MH and electrics bills

[spider crab]

I think I'd seen some comments in the past about MH and high electric bills. Do the tend to cost alot to run versus equivalent wattage of CF bulbs?
Is there any way to estimate my monthly electric bills given 30 days month X 2 (175 Watt) MH lamps at 10 hours per day? I think I get get the Kilo watt hour rate I pay.
The formula be:
((30 days X 10 hours/day X 350 Watts)/1000 )X KiloWatt hourly rate?
I'm not very good at math or electronics so dont laugh!
-David

 

[slothy]

well i have a 250mh and 2 75watt vho, and didnt notice a jump in elec bill

 

[melbournefl]

yeah but then again slothy one, since you put in the Mh lights, you sit in a black house with all the TV's off and stare at the tank ... OF COURSE you wouldn't see a bump in your electric bill
Later,
Paul

 

[spider crab]

LOL, Thats what I'm trying to get a feel for. I dont want to have to explain to the wife after the fact that she can't watch TV or take warm showers anymore.
She's already been accusing me of running up the power bills with the meager 72 watt PC lamp I have.

 

[sebae0]

to give to some kind of idea i have 6 tanks going right now and my bill just to run them is about 80.00 bucks a month. i think your formula is correct for figuring it out, just take the wattsxhoursxdays then divide by a 1000 and multiply by the rate.

 

[slothy]

Originally posted by MelbourneFL
yeah but then again slothy one, since you put in the Mh lights, you sit in a black house with all the TV's off and stare at the tank ... OF COURSE you wouldn't see a bump in your electric bill
Later,
Paul
hahah you looking in my windows again ?

 

[spider crab]

Hmm I was afraid I might be right on the formula. Well if that is so then I come out with 1050 Kilo Watt Hours per month. I wasn't able to find the rate up on the carolina power and light page (seems it varies by season and day of the week). They did say the average household in my area uses approximate 1000 kWhs of power per month. If I'm an average user than this would effectively double my electric bills.
Doh! She's sure to notice since she does the bills!

 

[krusk]

Power bill went up $40 - $45 amonth for my 300G tank
Including:
2 x 175 MH (shimmer effect)
4 x 110 VHO (Actinic)
8 x 54 T5 (SPS Growth)
2 x 54 T5 (Refugium light on resvers photo)
2 x Mag18 (Sump Return pumps)
1 x Mag9.5 (Internal pump with PVC racks)
3 x maxijet 1200 (2 for internal, 1 for refugium)

 

[spider crab]

Well 8c ents per kWh would get me to about $84 per month. That sounds high relative to what some folks are showing for their bills. I guess maybe the variance in rates in different parts of the country might explain it. That sounds like a lot to pay though for one not-so-big tank.
I hope I've miscalculated somehow!
Is ten hours a day a reasonable estimate for how long I'd need to keep the lights on?

 

[sebae0]

spider crab if you go to reefcentral and they have a electricity calculator where you enter your wattages and it figures it out for you. close your eyes for the answer and peek slowly so your not to dissappointed, it adds up fast.

 

[spider crab]

Sebae,
Thanks for the link. I must have had something wrong in my formula, cause it shows $15.33/month at 12 hours per daypof 350watt lights at a rate of 12 cents per kWh.
Spider

 

[sebae0]

yep thats about right in your calculation, now thats just your lights. add on the heater and the wattages for pumps and/or filters and it goes up a tad.

 

[pyro383]

I replied to a message on here with the link to reefcentral so do a search on my name as I don't want to cause problems with links.

 

[avatar50]

OMG i just check mine on Reefcentral and just for the lighting it will cost me $52.26 and i live in LA the cost will be more then that!!! and that is just for the lighting
i still have the pump calcium reactor and the other stuff

 

[coralcollector]

My bill jumped 50 bucks to run my mh lights 500 watts

 

[avatar50]

i have a 240 gollan tank. 4 8ft VHO which it says is 220 watt each so 4X220= 880
and 2 175watt MH = 350. so 880+350= 1230 watt and i still have
i still have not set up the system yet cuz i am planning on putting the tank in the wall and build a small room on the other side so i can put everthing on the small room. and yes i think i will need a chiller for the summer !!! i don't know how much KWH. but i am planning on geting a 2nd job to suppor my tank still need like around 5k to make the room i think that is the total i will spend on the tank without any live stock right now
I wish i will be the next lottery WINNER!!!!

 

[xxvietxjustinxx]

Well I think I'm going to order my MH/VHO soon... Im getting 3 MH 250W each which would equal 750, and comes with 2 atinitics VHO 140 x 2 which would be 280. So 750 + 280 would equal 1030 added to my power compacts in the back which are 220 watts giving me about 1250 watts in a 180 gallon tank. Do you think that is enough light to keep hard corals and mostly all corals??? I'm pretty sure there will be a spike in my DADS bills huh!?

 

[avatar50]

ya i think it will be alright for u to keep most coral cuz u will have 6.9 watt per gallon.
I wish my mom whould pay the bills for me