Need to lower my electric bill!

[semipro]

Did you verify that the consumption didn't go up because of the filter reducing airflow?

Interesting thought but no. Based on how dirty it gets and how open the mesh is its hard to imagine its creating much restriction. I was mainly targeting animal hair so didn't think that a "tight" filter was needed.

I do have a Kill-a-watt sitting sitting idly in a drawer in the garage though....

 

[semipro]

I suggest everyone taking a shower before your daughter and let her get cold water after 10 minutes. 45 minutes in the shower with the water running is very wasteful.

Shower cut-off timers are available .
http://www.showermanager.com/conservation-store/shower-timer-home.shtml

 

[semipro]

Brand/model? I would be interested in a recommendation.

I think there have been some good related threads here on that. If I recall correctly, the TED came out as a local favorite.
http://www.theenergydetective.com/

I've got a Black and Decker monitor but would like something with data logging and export capability.

 

[blades]

If you have any under ground lines which are not on the security system lights mighT want to check those for bleeding. I had a lamp post light that somewhere along the line developed a leak to earth. didn't know a thing about until we had a very heavy rain storm off and on for several days. I happened to be walking barefoot a small distance away from the light and my what a tingling I got. The line got chewed up some at a connection of 2 pieces of conduit. it was bleeding there but not breaking the breaker for that series of circuits that it was tied into. I also had a bad netrual line coming into the house from the utility pole connection to my meter in another dwelling which was adding costs to the bill there as well, not mention playing havoc with electronics.

The add on charges for all kinds of things are getting quite ridiculous, Oct to Nov gas portion of my utility bill was $5.xx for the gas used but there was over $11 of add on charges tacked to it. My electric add on charges exceeded that. both have sections that are based on $x amount for facilities and distribution times energy used. The abosolute minimum I could possibly get to would be about $18 and that would be with no energy usage at all.

 

[Highbeam]

I think there have been some good related threads here on that. If I recall correctly, the TED came out as a local favorite.
http://www.theenergydetective.com/

I've got a Black and Decker monitor but would like something with data logging and export capability.

I believe mine is an efergy, it has data logging and export capability via a usb port but I am not THAT into it. It is easy to recognize the various loads after you get used to them. The water heater at 4500 watts is easy to see for example.

I'll try and dig up a link.

 

[Highbeam]

Brand/model? I would be interested in a recommendation.

http://www.amazon.com/Efergy-E2-Wireless-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B003XOZG0Y/ref=pd_sim_hi_3

This is the one I have. It has been very good. I have only used it on the main line so far but I could choose to log a single device instead, like the blood sucking hot tub. Easy install, just clamping the clamps around wires without removing wires from the panel or breakers. Much like a clamp on ampmeter.

Only bummer is that it samples every 6 seconds vs. instantaneously. Not a big deal.

 

[woodgeek]

Highbeam....I just ordered one! I've had a couple of the BlueLine-type Black and Decker ones over the years...but they both had lousy RF reception (so I couldn't walk around with them) then one died, and then I got a smart meter that is incompatible with them. The smart meter is lo-res enough to not be useful for tracking stuff down. Of course.

I figure my phantom loads are at least 5 kWh/day higher than they should be....that's 1600 kWh and $200/year.

Will report back!

 

[semipro]

http://www.amazon.com/Efergy-E2-Wireless-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B003XOZG0Y/ref=pd_sim_hi_3

This is the one I have. It has been very good. I have only used it on the main line so far but I could choose to log a single device instead, like the blood sucking hot tub. Easy install, just clamping the clamps around wires without removing wires from the panel or breakers. Much like a clamp on ampmeter.

Only bummer is that it samples every 6 seconds vs. instantaneously. Not a big deal.

I'm looking for a better one also.
The Efergy looks interesting. Do you happen to know what it reports every 6 seconds (max, min, average, instantaneous)?
I was thinking of our well pump and HVAC systems and the start up loads they create.

I saw also that Fluke has a nice looking monitor. Bet its pricey though.

 

[Highbeam]

I'm looking for a better one also.
The Efergy looks interesting. Do you happen to know what it reports every 6 seconds (max, min, average, instantaneous)?
I was thinking of our well pump and HVAC systems and the start up loads they create.

I saw also that Fluke has a nice looking monitor. Bet its pricey though.

At the report intervals (every 6 or so seconds) it samples current flow. Instantaneuous. You will only see the surge loads if the sample happens to catch it. I've seen it on refrigerators but that's it. I would not buy this as a tool to determine surge loads or inrush currents. The machine logs these samples and produces averages and daily totals. I am interested in daily as well as instantaneous readings and really don't get excited about downloading the data and logging it.

 

[maple1]

About the Efergy (or similar): do the leads need to be clamped onto bare stripped wire, or can they get a reading from wire that hasn't been stripped? Like just upstream of the junction connection point.

Would make it a lot easier to put on, say, an electric hot water heater - or other hard wired thing - if so.

Neat looking gadget - just might have to get me one.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I think people forget that, at the beginning of those 30-45 Min showers the 4500 watt element starts and you are getting some recovery. I think the average 30 Gal HW heater give at least 40-50 gallons of usable water before going completely cold The you have the cold water that you are adding to factor in.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I suggest everyone taking a shower before your daughter and let her get cold water after 10 minutes. 45 minutes in the shower with the water running is very wasteful.

Which is exactly why i have no interest in installing a larger unit.
Suffice to say no one takes a shower AFTER her for awhile.

 

[woodgeek]

About the Efergy (or similar): do the leads need to be clamped onto bare stripped wire, or can they get a reading from wire that hasn't been stripped? Like just upstream of the junction connection point.

Would make it a lot easier to put on, say, an electric hot water heater - or other hard wired thing - if so.

Neat looking gadget - just might have to get me one.

Looks like the efegy is a magnetic clamp on. You have to go into the box, but you don't have to break the circuit or the insulation.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Shower cut-off timers are available .
http://www.showermanager.com/conservation-store/shower-timer-home.shtml

Thats a great idea!

 

[semipro]

Thats a great idea!

Get one for your daughter for the New Year!

 

[Highbeam]

About the Efergy (or similar): do the leads need to be clamped onto bare stripped wire, or can they get a reading from wire that hasn't been stripped? Like just upstream of the junction connection point.

Would make it a lot easier to put on, say, an electric hot water heater - or other hard wired thing - if so.

Neat looking gadget - just might have to get me one.

As WG says, it's a clamp on. You clamp on to the fat, hot, insulated wires just before they hit the main breaker in your panel. There is plenty of room right on top of the main breaker in a regular panel to put the little rings in place. The clamp on pickup rings are routed out of the panel through a skinny wire that conveniently slips into the corner cutout of your panel can and under the cover so it's very easy. On the outside of the panel can, those little wires hit a trnasmitter box that you stick on the wall or whatever and it talks to the display unit wirelessly.

You could just as easily clamp the pickups around another circuit in the panel and monitor that circuit's consumption. Really fancy monitoring systems have several clamps and allow you to log as many circuits as you want. Sheesh, start with the main. This allows you to backcheck the meter readings if you think the utility is robbing you.

 

[Highbeam]

I think people forget that, at the beginning of those 30-45 Min showers the 4500 watt element starts and you are getting some recovery. I think the average 30 Gal HW heater give at least 40-50 gallons of usable water before going completely cold The you have the cold water that you are adding to factor in.

And you aren't showering in 120 degree water either. You are cutting the hot with cold so you are getting way more than 30 gallons of shower water.

What are the shower heads now, 1.5 gpm?

 

[begreen]

I think there have been some good related threads here on that. If I recall correctly, the TED came out as a local favorite.
http://www.theenergydetective.com/

I've got a Black and Decker monitor but would like something with data logging and export capability.

You need one that cuts off the shower and starts playing Mantovani tunes to really be effective.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

You need one that cuts off the shower and starts playing Mantovani tunes to really be effective.

That cold water coming out eventually is a pretty darn good deterrent.

 

[Bret Chase]

I've turned the hot water off on my teenage sons mid-shower. They just keep going.
Maybe they understand the benefits of a cold shower.

All 4 of my kids know my 10 minute time limit... after 10 mins.... the hot water valve has an "accident" and the water gets real cold, real fast. ;P My HWH is oil... and I have never managed to outstrip it's recovery rate...


fwiw... my shower time averages 5 mins...

 

[Bret Chase]

We have three dogs and a cat in addition to the humans.
When we bought our last fridge I actually used condenser airflow direction as one of the criteria.
I found one unit that pulled air in the back and exhausted out the bottom. I also put a filter on the rear intake.
Going on about 4 years now I've cleaned the filter yearly but the condenser is staying clean.
It didn't hurt that the fridge I liked also had the cool ramp-up LED light inside that my wife liked.

I've got a wife, 4 kids and 3 large dogs..... it's AMAZING the amount of fur the dogs will shed.. and they're a dane/lab... hound/lab... and a who-the-hell-knows, but she has short fur too. I have to sweep the kitchen at least once a day... I should probably do it 2 or 3x a day.... but.. you know...

 

[Bret Chase]

I installed one of those whole house energy monitors that clamps around each of the power lines to the house in the panel and then has a display in the living room. It is a great tool to watch and monitor your actual consumption. I burn up over 1000 kwh each month and I blame the electric hot tub mostly.

What I found odd was that the base load is always a couple of hundred watts. You don't realize it until you do a breaker by breaker shutoff but the parasites are things like GFCI receptacles and appliance phantom loads like my modern electric oven burning 50 watts all the time.

The whole house monitor was only like 100 or 150 bucks and has been a great source of entertainment and even cost savings via behavioral changes. The kids even watch it to see who left a light on.

I do the same thing from time to time, but I use my clamp-on ammeter on each of the mains. my static load seams to be fairly unbalanced... I did move some breakers around... but haven't had a chance to re-check it after doubling the HP of my well pump.. I only have a 100 amp service.. and the only time I ever pup a breaker is when I try and fire up my table saw below 15F...

 

[begreen]

I've got a wife, 4 kids and 3 large dogs..... it's AMAZING the amount of fur the dogs will shed.. and they're a dane/lab... hound/lab... and a who-the-hell-knows, but she has short fur too. I have to sweep the kitchen at least once a day... I should probably do it 2 or 3x a day.... but.. you know...

My sister is a champion great dane breeder. She really knows her dogs, but computers are not her strength. Last time I visited her, her computer sounded like a 727 taking off. I opened the case and found the cpu buried under about an inch of dog and cat hair.

 

[Bret Chase]

My sister is a champion great dane breeder. She really knows her dogs, but computers are not her strength. Last time I visited her, her computer sounded like a 727 taking off. I opened the case and found the cpu buried under about an inch of dog and cat hair.

I took my Lenovo T60 apart again 2 days ago to blow out the fan and heat exchanger... my wife's 'top is a Dell Netbook which she loves (and I hate).. it doesn't even have a fan that I can tell... it's Atom processor makes almost no heat.... and it's got a solid state HD (the only part of it I'm jealous of... that thing is FAST!!)

 

[Bret Chase]

I typically use about 800kW/h.... 100 A service... oil HWH, gas range, wood heat, all non appliance lighting is CFL... it wouldn't be all that bad if I wasn't get ***** to the tune of $0.15+ kW/h by the utility...