3 ms·

> What are you spending so much on electricity on I tried to figure this out for my household... 1) The squirrel cage on the HVAC unit uses about 600 watts.

by derekp7 10y ago

> What are you spending so much on electricity on I tried to figure this out for my household... 1) The squirrel cage on the HVAC unit uses about 600 watts. 2) Couldn't convince everyone in the house to turn off TVs when they leave their rooms. 3) Laundry (gas dryer, but again there is a motor on it). 4) Dish washer 5) Fridge/Freezer. I added up the cost of leaving lights on in all all the rooms (10 60-watt bulbs) 24x7, and that would only cost $43 a month. Typically only half would be on, and for a few hours in the evening, (5 bulbs, 4 hours a night, 10 cents/kwh), and that comes to $3.60 a month.

ars 10y ago
You have a 600 HVAC watt fan, and only 10 bulbs in your house? I have approximately 40 bulbs and I don't think I have a large house. And I have not been able to convince people not to turn on the light during the day, so my usage is closer to 12-18 hours per day.
- derekp7 10y ago
  Some rooms have more than one light but typically only one would be used. Examples: Master bedroom -- 2 lamps, but one is mine, which is hardly ever turned on. Kids rooms -- one overhead hanging (swag) light each. Plus the closet light, but I'm not counting that as it is already a low voltage bulb (code requirement). Living room -- the foyer has hanging light with 3 candelabra bulbs, which are 20 watts each. The dining room (the other side of the great room) has a hanging light with 5 bulbs, again 20 watts each. So one room is 60 watts, the other is 100. Kitchen/family room -- overhead long tube fluorescent (120 watts total), family room had a torch light. Bathrooms have multiple bulbs (4, 6, and 10 bulbs for the 3 bathrooms), but most of them are burned out and/or unscrewed. And they were 25 watt bulbs. So I'm counting an average of 60 watts per bathroom. Basement has 6 bulbs total, but only a couple are used on the way to the laundry. So slightly more than the equivalent of 10 60-watt bulbs for the lights that are used most often. At first I thought that I could save a lot with the compact fluorescent bulbs, but I really didn't see any change in the electric bill after changing out all that I could -- the chandeliers take the candelabra bulbs, and while I could get fluorescents to fit they would be way too bright. Same with the bathrooms, I didn't want 10 bulbs in one bathroom that put out the same lumens as 10 60-watt incandescents, and I couldn't readily find any fluorescent or led bulbs that were equiv. to a 20-watt incandescent.

by derekp7 10y ago

ars 10y ago

You have a 600 HVAC watt fan, and only 10 bulbs in your house? I have approximately 40 bulbs and I don't think I have a large house. And I have not been able to convince people not to turn on the light during the day, so my usage is closer to 12-18 hours per day.

derekp7 10y ago
Some rooms have more than one light but typically only one would be used. Examples: Master bedroom -- 2 lamps, but one is mine, which is hardly ever turned on. Kids rooms -- one overhead hanging (swag) light each. Plus the closet light, but I'm not counting that as it is already a low voltage bulb (code requirement). Living room -- the foyer has hanging light with 3 candelabra bulbs, which are 20 watts each. The dining room (the other side of the great room) has a hanging light with 5 bulbs, again 20 watts each. So one room is 60 watts, the other is 100. Kitchen/family room -- overhead long tube fluorescent (120 watts total), family room had a torch light. Bathrooms have multiple bulbs (4, 6, and 10 bulbs for the 3 bathrooms), but most of them are burned out and/or unscrewed. And they were 25 watt bulbs. So I'm counting an average of 60 watts per bathroom. Basement has 6 bulbs total, but only a couple are used on the way to the laundry. So slightly more than the equivalent of 10 60-watt bulbs for the lights that are used most often. At first I thought that I could save a lot with the compact fluorescent bulbs, but I really didn't see any change in the electric bill after changing out all that I could -- the chandeliers take the candelabra bulbs, and while I could get fluorescents to fit they would be way too bright. Same with the bathrooms, I didn't want 10 bulbs in one bathroom that put out the same lumens as 10 60-watt incandescents, and I couldn't readily find any fluorescent or led bulbs that were equiv. to a 20-watt incandescent.