$200 electricity bill after T5fixture

[papijames]

I used to have a regular 20w light fixture for my 55gal until last month when I upgraded to a 216w T5 fixture. this light is on a timer from 8:30AM to 9PM. I just received my 1st electricity bill after installing my t5 light fixture and it jumped from a $90-$120 average to a crazy $202 bill:at_wits_end: ah yayay.
The only reason my wife let me buy the t5 fixture is because I told her the electricity would go down, and she won't swallow that lie after she finds out about that bill.

I need a quick but good explanation on how to blame everything on CPS :blushing:

[ErikH]

It's probably from the AC not the light so much.

[Kristy]

Tell your wife that CPS has recently raised their rates for everyone, which is true. Plus it has just started to get really hot outside this month...

[LoneStar]

Go here:

http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/tank_elec_calc.php

It is a electrical usage calculator. Look on your CPS bill and see what the cost of KWH. Then figure out how much wattage your light consumes. If it is 216w, then its only around $10 a month (roughly). You can also use this for your pumps and anything else on your tank.

And Erik is probably right....Aircon might be the culprit!

[papijames]

sweeet, I can actually tell her the truth. thank you guys. I know it's late but my wife tend to ask me questions when least expected, that's why I wanted to be prepared for any question.

[JimD]

:lauging:

[CoryDude]

Two words. Air conditioning. Stand by your electic meter next time your AC comes on and watch how much faster the meter spins while running. Also, the sucking sound you hear is the money being drained out of your wallet while it's running.

You can also get a Kill A Watt adapter for $35. It'll monitor electrical usage of individual equipment and tracks KW hours. You could use that as hard evidence as proof to your wife of your light fixture's innocence.

[BigKGlen]

We have a 2800 sf home. I've been running 750 w of MH along with 420 w of T-5 9 hours a day. Our bill runs right at $180...until the sumer heat starts. With this years rate increases, our bill for last month was $304. I can only imagine what next years 'winter' rates will be.

[captexas]

Yeah, we just went into summer time when the electricity rates increase and everyone's bills go up. With your a/c running more, you are using more electricity than you were before which probably put you above the level where they start adding a surcharge. I seriously doubt your t-5's had anything to do with it.

[Fish4life]

my bill went down 40 bucks a month when i changed to t5's from 400w halides.

on a different note and not to hijack the thread but why are your lights on from 8:30am -9:00pm? Entirely to long IMO.

Cheers,

Kurt

[Bill S]

Folks, let's remember that the "watts" of the bulb are NOT the same as "watts consumed". These fixtures ALL have ballasts. Depending upon the ballast, there is a very significant difference between these 2.

But, let's just assume that it's only 1/2 efficient. 400w x 12 hours = 4800 watts/day x 30 days = about 150,000 watts per month @ $0.10 per kwh (for arguement's sake) = $15.

However, you are now dumping all of that heat into the house, which then has to be removed with A/C. And 99% of that power for your lights is converted to heat - some is converted to stored energy by your photosynthetic critters, and some sneaks out your windows.

[MKCindy]

Yep, lights don't need to be on that long.

[Pennies2Cents]

Its the AC, I promise.. Have it checked out, get the fans cleaned.. Our light bill was $350 and we only have Power Compact w/ 2 lunar & 2 Actinic... You might want to look at that fuel charge that is now on your bill.. I couldnt believe it.. $75 FOR WHAT? Its getting rediculous..

[mattymalcolm]

They went up on the electricity rates. I also agree you can cut those lights back to like 9 or 10 hours maybe less. I just was talking about this with Ace the other day. If you look at how much electricity you consumed a year ago this month and this months even if the consumption is the same the bill now is higher.

[the CL poster]

sweeet, I can actually tell her the truth. thank you guys. I know it's late but my wife tend to ask me questions when least expected, that's why I wanted to be prepared for any question.

so what, you lie to her the rest of the time?

your increased elec. bill is due to the raise in rates for summer, as well as it being super hot outside.

a T5HO light, even a 500watt HPS fixture, wont add but maybe 10-15$ to your bill.

[greatwhite@AlamoAquatics]

dont worry my electricity bill has been 350 to 500 every month for years im running nine tanks. itll be alright.

[papijames]

Thank you for all the answers guys. I leave my lights on for that long just because I don't know how many hours of lighting that I need for my thank. so far 2 people have said that I only need 9 to 10hours.

GREATWHITE- Your house is like a mom/pop fish store with all those tanks running. LOL but they all look good.


THE CL POSTER- you're not married to my wife so you don't understand how I can't tell her I spent $55 on a blue Hippo. she would kill me, and I'm not joking. 1 time I slipped and forgot to throw away a receipt from Wolf Reef for some liverocks which came to be $50 and she didn't talk to me for 3days

[JimD]

"1 time I slipped and forgot to throw away a receipt from Wolf Reef for some liverocks which came to be $50 and she didn't talk to me for 3days"

Id be leaving more of those receipts laying around! :bigsmile:

[rabadanmarco]

blame the a/c

[ErikH]

"1 time I slipped and forgot to throw away a receipt from Wolf Reef for some liverocks which came to be $50 and she didn't talk to me for 3days"

Id be leaving more of those receipts laying around! :bigsmile:

lol Jim, it would leave him more time for the hobby!

[alton]

If some one brought this up already and I missed it sorry about the repeat: Your CPS bill will have KWH's used this month, last month and last year. Also like someone brought up the famous fuel service charge that comes in summer because of increased use the coal plant and nuclear plant cannot keo up so they have to use more natural gas and we know how much that has gone up. If you thought it was bad this month wait until next.

[LoneStar]

Just to make ya'll feel better on a Monday....









...my electric bill for this month is only $25! :D

[alton]

Lone Star How much was your fuel oil bill 5 months ago?

[LoneStar]

Lone Star How much was your fuel oil bill 5 months ago?


I'll check my bill when I get home.

[LoneStar]

Ok didn't snap to that earlier Alton. My apartment pays for my gas. I only pay for electricity. But I did check the cost per KWH for DTE Electric.....its 0.04531 for power supply charges and 0.04284 per KWH for delivery charge. So I figure my overall cost per KWH is only $0.08815

[DrMark]

I really will make you all feel better,
my electric bill on my house last month was $731
mark


Just to make ya'll feel better on a Monday....









...my electric bill for this month is only $25! :D

[Bill S]

Heck, just got my WATER bill, and it's $197!

[papijames]

DRMARK you paid $731 in electricity bill? is your doctor's office also at your house?:bigsmile:



Heck, just got my WATER bill, and it's $197!

I used to have a high water bill for 2months in a row until I took my vacation back in may and found my neighbor's son watering our border area with my hose hooking to my sidefaucet. he told me that my grass was looking a little pale, and since I'm usually at work, he was being a good neighbor and water my grass for me. so I thank him, and I've been using their waterhose to water the same area late night since I'm also a good neighbor:bigsmile:

[DrMark]

[quote=papijames;616065]DRMARK you paid $731 in electricity bill? is your doctor's office also at your house?:bigsmile:


Just my house........but 4 big A/C units......

[ErikH]

105 this month, with a 20 dollar water bill. AC always on 70....

[seamonkey2]

average 350 a month every month.

I need solar power, wind power, battery power, heck I take 10 hamsters wheel power :)

Jose

[LoneStar]

I need solar power, wind power, battery power, heck I take 10 hamsters wheel power :)

Got a few kiddo's don't ya? Giant Hamster Wheels!

[seamonkey2]

good Idea :)

darn!!! just check with the wife, she NO GO the idea, back to the drawing board :)

Jose

[drgnbttrfly]

geez 750 is 50 bucks shy of our old mortgage payment