so ive been wondering how much elect. im really using. i grow CFLs and hope im not using much at all. anyways during veg i keep a 24/0. during this time (and throughout flowering) i keep 4-5 lamps in my grow space. i have 3 separate light sockets (so 3 separate plug ins) do these lights pull as much as any other elect. device such as a t.v. or a game console? does it help buying y-sockets so that way you can double up on your light sockets or do the lamps themselves pull the elect.? to determine how much elect. im using, do i look at amps, watts, what? when billed, what do they charge you for? by the hour, min, what?
Does CFL or any Fluorescent Light really use LESS electricity?? My thinking wuz that when it saves "Energy Savings" they mean how longer the life of the bulb lasts. now maybe this is true too because it uses less energy/electricity??
im not an expert on Cfls by anymeans but from my understanding they use less watts for what they put out but all in all they use less energy but im not sure
You can't just ask if they use less -- less than what? Yes they use less than household incandescent bulbs, which CFLs are designed to replace (hence the "replacement" watts or "equivalent" watts, which is trying to convey the light output equivalent from an incandescent bulb). Lumen-for-lumen, CFLs do not use less energy than HPS or MH, in fact they use more. To know what you are using, add up the actual wattage of all the bulbs you are using (and fans etc). Multiply that by the number of hours per day they are on, then multiply that by 30 (average days in a month). Then, since electricity is measured in kilowatt hours, divide by 1,000. That is the kilowatt hour usage per month.
okay yea. i guess thats why they list equiv. watts. makes sense but still you know how many actual watts your putting out. another question. does a 4' 2 light tube fixture w/ 2x40w tubes use more energy than 2x40w CFLs?
Electric is charged by the killowatt hour or KWH. a KWH is 1000watts. For every 1000watts used per hour you will be charged the set rate by you provider. So mine is 13.p per KWH so every hour i use 1000watts i get charged 13p im currently using about 2kws per hour so im getting charged 26p per hour for using my equipment. Work out how many watts your usnig so if your using 500watts per hour evry 2 hours you will use 1000watts every 2 hours your using your set rate. Where i live they do a scheme called economey 10 this mean 10 of the night hours are massivly rudeced in terms of electricty prices. My KWH rate drops from 13p to 5p for 10 whole hours so my daily electric bill for veg is 8hours charged at 26p per hour and 10 hours of the night charged at 10p per hour so 26p x 8 = 208p then 10p x 8 = 80p so add the 2 totals together and you get £2.88 per day. times that by 7 for a weeks worth = £20.16 then x 4 for a months usages = £80.64 then times thatby the amount of months your planning to grow for mine will be constant so x12 for me but if your doing a 3 month grow x it by 3 and you get the whole cost of your electric grow bill. Electricty companys dont blink an eyelid at anything under 5kws being used per hour so dont be afriad to bump up the current.. Electric may seem a little steep when you get £80.00 and times it by 12 = £960.00 but in a single grow i can make £20.000 worht of bud and i can do this 4 times a year. dosnt seem so much now does it... Sorry for rambeling on im stoned as hell lol hope this has helped