BAC Forum
General Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: Stan Simpson on January 06, 2018, 01:35:04 PM
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We are traveling in Florida, and for the first time ever are staying at one place for a month. Consequently, our monthly rate is plus electric. I'm trying to figure out how much it costs, and Google is not helping me convert amps, showing on the Aladdin for a specific appliance, to Kwh.
It has been cold here, finally getting somewhat warm tomorrow. The space heater draws 15.0 amps per the Aladdin. How much does it cost me to run it for 5 hours? Does anyone have an easy formula? The rate per the lady at the office is either .0119/kwh or .119/kwh; she is pretty confused, as am I.
Any help is much appreciated.
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Watts equals volts multiplied by amps. w=v*a
When in Houston two years ago from Thanksgiving through New Years, our "plus power" bill for one month was almost $150. Of course, it depends upon what devices you use and the per KWH cost you are being charged.
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Stan,
I once worked up seminar on electric use for rallies. I had several names for it. One was "Dry Camping With a Hair Dryer". Included was how much it costs. Another was "Can I Use a Toaster and Microwave When on 30 Amp Hookups". As it turned out, I never found a Rally Master that wanted it on their schedule.
A Kwh is the billing unit where you have used 1,000 watts for an hour. Leave ten 100 watt bulbs on for an hour and you pay for one Kwh.
Your heater will have a watts rating listed on it. Most are about 1500 watts on high. Any higher and the circuit breaker will trip.
That is because a typical circuit breaker is 15 amps. 15 amps times 120 volts is 1800 watts. So a 1500 watt heater leaves a 300 watt margin. Many, including me, think that that is not enough margin and will only run a space heater on medium.
How much does it cost? A heater on the 1000 watt setting is the same as the 10 hundred watt bulbs. If you run it for an hour it will use one Kwh. If you have a 1500 watt heater it will use 1.5 Kwh in an hour.
Nowhere in the USA can you get a Kwh for a penny. In my neighborhood where there is relatively cheap hydro power, it is about 8 cents. Your office quoting you 12 cents is reasonable. Many of the parks we stayed at used power as a profit center and would take the meter reading and mark up the price of a Kwh about 50%. In some cases double. But, once you know the price, you can watch your meter and calculate the dollars.
The short version is that if the park is charging you 12 cents for a Kwh and you are using your space heater on a 1000 watt "medium" setting, you are paying 12 cents an hour. In our Beaver, in cool weather, it stayed on most of the day. Depending on park mark up policy, it could end up as high as $2 a day. Running the clothes dryer would add a little too.
FWIW, an air-conditioner uses around the same wattage as a space heater.
Hair dryers are only used for about 5 minutes, so at 12 cents a Kwh, dry hair is worth about a penny unless you are dry camping and have to use the generator.
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Bill: That was good and very clear. Most places we stay summer or winter is about $50. / $ 60. per month. Thank you for putting it in perspective. Dale
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Just an aside Bill but I know one rally where this would be welcome.
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I only wish my stepdaughter’s long hair took 5 mins... how about 50! ;)
Thanks Bill. I was prepared with an explanation of amps/watts/volts and kilowatt hours, but yours was up to snuff and then some. In the Portland area these days we can sign up for a Flex Plan, so we night owls get a price break. $0.18/kWh between 7 and 11am, and 3-8pm, and $.08/kWh all other times incl. weekends and holidays. Northwest hydropower used to be cheapest, but not since the California power fiasco a couple decades back.
I’d think rallymasters would jump at any seminar like you describe. Trying to sort out electric use is a common task for most of us, and any opportunity to better understand it shouldn’t be bypassed, especially for the many new members here.
Joel
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Thank you for all of the replies, especially you Bill, an amazing fountain of information, along with many others here.
I have it now, thank you. Very much appreciated.
Stan
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That was a superb explanation Bill, thanks for sharing it with my clueless mind. I do 95% of my own repairs but the electrical stuff always gets to me for some reason. Thanks again for the simple to understand info!
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Bill 5 min. with a hair dryer is to long for you!!
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Just an aside Bill but I know one rally where this would be welcome.
At the State owned $7 million campground with 50 amp hook ups? Sounds like fun.