Electricity

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XSNiper

[H]ard|Gawd
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Apr 3, 2004
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Hi, I just have a simple (or complex) question. How much does a computer, like mine, impact the total electric bill? The total kWh for this month is 1280. Per day 40.
 
its about $10 a year.

about the same as a standard Lightbulb. this is woithout a Monitor./
 
Figure maybe .2KWH * the amount of hours it's on during the month. Maybe 150KWH when left on for a month? And no, it's not $10 a year, more like $15 a month. Even more if you're running some POS like a Pentium D.
 
Scotch77 said:
its about $10 a year.

about the same as a standard Lightbulb. this is woithout a Monitor./
Click to expand...

This number isn't even close.

Depending on power usage and power supply efficiency you can probably expect anywhere from 10-40 dollars a month additional if it runs all the time.
 
defakto said:
This number isn't even close.

Depending on power usage and power supply efficiency you can probably expect anywhere from 10-40 dollars a month additional if it runs all the time.
Click to expand...
Really? Most places I've seen say between $20 and $150 a year. The $150 estimates usually include two monitors and an home-theater-amplifier based sound system.
 
If you figure you use 200W continuously (which is probably high)
200W * 24h = 4.8kWh
4.8kWh * 30 days * $0.08/kWh = $11.52


My 19" CRT (NEC FE950+) says 1.5A @ 120V. (assuming its auto-off for 16h/day)

1.5A * 120V = 180W
180W * 8h = 1.44kWh
1.44kWh * 30 days * $0.08/kWh = $3.46


If you really want to get fancy.... rework an extension cord so you can isolate one wire for a clamp-on (inductive) ammeter, or connect a suitable series-ammeter (or appropriate multimeter) into it.Then you can chart current readings depending on what you're doing/running on the PC.
 
I'm trying to find the link. Some guys used the Kill-A-Watt accessory and figured something around $11 a month for a large system. But I guess if you game continuously, that changes things :D
 
Well I leave it on all the time but I'd say I use it with my 19" LCD on for 6 hours. The rest of the time the LCD is off. I also turn it off for 6 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I read somewhere that an Average A64 system is 244W. I'm just guessing that that is at full load. I usually only play about 1-2 hours worth of games in the 6 hours I use it.

220W * 24hr = 5.280kWh

5.280kWh * 30 * $0.06/kWh = $9.50
Plus

LCD 19" VX922 = 35W

35W * 6hrs = 210W

.210kWh * 30days * $0.06/kWh = $0.37 (wow)

Total = $9.87

For time and simplicity I've not included the Tuesday-Thurs and Gaming hours. Correct me if I'm made a mistake.

Oh, I also have a Z-680 speaker system, I leave that on for that 6 hours I'm on as well. Not sure how much it continuously draws from the wall but its 500W.
 
Yea I have to say $10 a year is way off unless you almost never use your computer.

$10 a month seems closer to reality, depends on many factors obviously.

Unfortunately my state's power companies have recently been deregulated which translates to immediate rate hikes.

According to my electric bill "the class average annual price to compare is" 11.30 cents per kWh.
 
u2slow said:
My 19" CRT (NEC FE950+) says 1.5A @ 120V. (assuming its auto-off for 16h/day)

1.5A * 120V = 180W
180W * 8h = 1.44kWh
1.44kWh * 30 days * $0.08/kWh = $3.46
Click to expand...

AC power doesn't work like that, unless those are both RMS values.
 
TMan1876 said:
AC power doesn't work like that, unless those are both RMS values.
Click to expand...

Yes, always assume RMS unless 'peak' is indicated ;)

However, I am not accounting for harmonics or power factor. This is where you'd need to measure what the machine(s) use rather than going by nameplates. :)
 
XSNiper said:
Well I leave it on all the time but I'd say I use it with my 19" LCD on for 6 hours. The rest of the time the LCD is off. I also turn it off for 6 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I read somewhere that an Average A64 system is 244W. I'm just guessing that that is at full load. I usually only play about 1-2 hours worth of games in the 6 hours I use it.

220W * 24hr = 5.280kWh

5.280kWh * 30 * $0.06/kWh = $9.50
Plus

LCD 19" VX922 = 35W

35W * 6hrs = 210W

.210kWh * 30days * $0.06/kWh = $0.37 (wow)

Total = $9.87

For time and simplicity I've not included the Tuesday-Thurs and Gaming hours. Correct me if I'm made a mistake.

Oh, I also have a Z-680 speaker system, I leave that on for that 6 hours I'm on as well. Not sure how much it continuously draws from the wall but its 500W.
Click to expand...
the speakers only draw how much they need, not constantly 500Watts, that would kill your power.
 
I guess the answer people seem to be agreeing around is... ~$100 a year for an upper-average system being left on (but not used extensively) most of the time.
 
A bit dated, but very useful test: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article265-page2.html

From my experiance and estimates, a mid range (120W idle / 200W load) that makes use of standby and uses an LCD monitor is probably around $5-7 a month depending on exact usage, peripherals (scanner, printers, powered speakers ect) and electricity costs.


A quick swag with a resaonably efficient PSU suggests the silentpc article bears that out.
 
I keep the central air at 69 degree's (with the fan always on), I have a 7 drive file server running 24/7, I have a color and monocrome laser running all the time, along with 2 desktop pc's and all peripherals, and 2 laptops.

Oh, and 5 UPS's.

And 3 Hepa filters (not that I'm convinced they do anything).

The cost of running a desktop is the least of my problems LOL

-Larry
 
TechLarry said:
I keep the central air at 69 degree's (with the fan always on), I have a 7 drive file server running 24/7, I have a color and monocrome laser running all the time, along with 2 desktop pc's and all peripherals, and 2 laptops.

Oh, and 5 UPS's.

And 3 Hepa filters (not that I'm convinced they do anything).

The cost of running a desktop is the least of my problems LOL

-Larry
Click to expand...

Where do you live? 69 degrees where I am would be a couple hundred a month during the summer, for a duplex. In a house I couldn't imagine how much that would cost, haha.
 
LOL kinda makes me glad that my apartment is utilities paid. I have been told by a friend that works for an electric company that it varies between $10 and $20 a month, $20 being on all the time. CRT monitors are a big killer, anyone got #'s on an LCD?
 
Another thing the cost calculations aren't taking into consideration are the off peak hours where elctricity is cheaper, and then the yearly fluctuation in energy costs most cities have (more expensive summer, less expensive winter).

It's still a good rough estimate, but power costs vary depending where you live.
 
AdamNesvick said:
LOL kinda makes me glad that my apartment is utilities paid. I have been told by a friend that works for an electric company that it varies between $10 and $20 a month, $20 being on all the time. CRT monitors are a big killer, anyone got #'s on an LCD?
Click to expand...

I did the calculation for 6 hours on my LCD a few posts up. ;)
 
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