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Growing from Seed

FYI: Cost to run shoplights

13 years ago

I just figured up how much it cost to run one shoplight with 2-40 watt bulbs @ $.086 KWH. It cost $.12 per day to run. Every year I forget and always feel better after doing the math.

How long do you run your lights for? I may be running a little too much.

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Comments (6)

countrycarolyn
13 years ago
I grow outside via winter sowing and spring sowing. So it cost me nothing for lights.

I also use recyclable containers so it cost me nothing for those expensive seed trays and heat mats all of that other bogus junk.

I recycle my soil, so I do sometimes have to purchase some soil but I spend very little on that also.

My main expense is the seed!!
wordwiz
13 years ago
I figure 10ÃÂ¢ per kW hour. My cost is about $2/day. That's for a 600-watt and a 400-watt MH ststem, a 125-watt LED and three 105-watt CFL bulbs running 14 hours a day.

Mike
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calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
13 years ago
Your cost per KWH is unbelievably low, better check that again. Al
californian
13 years ago
That's right, those are really cheap rates for electricity. Here in southern California they use a tiered rate system that charges more the more you use. The first 276 KWH is 13 cents a KWH. The next tier is 15 cents a KWH. I expect my 21 tube monster fluorescent light fixture to push me this month into tier 3 where they charge 24 cents a KWH. Tier 4 is 27 cents a KWH and tier 5 is 31 cents a KWH.
We pay more for almost everything in California except food. Regular gas is now $3.59 a gallon, and home and land prices are some of the highest in the country.
luvahydrangea
13 years ago
I don't even want to think about it. I'm running my lights 12 hours a day. And it's a high sodium pressure lamp so I'm sure I'm going to be a nasty bill. Good thing my husband never sees the electric bill. :)
obrionusa
Original Author
13 years ago
I just looked at my bill again and I was off a little. I used 949 KWH and my bill was $85.58. Thats the total with tax and all the other clean air stuff they add in. Cost will be wattage x hours run, divided by 1000 x price per kilowatt. So, Its .013 per day if you run it 18 hours a day. So about a nickel for every seven hours of run time.

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