klmmicro
Well-Known Member
Trying to get the cost of everything clear to roommate. Our electric bill jumped about 6 months ago (had nothing running of mine) and the roommate blamed the garden. Tried to explain to him that there is no way that the garden is costing over $100 a month, but he insists. Tried to avail him with facts, but the figures are not making any sense to him. Here is how I arrived at my figure I gave him:
My garden consists of:
1x 600W digital HPS
1x aquarium air pump
2x 6" low consumption vent fans
1x 8" circulation fan
Total wattage is 650-680 watts for everything if it was all on at once. I am getting a Kil-O-Watt meter this afternoon and as everything runs off a single socket, I will be able to trend the entire systems consumption throughout the day. For now though, I use 660 watts as my figure.
Here goes the math -
660 watts per hour total, or .66 kWh. This is for everything (per 24 hour period); air pump (24 hours), lights (18 or 12 hours) and nute pump (1/2 hour).
For veg, the lights are on for 18 hours. This phase is at most 30 days.
.66 kWh for 540 hours per month = 356.4 kW per month. At $.12 a kW for 356.4 kW should equal $42.77 a month on the bill. Even at $.15 per kW the bill for the garden should be no more than $53.46/month.
For flowering, the cost for 30 days is:
.66 kWh for 360 hours per month = 238 kWh per month. At $.12 per kW for 238 kWh the cost should be $28.56 a month on the bill. Again, if the cost were $.15 a kW, the bill would be $35.70 a month.
Taking the higher of the two possible costs, one month at $53.46 and 3 months at $35.70 and the ENTIRE cost of electricity for a crop is only $160.56 from start to finish.
He is claiming that the jump in cost was about $110 per month...am I missing something, or did I mis-calculate what the cost should be? Any thoughts appreciated.
My garden consists of:
1x 600W digital HPS
1x aquarium air pump
2x 6" low consumption vent fans
1x 8" circulation fan
Total wattage is 650-680 watts for everything if it was all on at once. I am getting a Kil-O-Watt meter this afternoon and as everything runs off a single socket, I will be able to trend the entire systems consumption throughout the day. For now though, I use 660 watts as my figure.
Here goes the math -
660 watts per hour total, or .66 kWh. This is for everything (per 24 hour period); air pump (24 hours), lights (18 or 12 hours) and nute pump (1/2 hour).
For veg, the lights are on for 18 hours. This phase is at most 30 days.
.66 kWh for 540 hours per month = 356.4 kW per month. At $.12 a kW for 356.4 kW should equal $42.77 a month on the bill. Even at $.15 per kW the bill for the garden should be no more than $53.46/month.
For flowering, the cost for 30 days is:
.66 kWh for 360 hours per month = 238 kWh per month. At $.12 per kW for 238 kWh the cost should be $28.56 a month on the bill. Again, if the cost were $.15 a kW, the bill would be $35.70 a month.
Taking the higher of the two possible costs, one month at $53.46 and 3 months at $35.70 and the ENTIRE cost of electricity for a crop is only $160.56 from start to finish.
He is claiming that the jump in cost was about $110 per month...am I missing something, or did I mis-calculate what the cost should be? Any thoughts appreciated.
