whole time. i'd be looking into that.

Well, a hot tub is either heated the whole time, or you don't bother having one. My average monthly usage is 1200-1300 and, while on the high side, I can handle that.
The 2900 for one month in December/January is what killed me and obviously the hot tub had nothing to do with that.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by Cos

You guys are talking cost. Dave was talking about actual usage was up a lot. Everyone's costs is up like crazy this month since pool prices hit 13-15c

Haha...I was wondering who might understand that. Most people, it went "whoosh" right over their heads.

[raceman6135]

Just bumping this thread to let everyone know that Canadian Tire will have the Blue Planet Energy Meter (52-8851) on sale for $18.69, which is 25% off the regular price of $26.29.

Sale begins March 22.

Product link

[Transp0rt3r]

Originally posted by baygirl
My usage actually went down from 904kWh to 871kWh(my place was about 1100sq. ft with everything running all day and night........)

After reading this thread I decided to compare my electric bill to my parents in Newfoundland. My cost was $194 for 871kWh while my parents bill was ~$130 for 1080kWh....

Most of the Eastern Canada electricity comes from nuclear, natural gas and hydro energy Source

Alberta's electricity comes from mostly burning coal and some natural gas Source Hence, jacked through the roof prices per KWh

[e36bmw///]

nm

[Supa Dexta]

Originally posted by Transp0rt3r


Most of the Eastern Canada electricity comes from nuclear, natural gas and hydro energy Source

Alberta's electricity comes from mostly burning coal and some natural gas Source Hence, jacked through the roof prices per KWh

Ontario isnt eastern canada. ha..

Coal on the east coast from what Ive seen.

[Stealth22]

SD: Thanks for the Kill a Watt idea, I just ordered one off eBay!

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/P3-P4460-Kill...item519a87a65e

No one get suckered into this though:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...e=STRK:MESE:IT

I've read some reviews that say its susceptible to weather damage.

The older model is much cheaper...

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NIB-BLUELINE-...9e5fc70f#rpdId

But still, I'd rather get that $200 one (TED, is it?) that will be attached to my circuit panels INSIDE the house, and give detailed information via web server.