Let's help each other's Electric bill

[KingKahuuna]

This is something that effects all of us, and I think together we can come up with a lot of great ideas to help lower the electric bill for each of us. And what you might think sounds silly, and a waste of time sometimes isn't.
I would have never thought to turn off the drying cycle on the dishwasher ya know, so let's hear the brains working this one for all our sakes.
Here's one:
1. Got a dog in your home ? then turn off the porch lights, anything wrong will get the dog to barking.

smoke in peace
KingKahuuna

[caribbean_smoker_20]

I only use my a/c when it's time for bed.It's off all other times.I don't run it all day.

[Brouli]

hahahaahah thats a good thread , but if you wonna grow save money for electric bill or use cfl :)

[MrPuffAlot]

since the deregulation of electric companies
we as consumers are allegedly able to buy
power from different power companies.

You buy your electricity from a electric company other
than your local one, so basically you are able to shop
kilowatt prices. But you still have to pay for distribution and
etc etc etc to your local company.

Anyways.. First thing we need to do is shop for the lowest
kilowat prices from around the country.
So if you know your Kilowat prices, POST them.

and if you are computer savy, research whos the cheapest, if you can.

I looked into it before, but figured, if it wasn't broken not to fix it.
So i kept my local company.

as for conserving.. I can't skimp on the AC, i got young kids and work
alot, last thing I want to do is come home to a sauna.

[Brouli]

0.8 cent/kW

[SmokinMom]

Something that I try to do is keep the thermostat at 79. I cheat at times tho. ;)

Ceiling fans rock! And at night I gotta have air moving around me to sleep well.

[KingKahuuna]

Hey Mom,
Your right, I set my a/c to 72*F, and on cool nights I do without. Fans running are expensive, I didn't realize that they **** up that much. I've also shut down all my pre-warm switches. I don't need to keep my puter and tv in a state of readiness, and that was something that was pulling energy too.
turning down your refrigerator during the cooler months helps also. Today I am going all around the house to kill energy waste. Yikes I'm turning into a conservative monster. LOL

smoke in peace123gifs026.gif (http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30831&stc=1&d=1186396593)
KingKahuuna

[Bubby]

We close most of the blinds in the morning, so that our a/c doesn't have to work as hard when we get home.

Also, use a boiler (if you have one), rather than boiling on the stove. It's faster, and much more efficient.

:confused2:

Oh, and use LED X-mas lights. :rolleyes:

[berserker]

0.8 cent/kWI am at .07/kil watt

[woOzer]

Hey Mom,
Your right, I set my a/c to 72*F, and on cool nights I do without. Fans running are expensive, I didn't realize that they **** up that much. I've also shut down all my pre-warm switches. I don't need to keep my puter and tv in a state of readiness, and that was something that was pulling energy too.
turning down your refrigerator during the cooler months helps also. Today I am going all around the house to kill energy waste. Yikes I'm turning into a conservative monster. LOL

smoke in peace123gifs026.gif (http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30831&stc=1&d=1186396593)
KingKahuuna




72*f!?!? why so low? any and all Electic providers would recommend 78*-82*f. 72* is way too low.

[SmokinMom]

Yea, if it's at 72 you're gonna have a huge electric bill thats for sure!!!

[KingKahuuna]

I suppose I could adjust it,
HMMmmmm if it was anything else ya know. I guess I like it when it's cold. My better half is all for me turning the a/c off. She says she has frozen long enough. I said something stupid about being an ice queen anyways, and so now I am in that small house that has a food bowl and another for water. LMAO Ahhh well it's all for a good reason right ?preview.php.jpg (http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=30852&stc=1&d=1186425758)
smoke in peace
KingKahuuna

[Rocker420]

Man i know what you all need to do if not already. Take out all your bulbs in your house and change them with flourescents. dont run your washingmachine on electric, and dont run it during the heat of the day. for people with air conditioners, have them run early in the morning like right when you go to work, have them shut off at noon and when you leave your house close the blinds and shut the doors. Always make sure to turn lights off when you leave the room, shut off your computer befor you go to bed, unplug cellphone chargers, camera chargers while not in use. Dont use MH or HPS to veg your plants. running those things cost alot, especially running it 18 or 24 hours a day, so go out and buy some T5 fixtures, there awesome.

Whell alright, i put in my 2 cents. And trust me, my elec bill has been about $700 for the past 5 months, i finally started doing all this and i dropped it down $300.(i was very waistfull)

[reggaeuplifts]

Something that I try to do is keep the thermostat at 79. I cheat at times tho. ;)

Ceiling fans rock! And at night I gotta have air moving around me to sleep well.

79? Thats so hot!

But ceiling fans are prettty good ;)

[HGB]

turn down the hot water heater :)

doesn't need to give ya 3rd degree burns out of the tap

baseboard heaters dont really shut all the way off but usually can be at the breaker box :hubba:

wash dishes by hand and hang cloths to dry on cloths line

during the day we dont turn any lights on

I bbq most every night with hard woods (live in the woods)

heat with wood in the winter if you can

peace

[rasta]

i can set thermo at 79 no problem,,,,the lady rasta leaves it on 68 all day ,,,and wonders why the bills 400 ,,,,,p,l,r

[Mutt]

Gonna make this a sticky....very good stuff here.
My 3 simple additions
1. CFL's instead of incadescents more light less wattage :)
2. Anything with a heating element (dryers, dishwashers, hot water htrs (like hgb said) take up a bunch of power)
3. Keep that AC filter clean. If its old and plugged makes that system work 2X as hard to pull air.

[Mutt]

Been doing something new..
I am very forgetful about turning off lights. So I went to K-mart and found these 30 minute increment timers on sale for like 4 bucks.
I put them on some lamps that stay on most of the day...(CFL's for my indoor plants). I set them on 16/8 which is sufficient for most indoor houseplants. on a plus note...they turn off in different increments so when I'm gone...unless you been stakin my place out yer never sure if I'm gone or not :p so two birds with one stone :)
but I know I'm saving a fortune on my forgetfullness. thought I'd toss that in. figure if you have a lamp that stays on just toss a timer on. ;)

[HGB]

for those that use a well for there water source can check there pressure tanks once a week to make sure the pump isn't run'n when it shouldnt be.

Also for those on wells you can install water saver products to cut back on pump use some :)

:48:

[KingKahuuna]

My friend is into electronics big time and we walked around the house with a clipboard and paper and pen. He pointed out that I was correct about pre-warmers. Most stereos, TV's, use a passive amount of go-go juice when they are turned off, like having a computer on standby. and those nite lights that are still plugged in and working in a whole other section of the house only they are on a photo sensitive setup,(close the door to the bathroom and it's dark in there right ? nope the little night light comes on.
Well we went around and added all the juice that collectively they are pulling, and I almost farted when I saw the score. I have been throwing away the equivalent of what 5 100w light bulbs would burn. Sheeesh.
Well I'm not paying for the execs at the electric company to have a party on me any more.light.gif (http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=31777&stc=1&d=1187685263)
smoke in peace
KingKahuuna

[allgrownup]

unplug that piece of crap freezer in your garage thats storing hot pockets from 1983 and half a moose you'll never eat.

[SmokinMom]

unplug that piece of crap freezer in your garage thats storing hot pockets from 1983 and half a moose you'll never eat.

:spit: Too funny agu, and sooo true. ;)

[qwe]

Double Post~ Sorry

[qwe]

We close most of the blinds in the morning, so that our a/c doesn't have to work as hard when we get home.

Also, use a boiler (if you have one), rather than boiling on the stove. It's faster, and much more efficient.

:confused2:

Oh, and use LED X-mas lights. :rolleyes:

iF your a handy man.. or wanna get someone to install a stove.. try usign a gas or propane stove seems to me to be alot cheaper or even use a small propane camping stove

[KingKahuuna]

WoW HGB,
I never thought of checking that one, but I got the sweet to say yes to a wood burner, I have always loved the heat from those. This has also pleased my sweet since she is my booky so to speak. She says she loves to see the savings. So I'm like back in her good graces ha-ha-ha.
smoke in peace
KingKahuuna

[THCPezDispenser]

turn down the hot water heater :)
doesn't need to give ya 3rd degree burns out of the tap


Also, you can get tankless water heaters, they heat water on demand. The have a pricey initial investment, but claims that it will save 50% on your water heating bill. If you think about it, most of the energy in a hotwater tank is used just to keep it hot, while you are at work, over night, on the weekends while you are away, etc.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=943929&Ntt=943929&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

[allgrownup]

or you could just turn the temp guage down on the hot water heater......


i do agree completely with the "tankless" hot water heaters. Matter of fact i'm getting one in my new "green" house. Along with an a/c that purifies the condensation for drinking, and a few other really cool gadgets.

[Pot Belly]

I've got a Rinnai tankless water heater, and I love it. We have that and our clothes dryer is on gas as well. We do loads and loads of laundry. Our gas bill is $30.00 a month.

Would recommend a tankless to anyone, well worth the initial investment.

[fleshstain]

a few thing i did were:

1. changed out all bulbs to 12watt CFL's....and i mean every bulb....every bulb in our place was at least 60watters with a couple 100's....good savings there alone....
2. we don't use our dishwasher at all....we wash our dishes by hand and use the dishwasher as a drying rack....
3. unplug anything that's plugged in and not being used....saw on the news one night that almost everything plugged in is pulling electricity even if it's not on....stereo's and dvd players were the best examples....they have to pull electricity to keep the memory settings....
4. my light cycle is from 7pm-7am so i don't hit any peak usage hours and avoid the higher rates....
5. try to use the oven as little as possible....an oven set to 400 degrees is using as much electricity as a running central a/c unit....

that's about all i can think of right now....i think the biggest saver is the dishwasher....here in Texas a running dishwasher is the equivalent of a running 10,000 btu window a/c unit....

[upinarms]

What about electric Generators Honda sells than though I think the cheaper ones at least $141.00 run on gasoline which kind of sucks unless you grow in the garage but still sucks because burns up fuel . These days it's a smart Idea to be Green about certain things and well using gas in excess plus the cost just sounds kinda dumb but I do think that there has to be a better alternative generator. probably a stupid suggestion.....

[HippyInEngland]

Solar power is the way of the future

[g-13]

i changed all my bulbs to 13w cfl, i took out 22 100 w, and 13 60w light bulbs.
i unplug the washer and dryer until i use them then unplug again.
for heat i use the fire place and my bill is $100 a month.
all power tools in the garage are only plugged up when i use them.
and i have 3 fans, 1400w, 2 pumps, and co2 regulator in my grow room.

[shuggy4105]

don`t leave anything on "standby", loads of cash keeping all the electricals on ready.
energy saving light bulbs are great.
solar power is the way to go,"we" may be too late...

[DankCloset]

well my thoughts on this, the only truely way to fly off the radar on this topic is solar panels and batteries, with this setup your are not only producing all your heat, hot water, power, and not to mention the fact that any left over or if you have enough output you can sell your power back to the grid, there is absolutely no way anyone but you can determine the the ammount of energy u produce, hence no way of tracking the watts you use.

[rockydog]

Excellent post with some great ideas. I try keeping lights off, blinds closed during the day and only use the washer and dryer during low times. (not peak). Thanks a lot for all the ideas.

[Hashassin]

A pal of mine has an uncle in new hampshire who has a wind turbine on his house that fuels his electricity for his house no sweat...and he sells the extra back to the electric company ..it makes him cash..while it is nearly impossible for most to purchase one due to the fact they are in the 50grand park...one hell of an investment...work out a small model that can fuel a light/fans.etc = 0 and youll be in buisness..just a thought

[choking_victim]

I also replaced all my in-house lights with cfls,
and run my 12/12 throughout the night so it wont be in the peek zone.
...and turn that bathroom light out when you're done...

[pussum]

Some really good tips to keep the bill down. Seal your windows in the winter time and keep your theromstat at 67. The heat will stay in your home longer and the thermo won't be running all the time thus using more electricity. Also it is always good to keep your electric equpiment that you aren't using or don't use on a regualr basis unplugged because all items that use electricity to function will syphon a small draw of power even if they are off so long as they are still plugged into the wall.

[md.apothecary]

not sure if someone mentioned this, but here is a FACT for you...

5% YES... FIVE PERCENT of your electric bill is STAND-BY electronics!

If you see a light on your electronics that is "OFF" it's really on stand-by! This still burns a LOT of electricity! Even your TV set is in "stand-by" mode. This is how they get ratings even when the TV set is not on!

A surge protector... with nothing plugged into it, STILL burns electricity! Yep, it's still drawing electricity out of your plug.

Solution is to plug in ONLY electronic devices that will not reset memory if hard powering off. A hard power off is like unplugging it or flipping 'off' the surge protector.

You want to plug those hard powered devices into a surge protector you can turn off each night. This will actually save you money... serious money!

[ninjashoes]

When I buy a new house Im gonna seriously look at doing a full solar power conversion.

imo in the future we will all switch over

[dobshibby]

yeah TVs left on standby also use heaps of power.if you have doggies let them sleep at the end of the bed during winter,great heat.dry clothes on the line its not that hard to walk outside and put on a few pegs.with regards to saving on the growing setup,last grow i had heaters and oscilating fans but this time im only using the light,i cut out using the heater during the dark period by filling the base of my grow area with stones,so while the light is on it heats up the stones and when its off the stones slowly release their heat back into the grow area,simple but affective,and just bend the plants stem a few times a day saves on having to use a fan,small effort big difference,peace.

[seedeeter45]

use an economic appliance rater meter thing, it allows you to check the effeciency of each appliance-

[kasgrow]

Use a solar powered fan in your grow room. The light can power the fan.
http://www.advancedenergyonline.com/catalog/applications/Small%20DC%20&%20Solar%20Fans.htm

[seedeeter45]

or just use an entire solar setup for your house, can it be done? I bet if people put their minds to it!:hubba:

[marcnh]

I think using a toaster oven is a huge money saver. I also like to hang dry my clothes, but thats odvious. I eat cold food. Solar cooking is also awesome. Just google or youtube SOLAR COOKING. It's just simply amazing. Turning off lights year round saves electric yes, but in the summer it saves heat. When living in the southwest where it gets cool at night at hot during the day and its dry, I will open my windows at night, put a fan in them, and close them during the day to trap the cold air.
Also I know someone that had one of those obnoxious widescreen hdtv's. You know the ones where they cost thousands, and they sit there like zombies for a few hours a day watching crap. Well I walked by one of them and a foot away I could feel the heat coming off of it. We all know that if something gives off heat, that is wasted electricity. Think of a light bulb, some of the energy is always wasted in heat - it requires energy to produce heat - always remember this, my father is an electrician. good luck all!

[marcnh]

ok just found some awesome vids on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NveshAa5qpk&NR=1

there are plenty more on solar power.

[KingKahuuna]

Yo Ho friends,
I just got my electric bill that included my solid month of growbox running full steam. With all the stuff that I went around and turned off, that included pre-warmers, chargers, computers, appliances that have clocks, and also changing the lights. My bill compared to last year at the same time is six dollars higher, that's it. My grow closet has a large oil filled heater in it, a fan, timers, and three 48" CFL fixtures each holding two 40 watt gro tubes. The lights don't draw all that much, but that heater does, and all together it does add up. So with a little work around the OL' Homestead the electric bill v/s the growbox is a wash. Ha-Ha love it.
Now for that 400watt hps, I will have to come up with some more shaved corners. Keeping in mind that sudden large electrical changes draws attention, just need to keep the transitions smooth.
smoke in peace
KingKahuuna

[marcnh]

It is possible to make your electric meter run backwards using solar power. I'm no electrician, but i seen it on youtube.

[shuggy4105]

well it must be true then...;)

[HVHY]

In Cali you can have solar and it cuts your bill or even zeros it out if you produce enough energy however the best thing to do is just cut yourself off from Pigs, Goats and Elephants (PG&E freaking Price gougers and extortionists) but in Cali you cant do that you must be connected even if you live out in the BFE if ya know what i mean.

[Flyinghigh]

Well seems like everybody got a anwser for there elcet bill on how to cut the wattage down just so I can help.. Hehe
What more important?
Weed or beer!
Weed or Gas!
Wedd or snacks!!
weed or freezers!
weed or Refirg!
Weed or that prime rib!!
Weed or Stay Kool!
Sure sounds like alot of weed is being consume through there elect bill LOL But must love the weed we grow and so the cost of that grow we each have is always going to concume the elect. as those things I mention Those r a must for some and to find a way to cut down elect bill is the only thing a person can do is cut back on what we have on !!
Gotta go back to those cave land day and just keep the lights on for the grow and refrig and put a/c in grow room and buy a POOL to stay KOOL!!

[benamucc]

If someone posted this idea and I missed it sorry for the repeat. I was reading fast...

Depending on the size of your home, and type of heat used, forced air fan coil unit, fan motors are often a variable speed. 2 or sometimes 3 settings. Often depending on the cuft of the space it's supposed to heat, the fan will be set on a speed that is unnecessaryily high. It's often as easy as walking over to your thermostat, and switching the setting to low, but sometimes you have to go looking for it on the unit itself.

Also, I know there has been alot of mention on the electricity part, but covering windows with plastic, and making sure door jamb weather seals are in tact are INCREDIBLE loss areas. Weather seals and windows are easy to check with a candle (or with a fat doobie). If it flickers, fix-er.

Also, chimney flus go overlooked, and will drain your house faster than you would think. Think path of least resistance.

One last one...after you get done cooking that killer frozen pizza for your munchies, turn off the oven, and leave it open to vent out the warm air.

[HVHY]

another way would be to replace all of the lighting in your house with LED's as LEDs require less energy, however they arnt as bright so i dont know if the energy that is required for enough LEDs to light up a house would be enough to offset the cost of regular lightbulbs or CFLs.

[nightnurse]

dry your clothes on the line. turn off dry cycle on dishwasher, or hand wash them. be religious about turning off lights, tvs, etc, while not in room or viewing. listen to ipod rather than stereo. (highly recommended)! do the majority of your cooking outside, when weather permits. heat with wood. use candles instead of lights. sit outside and smoke yur bud!

[shuggy4105]

dry your clothes on the line. turn off dry cycle on dishwasher, or hand wash them. be religious about turning off lights, tvs, etc, while not in room or viewing. listen to ipod rather than stereo. (highly recommended)! do the majority of your cooking outside, when weather permits. heat with wood. use candles instead of lights. sit outside and smoke yur bud!
i`ve looked for the button on my girlfriend but i can`t find it,lol

[That crazy vancouver guy]

i`ve looked for the button on my girlfriend but i can`t find it,lol

Ummmm... Shuggy.... you don't really need to be told where it is, do you? ? ? ;)

:rofl: :rofl:

[lowrys girl]

put the sleep timer on the tv, get a blanket instead of turning the heater all the way up.......both things i need to work on :)

[shuggy4105]

Ummmm... Shuggy.... you don't really need to be told where it is, do you? ? ? ;)

:rofl: :rofl:
LMAO, posting without thinking again,lol.
i`ll re-phrase, i cant find the other button.....:fid: she may tell ya different though!:p

[bcbud_chick]

I was surprised to find out just how much a draw leaving a computer on 24/7 is. Apparently you can reduce your electric bill by 15% just by turning your computer off when you aren't using it. Thanks for all the suggestions so far, I am definitely going to be implementing some of them in my home.

[N1XON™]

thanx for all the good ideas.. :) if i run by something ill be sure to post it.

[Flyinghigh]

Solar is what I am Looking into lately to save elect in so many ways..
I can say my elect bill this yr is alot higher then last yr and that due to I had a newer 2 bedroom trailer 14x66 brought in and took out a 1 bedroom 12x52 and I checked useage from this yr to last and year befor that I can see a Big different from then to now about $45, So should I worry about it ? Naw Let the elect company invest and they can see that there No More 1 Bedroom here and a 2 bedroom with a shop out back..
when moven into a new (Rental) Place and u have to call the elect company to have them turn on the lights don't they ask how many bedroom ? They always ask us so I am not worry to much..

Solar Solar is the way to go..

[sharrychrist]

Hi, This post of mine will surely updates knowledge and contain valuable information. However I would like suggestions about some specific information. If you can help me then please send me a private message. Many Thanks,

[lilypoll8]

Hello Everyone,

This thread is very informative and I'm sure i can pick up lot of tips and save. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Hope to have good time here.

[tcooper1]

since the deregulation of electric companies
we as consumers are allegedly able to buy
power from different power companies.

You buy your electricity from a electric company other
than your local one, so basically you are able to shop
kilowatt prices. But you still have to pay for distribution and
etc etc etc to your local company.

Anyways.. First thing we need to do is shop for the lowest
kilowat prices from around the country.
So if you know your Kilowat prices, POST them.

and if you are computer savy, research whos the cheapest, if you can.

I looked into it before, but figured, if it wasn't broken not to fix it.
So i kept my local company.

as for conserving.. I can't skimp on the AC, i got young kids and work
alot, last thing I want to do is come home to a sauna.

Were I live we only have 1 company to go though.I leave lights off (if I can)
I hang dry some of my laundy
I leave my porch light off..your right about the dog letting you know
thank you for this thread

[Tool]

The real problem is fuel prices by me its almost up to 4 dollars. You guys should look into fuel vaporizers for your car I have been for awhile and about to make a purchases. there is not much info about this but look hard sometimes there on ebay. they honestly do work why they arent in every car is the government but dont get me started. They get you 50% to 90% better fuel mileage and run around about 250$ custom made for your car . Thats one way to save some cash this summer.

[dasweasle]

I would have to recomend all of the above but with a few solar panels, why waste sunshine? you could have them power your house and if you make more than you use it can go right into the local power grid, and run your meter backwards potentaly giving you a check from the power company instead of a bill, or you could run your grow lights off solar and batteries wich would be more expencive but worth it. Imagine numerous little shed/shacks with a few solar panles around them? you could grow anywhere there is enough light(or add more panels)

[ChatNoir]

Actually, Stanley Meyer found a zero point water power cell, it works but you have to build it yourself then buy a hydrogen engine to convert hydrogen into energy, it works with water, total cost of monthly electric is just a few dollars for water to power the engine...

[Tool]

Go to you tube and type in john hutchison he is one of the smartest people that has ever lived he is big into zero point energy and gravity manipulation. you should take a look into its really cool.

[pussum]

Just a little heads up to anyone thinking about starting a grow out there. Now is a great time to start because it is extremely easy to mask the power usage in your bill. Now that central air units and air conditioners are starting to get cranked to full blast the power companies are expecting huge spikes in bills. If you were to paranoid about being discovered by growing during the winter now is a great time.

Cut off the central air for a few hours a day, or set the timer on the unit to shut off an hour after you go to work and an hour before you come home and that should balance out the usage of your garden while still keeping your house cool while you are in it.

[docfishwrinkle]

Also, you can get tankless water heaters, they heat water on demand. The have a pricey initial investment, but claims that it will save 50% on your water heating bill. If you think about it, most of the energy in a hotwater tank is used just to keep it hot, while you are at work, over night, on the weekends while you are away, etc.these r good if ur water out of tap is constantly 50* otherwise they r not efficient.

[parkingjoe]

well if you think you have problems check this out.

lol

i had my electric meter changed a year last march and since that time have had it read by my electric company provider every 3 months yet i have yet to receive any bill.

my meter stands me at £2,400 at this moment in time.

yes i have all electric heating washing machine dryer shower hot water heater etc etc etc and also more importantly all my growing stuff.

so had a letter from untility company stating im due a new electric meter as mine is considered out of date.

holy crap im busted ill have to pay the bill as i already had a new meter fitted a year last march.

i have a few mates in the same situation so its obvious someone has messed up and not informed the relevant electricity supplier that we are on the map so to speak.

watch this space


roflmao

pkj

[growdammit]

The big thing with the whole energy thing is the technology is already here to make most homes electric company independent. However the cost of implementing this technology in our own homes is ridiculous. I am sure there is technology big governement (lobbyists) keeps from us. Several wind generators + solar technology would cut the worlds dependance on fossil fuels considerably, but at what cost to those poor CEO's of big power who desperately need another yacht?....

[toke@smoke420]

i got a good idea on saving fuel, start walking!!!!! or carpooling instead of driving around aimlsly in no direction... also unplug all plugs that arnt being used in your house like tv plugged in on or off is wasteing electricity. also reuse your towels those are the biggest energy waster when washing cloth, ohh and run the dishwasher when its completly full.

[halzey68]

it isnt saving on electrical power, but if all fast food "drive thru's" had a "down grade" so cars could be turned off and just roll by, how much fuel would that save?

[occg.hydro]

Hey everyone! Tons of usefull advice in here. I'm a big supporter of solar power unfortunately I can't afford the initial investment. I mean, seriously though why depend on something that's going to run out when we can get our power from the sun! It'll be around long after we're gone and it's FREE! I spent the whole day working with my power company to find a way to lower my bill. I don't want to be obnoxious and start re-posting stuff in all different sections of the site so check out either of these two posts (and be sure to check out the grow journal ;))

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28890

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27192

[lkbkr103]

I keep my a/c at 77. I would shut it off, but already this year we've hit 112 outside. Try only running your dishwasher when it's totally full.

[Smeden]

Hi all

Nice threadreading here.

I was thinking about getting some solar cells 1 month back, and the longer I came the more watts I wanted.

First it was only meant to run some music + lights when we go on festivals. I was recommended a 20w solar panel, and he said a 10w maybe would cut it (for playing + lights 3-4 hours every night) This would be easy to set up, and coul be done for total 200 bucks + 12 v battry which I have.

But I found these mofo's and suddently I start thinking on creating a solar bloomroom.

The setup - if I wanted to give it a go:
2x
http://cgi.ebay.com/Uni-Solar-PVL136-watts-Thin-Film-Solar-Panel-BC_W0QQitemZ280251172268QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item28 0251172268&_trkparms=72%3A552%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14.l1318
1050 bucks

4x10 bulbs = 40x1900 lumens = 76000 (sounds too good) and colour 2700 should be fine for flowering.
http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-OF-TEN-10X-DC-12V-6W-SOLAR-PANEL-CFL-LIGHTBULB-E27_W0QQitemZ250277332162QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item2 50277332162&_trkparms=72%3A552%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1318
4x30 = 120 bucks

Controller
http://cgi.ebay.com/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230275072106
45 pound = about 100 bucks

Then add - one large car/industry 12 volt battery or 2-3 normal car batteries.

Total 1270 dollars and I would even buy 30-40 bulbs extra - just in case the setup makes more power than i thought.

Unfortunately "seen this way" I live in Denmark and well, we are not the country with most sunshine hours in the world... So hmm will be waiting a little. But would love to see someone doin it.

Been searching for hours, and none competetors at the time came in reach of the uni solars I found. When you look at watt/dollar price.

One more thing. Think you should be carefull about hunting the lower prices. Here in DK, when you want another company, you get one of the newer digital power boxes - these I was told, are much easier for the police to locate a grow by, as the times of consumption are saved in the box and sent to electricity company. So they could easily see if the highest consumption is in 12 hours cycles, and starting at the second every day...

Just my 50

[Blend No. 420]

All the links above are closed, but this one will give you everything you need in one place.

wholesalesolar.com

I am seriously looking into using solar as my only source of electricity in my grow room. If anyone else has done this I would appreciate any comments or tips.

[JBonez]

well, i just checked my space heater and that uses 750 watts! its not even big! i always have my computer on, 400w, and my 47 inch flat panel that its connected too, thats about 700w i believe, so i can do with not having them on all the time. switched all my light bulbs in the house to cfl's, they are much cheaper, 27w vice 40w! god knows that i dont need the dryer cycle on the dishwasher and when i run the dryer i set it for 70 minutes, even tho it only takes about 45 minutes to dry my clothes! so all in all, i should be able to lower my bill to even lower than what its gonna be with my 1000w mh/hps!

hope this helps guys and puts your wattage into perspective, you can always save!

[lisa]

A very useful thread that mainly focussed how to reduce the electric bill.

[HippyInEngland]

A very useful thread that mainly focussed how to reduce the electric bill.

Thats because the title of the thread is called .... Let's help each other's Electric bill

:)

[msge]

Last year i installed a programable thermostat, In turn of the ac all day and then turn it back on so i come home to a cool house. As other have said get rid of them incandesent bulb, cfl all the way My bill drop 100 buck a month with just those 2 things

[Hidesert]

I added 5kw of solar, I get 350 days of blue skies. My power feeds back into the grid, running the power meter backwards during the daytime. Its called "Net Metering", I get a bill once a year. My electric went from $300 a month to about $300 a year now.