Stormblessed
Well-Known Member
Also it might not just b the lights, what other equipment r u running in there? I was kinda surprised when learning what some of the fans and other environmental controlling equipment pull
My electric bill is too high
- Thread starter Christinac26
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Nunyabiz
Well-Known Member
Dimmable lights are whats needed.
My lights are 650w if on full blast.
But I never run them full blast even in flower, so I think my usual electric cost is somewhere between $14-$20/month depending on veg or flower.
$300 is insane
My lights are 650w if on full blast.
But I never run them full blast even in flower, so I think my usual electric cost is somewhere between $14-$20/month depending on veg or flower.
$300 is insane
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Christinac26
Active Member
I have just 2 small little fans and also
i have 2 small fans and also this heater
Enjoil
Well-Known Member
I agree, I already got a good relationship with timber and am talking to budgetled now cuz they are a sponsor, they are American, and the new boards are freaking awesome!
Nah. Those lights will still grow a nugget! I like blurples fr fr. Don’t get discouraged, just read some good journals and copy what they do. Oh and welcome to 420 magazine!!! Start a journal so we can help you easily...
never take a tent down. there is always something that can be done.
big led and dimming is the only way.
and i agree on the cost. makes me think there is something else going on. or it's a predatory utility.
it's good to develop an ongoing relationship with the suppliers. i feel similar about NA based businesses as well from a customer perspective.
big led and dimming is the only way.
and i agree on the cost. makes me think there is something else going on. or it's a predatory utility.
it's good to develop an ongoing relationship with the suppliers. i feel similar about NA based businesses as well from a customer perspective.
Stormblessed
Well-Known Member
I agree, something seems off, my bill only went up around 80 a month in summer and less in winter, and I have around 800-900 watts of lights plus a crap ton or fans and air pumps and dehumidifiers”just the cheap ones” and god only knows what else lol
that heater sucks the juice for sure. warm air rises & cool air sinks... take temp readings with your hygrometer.... measure temp at floor, at midpoint between floor & ceiling, then at top of ceiling.... right there is a couple of degrees of free heat.
Depending on plant size and stage of growth, the amount of stealth you need to stay secure.... you may be able to do without extraction fans... cuz in essence you are possibly heating the tent so you can then just suck the warm air out with extraction. obviously you gotta do some temp testing so you provide the right enviro for your ladies and yes they still need fans moving air and most of us run 3 or 4 fans anyway.... but if you play your cards right it’s possibly.... more saved energy
Is there any way you can elevate the tent up off the floor? Maybe milk crates or wood pallets etc. also can you raise the plants in the tent? This stuff costs zero to implement just some resourcefulness and elbow grease
Depending on plant size and stage of growth, the amount of stealth you need to stay secure.... you may be able to do without extraction fans... cuz in essence you are possibly heating the tent so you can then just suck the warm air out with extraction. obviously you gotta do some temp testing so you provide the right enviro for your ladies and yes they still need fans moving air and most of us run 3 or 4 fans anyway.... but if you play your cards right it’s possibly.... more saved energy
Is there any way you can elevate the tent up off the floor? Maybe milk crates or wood pallets etc. also can you raise the plants in the tent? This stuff costs zero to implement just some resourcefulness and elbow grease
my flower room running full with a true draw 600w led costs less than $45 cdn / mo. running everything full up. and we feel that is high and are working to reduce it. i'd crap a brick at $300 bucks.. 
i also run a heater in the veg room, it's a 750 / 1500w draw i run on the lower setting. it has a thermostat on board and only runs when triggered. i keep the veg room about 20 - 22c. it doesn't run up the bill anything noticeable, but i don't depend on it as the primary heat source, and i grow mostly in winter indoor season.
edit : i also use a shelving system and my plants are never anywhere near the floor.
i also run a heater in the veg room, it's a 750 / 1500w draw i run on the lower setting. it has a thermostat on board and only runs when triggered. i keep the veg room about 20 - 22c. it doesn't run up the bill anything noticeable, but i don't depend on it as the primary heat source, and i grow mostly in winter indoor season.
edit : i also use a shelving system and my plants are never anywhere near the floor.
@Atreum Lighting have some nice options too.
well funny @013 has a point.
i wouldn't run without extraction, but a temp/humidity controlled exhaust fan could very well help.
edit: looking at that myself. my pops wants to run a recirc damper in the flower room, which would also work, but is a fidgety old hardware way of achieving the same result, with no reduction in energy use.
I have never ran an extraction fan, nor have I ever had pm - just sayin there’s many ways to shave a kitty err I mean skin a cat
it's all dependent on the ambient conditions where you live. others may have higher/lower rh percentages and temps than you experience. indoor growing is about adapting your given environment to more ideal conditions.
we all climb a different side of the mountain. but we all have a shared experience. there is no single path.
Atreum Lighting
Well-Known Member
Hey @Christinac26 , happy to help you navigate the world of lighting, regardless if you go with us or not.
First of all, I would pick up a power meter (e.g. Kill-A-Watt) so you can measure what your actual power usage looks like. This applies to all of the equipment you are using (lights, heater, accessories, etc.)
The thing about these "1000W" blurple lights is it's hard to know exactly how much power they are drawing (they are generally nowhere close to 1000W). I would point you to our 100W HYDRA-1000 light or some of our higher-power fixtures. Feel free to PM me with more questions.
Last thing I'll say for now is there are tons of resources on this forum! I'm certain the collective knowledge here will help get you on the right path.
First of all, I would pick up a power meter (e.g. Kill-A-Watt) so you can measure what your actual power usage looks like. This applies to all of the equipment you are using (lights, heater, accessories, etc.)
The thing about these "1000W" blurple lights is it's hard to know exactly how much power they are drawing (they are generally nowhere close to 1000W). I would point you to our 100W HYDRA-1000 light or some of our higher-power fixtures. Feel free to PM me with more questions.
Last thing I'll say for now is there are tons of resources on this forum! I'm certain the collective knowledge here will help get you on the right path.
Assume 300W ea (Amazon doesn’t say)
veg = 3 ea x 18 hrs x 300w = 16.2 KWh/day
bloom = 3x12x300 = 10.8 KWh/day
accessories = 150W x 24 hrs = 3.6 KWh/day
16.2+10.8+3.6 = 30.6kwh/day * 30days = 918 KWh
To get to $300/month, you would need to be paying $0.33/KWh. California is only about 0.23/hr. Most states are half of CA. I’m not up to date on international electric rates, but if you’re in the states you have 3 options.
find a new electric supplier
pull all your neighbors extension cords out of your sockets
move
There are a lot of things you can do to trim some things down, but I suggest getting to the root cause of your high electr prices first.
veg = 3 ea x 18 hrs x 300w = 16.2 KWh/day
bloom = 3x12x300 = 10.8 KWh/day
accessories = 150W x 24 hrs = 3.6 KWh/day
16.2+10.8+3.6 = 30.6kwh/day * 30days = 918 KWh
To get to $300/month, you would need to be paying $0.33/KWh. California is only about 0.23/hr. Most states are half of CA. I’m not up to date on international electric rates, but if you’re in the states you have 3 options.
find a new electric supplier
pull all your neighbors extension cords out of your sockets
move
There are a lot of things you can do to trim some things down, but I suggest getting to the root cause of your high electr prices first.
Oh man the part about neighbors made me think of Christmas vacation hey Clark this here is a RV...
Enjoil
Well-Known Member
Yeah that’s it! Ask your neighbors to plug in an extension cord for ya!Oh man the part about neighbors made me think of Christmas vacation hey Clark this here is a RV...
Don't worry, Joe is here to save us.So my electric bill went from 200$ a month to $500 a month. I knew my bill would go up a bit but not that much. Is there any lights I can buy that won’t make my bills so high? Cus at this point. I’m not profiting from growin. I have 6 of these lights bought off amazon
He will give you lots of free money so you can pay that bill.
Profit is a dirty word that only evil capitalists use.
Woke up.
Give it away.
You rich.
skirk
Well-Known Member
One or more of your neighbors is plugged into your system. You in the hood?
indochronic
Well-Known Member
^^^ LOL 
Over all great problem solving guys +300 on a bill is way to much, ud grow an extra 30 plants for that if u had the room. Being in a colder climate, i do things like raising my tent from the floor like mentioned above, have controlled air flow in and out of the room so only fresh cold air comes in when needed.
And saving heat by turning extractor fans of 5mins before LED lights. (maby not wise with HPS bulbs)
And i run light at night and turn off when the morning gets warmer.Eg. flowering for me is off 10am on 10pm or sometimes 9 to 9.
these are just small things that can go along way
Over all great problem solving guys +300 on a bill is way to much, ud grow an extra 30 plants for that if u had the room. Being in a colder climate, i do things like raising my tent from the floor like mentioned above, have controlled air flow in and out of the room so only fresh cold air comes in when needed.
And saving heat by turning extractor fans of 5mins before LED lights. (maby not wise with HPS bulbs)
And i run light at night and turn off when the morning gets warmer.Eg. flowering for me is off 10am on 10pm or sometimes 9 to 9.
these are just small things that can go along way