Electric Bills?

[reptileink]

Something I always wondered about you guys who have your own "arcade" rooms, basements, rape dungeons, etc. How do your cabs affect your electric bills? Do you leave them running 24/7, or do you shut them all off every night? I would assume that most don't just leave their cabinets on all day for no reason (does it affect high scores and what not turning off an "actual" cabinet?)

Is it even noticeable on a bill, or do you not use all the cabinets enough to notice?

[paigeoliver]

You absolutely do not leave them running 24/7.

If I want to play a game I turn on that machine. If the neighbor kids want to play I generally turn on one wall of games. I don't turn everything on at once unless I have a party.

20 games on at once costs about $1 an hour in electricity where I live.

[jaywv1981]

I leave mine on 24/7 because the machine doubles as a media server for the rest of the house.  I haven't really noticed any jump in my electricity bill.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that mine has a LED TV that I turn off when not in use so its not the same as someone who has an actual arcade monitor setup.

[Alaska]

Something I always wondered about you guys who have your own "arcade" rooms, basements, rape dungeons, etc. How do your cabs affect your electric bills? Do you leave them running 24/7, or do you shut them all off every night? I would assume that most don't just leave their cabinets on all day for no reason (does it affect high scores and what not turning off an "actual" cabinet?)

Is it even noticeable on a bill, or do you not use all the cabinets enough to notice?

On average an arcade machine consumes approximately 100-250 watts or 0.1 to 0.250 kWh. So if you leave your machine on 24/7, 365 you are talking 8,760 hours a year (8,784 in a leap year) then your power bill would go up by approximately:

0.250 kWh x 8,760 hrs per year x 0.12  dollars per kWh = $262.80 per year or about $22 a month as a high end estimate using an average electricity cost found here http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2011/10/27/141766341/the-price-of-electricity-in-your-state

I do not leave mine on 24/7 and only turn it on when I want to play. Generally I will leave the game on all day when I do turn them on, and shut it off in the evening.

[behrmr]

I prefer if my house catches on fire that I am awake when it happens.  Turn them off when you're done playing them or at least when you go to bed or aren't home for extended periods of time.  I don't expect any of my games to catch on fire but it wouldn't 100% surprise me based on some things I have seen happen.

[reptileink]

yea, looking back, I guess it's kind of a stupid question.....lol.

[keilmillerjr]

My 3 year old (4 tomorrow) turns on my neo geo using the key and switch in the service door. No effect on electricity bill or screen burn in. So easy a child can do it.

[pbj]

I only left them on 24/7 when my apartment jumped up $75/mo in rent and went to "all utilities included."  Thermostat promptly went to 68 degrees and the games were never turned off.  Electricity bill jumped from $50-60 to $125 (I still got it in the mail for a few months, but threw it out) back in 2001.

It was so awesome.

[yotsuya]

I only turn them on when I play them, but I did run 3 20 Amp lines to the gameroom so I could make sure they stayed on..

[ed12]

live in ontario canada for a few month's
u will soon learn to turn thing's off...
my shop equ. inculding the soldering station never come's on un-less needed..
day rate 7:am to 7:pm 16 cent's per kwh
they go down by a few pennie's
on mid /night time rate's

ed

[nitrogen_widget]

Something I always wondered about you guys who have your own "arcade" rooms, basements, rape dungeons, etc. How do your cabs affect your electric bills? Do you leave them running 24/7, or do you shut them all off every night? I would assume that most don't just leave their cabinets on all day for no reason (does it affect high scores and what not turning off an "actual" cabinet?)

Is it even noticeable on a bill, or do you not use all the cabinets enough to notice?

My Dungeon is old world tech.
torches & brazier's only.

[drventure]

Alaska's Calcs are about right. I hooked mine up to a KillAWatt and saw it chewed about the same power as a 100w light bulb (standard bulb).

But, like, Behrmer, I generally keep mine turned off if I'm not using it.

I did all the wiring and such, and I'm pretty comfortable with it, but still. Crap happens.

Hell, I generally unplug almost everything if I'm leaving the house for an extended period, esp anything that charges.