So how much of a difference would running a 26 Watt CFL 24 hours make to your power bill every month? will it be really noticeable? or just a couple bucks
A 26 watt CFL will barely register. CFLs are super efficient. That's why companies are really starting to push them as alternatives to incandescent bulbs. Do you mind if I ask how many plants you are trying to grow with that one bulb? Or are you just asking how much 1 bulb will effect the electric bill? Because if you are going to try to grow even one plant with 1 26 watt CFL you are going to be dissapointed by your results. Optimaly, each plant needs 100W of light all to itself. You can get away with 50-75, but the less wattage you give the plant the less bud it will produce. Simple mathematics.
yup you won't see a thing with that kind of bulb. i ran a 250W MH for 18 hrs per day for about a month, and saw about an increase from about 35$ to just above 40$ (so maybe a 10-15% increase). obviously it will depend a lot on where you live and your electricity provider, but a single 250 or 400 watt bulb won't raise any flags as far as increased electricity usage is concerned.
wow i didn't know any of that. was just planning on growing one plant with the 26 watt, i was under the impression that that would be sufficient...but i have another one i can put up in there as well, it just might get too hot its a real small space...and not enough room for a fan. my main concern was power bill but if its really that insignificant i will definitely mount that other bulb asap.