Electric bill through the roof!

[numberonenole]

I would like some help in trying to figure out just how much my pool pump is costing me to run. We have reduced our AC usage quite a bit (3 degrees higher during the day and 4 degrees higher at night) but our electric bill has gone up a lot! I need to get a grip on what costs what so I can figure out where the problem is.

It is a 1 1/2 HP pump.
The best I can understand our electric company charges $ 0.0999 per KWH, with a "wholesale power cost adjustment .017" (which I thought would be subtracted from the bill but is added instead).

Please help me figure out the hourly rate to use my pump.

Thanks!

 

[Bama Rambler]

You have the same pump I have. It draws about 12 amps. At 120volts that's 1.56KW. At $.1169/KWH (.0999 + .017) you're spending $.1824/hour of run time. or 18.24¢ per hour.

 

[numberonenole]

WOW! You're good! And fast! Thanks so much.

Of course, now I don't know how to feel. I run it around 10 hours a day, so it's costing me around $60 per month. I wouldn't mind so much if we had been able to swim more, but the weather has been terrible the past two weeks.

Thanks again!

 

[polyvue]

You have the same pump I have. It draws about 12 amps. At 120volts that's 1.56KW. At $.1169/KWH (.0999 + .017) you're spending $.1824/hour of run time. or 18.24¢ per hour.

How does this formula work? If I determine number of amps (from the motor) and voltage (via the power supply), how does one get to kilowatts? (1.56 KW for numberonenole's pump)

As an aside, when I estimated the electrical bill two years ago for a new pool, I didn't consider the utility fees, state and local taxes and "green energy" fees that are added to each bill and based on usage. Worse, I forgot that in our area electric rates depend on a tier system... the first 1000 kw in a billing period (month) are ~.12 a kw, 1000-1300 are charged at ~.16, anything over 1300 kw is about 20 cents a kw! So, when I run my pumps in December & January (my highest energy months) or turn on my electric heater to warm the spa, lots of that energy falls into the highest tier. Big ouch!

 

[Durk]

kW= (Volts x Amps)/1000

kWh= Hours x kW

 

[polyvue]

How does this formula work? If I determine number of amps (from the motor) and voltage (via the power supply), how does one get to kilowatts? (1.56 KW for numberonenole's pump)

kW= (Volts x Amps)/1000

kWh= Hours x kW

I was able to calculate the approx. cost of my main TriStar pump. 3 hrs per day operation is costing me about $55.00 a month (summer rates, SMUD). That sounds about right. Thanks, Durk. :-D

 

[Bama Rambler]

As an aside, when I estimated the electrical bill two years ago for a new pool, I didn't consider the utility fees, state and local taxes and "green energy" fees that are added to each bill and based on usage. Worse, I forgot that in our area electric rates depend on a tier system... the first 1000 kw in a billing period (month) are ~.12 a kw, 1000-1300 are charged at ~.16, anything over 1300 kw is about 20 cents a kw! So, when I run my pumps in December & January (my highest energy months) or turn on my electric heater to warm the spa, lots of that energy falls into the highest tier. Big ouch!

Big ouch is right.
On a three tier system it's very hard to figure out the usage unless you run the same things the same days each month. Normally I just figure 50-50. 50% at the low rate and 50% at the midde rate. 1300kwh is a lot of power. Not saying that you won't exceed it but if you do you got bigger issues than the pool pump. If you know you're going to get into the third tier you can curb your pump back a few hours to help.

 

[Beez]

1300kwh is a lot of power. Not saying that you won't exceed it but if you do you got bigger issues than the pool pump. If you know you're going to get into the third tier you can curb your pump back a few hours to help.

Really? 1300kwh is a lot of power? Many of us in the southern climes regularly breach 1300kwh during the summer. I'm surprised that running the air conditioner doesn't push you over 1300 during the summer months. I know it gets stifling hot & humid over there in S Alabama...

 

[Bama Rambler]

Yeah, What the heck was I thinking. I must have been thinking 2300 because we regularly run over 2000 and have run as high as 2600!!! Glad we don't have a tier system!

 

[polyvue]

If you know you're going to get into the third tier you can curb your pump back a few hours to help.

I already curb my pump back to ONE hour during the winter!

1300kwh is a lot of power? Many of us in the southern climes regularly breach 1300kwh during the summer. I'm surprised that running the air conditioner doesn't push you over 1300 during the summer months.

Here's the deal: California has much lower humidity in summer than the South East; still, many people use their air conditioners here during hot summer afternoons. I rarely do (personal preference--I use ceiling fans.)

1300 kWh of electricity is not unusual during the winter for homes that are all-electric (as is mine; no natural gas or oil available where I live.)

Greg

 

[taekwondodo]

I comiserate - the top tier in the bay area is about $0.44/kwh... I'm ALWAYs well into the top tier, year around.

- Jeff

 

[Beez]

I comiserate - the top tier in the bay area is about $0.44/kwh... I'm ALWAYs well into the top tier, year around.

- Jeff

GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY! ...I was hating my $400/month electric bills this summer...don't know what I'd do with 'em year round...

 

[Cherie]

Switching out our single-speed with a 2-speed cut our bill significantly. We were paying an extra $90/mo to run the pump 10/hr days on the single-speed. We went from an extra $90/mo to $30/mo and we run our 2-speed 24/7 on low.