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Household Electricity Consumption

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BobA:
I cannot give you a true comparison as we have natural gas for our water heater and furnace but my electrical bill is high right now due to winter usage (lots of lights and more TV use)  I used 874 kwh this month and our average is about 675.   This is in Edmonton AB Canada where it is very cold and very dark in the winter.    Our gas bill is averaged over the year and comes in at around $100 a month.    I have all new (3 years old) appliances and way more than the average electronic collection.  2 computers go 24x7 because one doubles as a PVR and I have a server that runs all the time.  I have  an 18 cu ft fridge/freezer and a separate freezer along with a pop vending machine that are always on.

I have been looking at various power monitors and will probably get on that you plug the appliance into (kill a watt).  I was looking at the Black and Decker but it looks like my digital power meter is incompatable with it.

I just reread the thread and have to say that MonMothas situation is very close to mine.   So I guess if you factor out the 2 main appliances for heating the overall electrical is close.

koz319:
Not to sidetrack, but I recently saw an interesting project for monitoring household power usage..

link http://www.ladyada.net/make/wattcher/


Koz

Kevin Mullins:

--- Quote from: BobA on February 07, 2009, 09:06:41 pm ---I have been looking at various power monitors and will probably get on that you plug the appliance into (kill a watt). 

--- End quote ---


--- Quote from: koz319 on February 07, 2009, 10:38:54 pm ---Not to sidetrack, but I recently saw an interesting project for monitoring household power usage..
link http://www.ladyada.net/make/wattcher/

--- End quote ---

Yup.... just ordered this one: P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt meter
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=260356914945
Seemed to be the same product for about $20.00 cheaper than I could find it around here. And all the "local" stores had to order it anyways.

I had briefly read up on a similar project where you could turn this model into a monitoring station type thing, but right now I just want to be able to usage readings and I'll be happy.
The Kill A Watt EZ model seemed to basically be the same thing but with a built overglorified (overpriced) calculator built in to it.

richms:
That project appears to just be taking random samples of the voltage and current, rather then the average of an analog multiplication of them like a true measurement of wattage would need to be. I am also pretty suspect about the accuracy of the display on those plugin meters - locally we have a NZ$25 one called an elto - its the same as the jaycar one they sell for $60 or so - woefully inaccurate in my testing of it on dimmed lamps and PC's

Kevin Mullins:
I'm not counting on the Kill a Watt unit to be super accurate or anything..... I'm just hoping to be able to note any unusual differences between appliances. Ya know, say one PC or printer or something is pulling about 200 watts and then we do another and it's pulling 600 or something ridiculously noticeable. Or just the simple fact of any particular appliance that pulls more than what I would have expected therefore I can monitor it's usage a bit more.

Like the two printers we have: One is an inkjet one is a laser.... I just recently read that these laser printers can consume quite a bit more power. I just want to get a better idea of how much more when compared to eachother.
Or the fact that we have TV's in just about every room..... how do they compare against eachother. (especially in standby modes and such)

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