Power costs

Taylor

Buy the ticket, take the ride
Jan 28, 2005
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I am trying to reduce my power bills, and I hope someone can help me figure out the power bill.

Is there different cost for power at different times? What are the times?

And if anyone has a used solar pool pump or a used solar hot water heater, I am interested.

Thanks,

T
 

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
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It's a legendary quest ! Receiving a smaller power bill ! You might be with Edenorte. I am with Luz & Fuerza in Las Terrenas, 12.75RD$/KWh... I really have to watch out ! (it's the price to pay to have a 24/7 service...). The funny thing with Luz & Fuerza is that the more you consume, the higher rate you get to pay ! I don't understand, as in other areas, you get a discount when you are a big consumer...

First, having a nice and clean cabling at your house, well grounded (la tierra)... It needs a (thin) ground at the meter, and (big) one at the "caja de breakers". Slightly oversized cables might help.

Then of course, all the light bulbs have to be low consumption (bajo consumo). Average 15W, or 7W for smaller room such as bathroom (good idea to paint all in white, then light reflects).

Leave all your windows (persianas) open, so you don't need AC or a fan.

If you are like me, leaving your PC on all day long, then have a LCD monitor, that shuts down after 5 mn of inactivity. Don't use any high-end "gamers" video card, as it sucks more juice... Turn everything off at night.

The biggest deal is the fridge !!! The fridge will usually represent the major part of your power bill (for me : 50%)... I am not an expert with the fridge, but make sure the rubbers don't leak any cold... Try not to open the door too often. There was a thread about that last year... A poster was explaining that a fridge full of groceries/water would suck less juice... I would be happy to get the other posters feedback on that fridge issue...

As of the water, I have a cistern and a tinaco. The water from the city falls in the cistern (whenever there is water...), and if it rains, most of it goes to the cistern as well. So there's no pump there.

There's a pump (the smallest one of the ferreteria) to fill the tinaco from the cistern. It uses electricity, but I would be interested if any of you guys has any successful story about solar powered pump !

I don't use any hot water, so I don't have to think about that issue, however if there are interesting ideas in this thread, I might go solar... Most of the year I don't mind showering in cold water, but in december and january, warmer water would be welcome !

Then from the tinaco, water goes down with gravity, no electricity required...

My family watch a bit of TV, that doesn't seem to be a big "juice sucker". We have a microwave oven, but almost never use it...

I usually spend an average 175KWh per month, and it makes around 2230RD$... Rates have just climbed last month...

I too would love some tips ;)
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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We installed a solar powered water heater. It halved the electricity bill from 7000 pesos a month to 3000 and some plus we have hot water all the time instead of just when we put heater on. That's in a big house with 2 fridges, dishwasher, washing machine, televisions (on rarely), 2 computers on most days, fans, lights & A/C (in bedrooms only, not used much). Bushbaby can tell you more - the electrics are his domain.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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The biggest deal is the fridge !!! The fridge will usually represent the major part of your power bill (for me : 50%)... I am not an expert with the fridge, but make sure the rubbers don't leak any cold... Try not to open the door too often. There was a thread about that last year... A poster was explaining that a fridge full of groceries/water would suck less juice... I would be happy to get the other posters feedback on that fridge issue...
Every time you open the refrigerator/freezer the cold air falls out and is replaced by room temperature air. You have probably noticed in some supermarkets, they have cold storage units that are open at the top, the cold air does not fall out, and thus items remain cold.

Keep your refrigerator/freezer filled with bottled water (2 lt. Coca Cola bottles) when there is extra space. The cold temperature of the bottles of water and food items will not immediately leave those items, thus your refrigerator/freezer will not have to work as hard to keep things cold. Sorta like the old days of "Ice Boxes" (When you have frozen bottles of water in the freezer).

This is especially helpful for those that lose power for long periods of time, your refrigerator/freezer will be a make-shift "Ice Box".

Try to train the people in the house not to stand in front of the refrigerator with the door open thinking of what to do next. You never know when the power will go off and for how long. Throwing away food because it spoiled can be expensive also.
 

Janin

On Vacation....
Jul 31, 2007
548
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Strange Advice

....Keep your refrigerator/freezer filled with bottled water (2 lt. Coca Cola bottles) when there is extra space. The cold temperature of the bottles of water and food items will not immediately leave those items, thus your refrigerator/freezer will not have to work as hard to keep things cold.

:cheeky: :bunny: :cheeky:
Yes, but the fridge worked like hell to make all that water freeze.
Mind you, water takes a lot more energy to cool than air...

Janin
 

Ladybird

Bronze
Dec 15, 2003
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Santiago is right, the more the fridge, especially the freezer is packed, the less electricity is consumed. Edenorte charge you by units you have in your home, they used to count fridges, tv, ac, even how many bulbs you have, I dont know if they have discontinued this, but you can work out what to do before their inspection. The most common modus operandi for thieves is they connect to your electric supply very late at night, then disconnect around 5am, just in case anyone checks
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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:cheeky: :bunny: :cheeky:
Yes, but the fridge worked like hell to make all that water freeze.
Mind you, water takes a lot more energy to cool than air...

Janin

Once it is cold, hopefully it will take less to keep it that way.

Main point is that when power goes out, you will still maintain a cold refrigerator to keep food from spoiling. Don't you just love warm milk, soda and beer?

Warm moist air entering the freezer may have a tendency to cause it to frost up too much. I used to have that problem with the people taking care of my house when we were in the states, had so much frost/ice in the freezer there was no room for food. Plus some of the refrigerators here work by having a hole between the freezer and refrigerator section.

They depend on the cold air flowing down from the freezer, thus when the freezer frosts over, the refrigerator section does not get cold. My refrigerator brand is "Acros".

Janin, I did not say the refrigerator would use less electricity, as I do not know, just that I do know it will definitely help to maintain the coldness for those that have long periods of no electricity. I leave your statement to the experts to decide.
 

SamanaJon

New member
Jun 20, 2007
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Expensive Electricity!!!!

Squat...I too have Luz y Fuerza (Las Galeras) and am looking at my most recent bill, August 20, 2007.

665 KWh consumo x $13.5 pesos/KWh = $8977.50.

Not Cheap. This is more than my place in South Florida, with all electric and 5 Ton AC year around,,,go figure.

I wonder if my meter is "FIXED"? Is that a quick way to check my meter without LyF knowing I am doing so?:surprised
 

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
2,239
168
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665 KWh consumo x $13.5 pesos/KWh = $8977.50.

I wonder if my meter is "FIXED"?

Let's start by a list of your electrical appliance :

-How many fridges do you run ?

-Do you use AC, if not, do you use fans, if yes, how many ?

-Do you have a tinaco, or does a pump starts each time you use some water in the house ?

-Do you iron your shirts often ?

-Do you use an electrical water-heater ?

-Do you leave lights on all night outside, and if so, are they low-consumption ?

-Is there a particular electric appliance that might be the biggest "juice sucker" at your house ?
 

travelchik

New member
Jan 26, 2007
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Electrical consumption

:cheeky: :bunny: :cheeky:
Yes, but the fridge worked like hell to make all that water freeze.
Mind you, water takes a lot more energy to cool than air...

Janin

Hello all,
I am a qualified refrigeration tech in Canada and I hope this info I provide will be of some use to you all. The best way to conserve electricity in your refrigerator is to turn down the setting dial in the refrigerator. Keep it at the lowest setting possible so that your food and drinks will not spoil quickly and be cold enough for you to drink or eat.

Next always open your fridge for as short a time as possible and make sure that the seal on the door is doing its job. If your fridge is old and some refridgerant has leaked out, then your fridge will have a tendency to cycle on and off quite a lot; if so repair or replace the fridge ( what ever is cheapest).

About the amount of food in the fridge itself. This is related to how long your food and drinks will stay cool in the event of a power outage. If there is more food and drink in your fridge when the power goes out, then your fridge will stay cooler longer than if it was empty. Try and limit the time the door is open during your power outage and the contents will last longer.

Rennie (travelchik's husband)
 

Janin

On Vacation....
Jul 31, 2007
548
0
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Housewives' Physics

... If there is more food and drink in your fridge when the power goes out, then your fridge will stay cooler longer than if it was empty.

Well observed. ;)
The earlier cooled down stuff serves as 'batteries' which store the cold.
The cooling energy (Joule*) depends on the mass (kg /lbs.), temperature change (here lowered degrees in ?C / ?F) and the specific heat capacity of the material to be cooled.

*) 1 J(oule) is the energy/work of 1 Watt for the duration of 1 second.
The 'luz' you consume is measured in kWh.
1 kWh = 3,600,000 J (or Ws).

The specific heat capacity of
air is 1.005 kJ / kg x ?K
whereas that of
water is 4.182 kJ / kg x ?K.

Thus cooling down water costs you more than four times as much as cooling down water (per kg and ?K(elvin)).

Janin
 
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Don Pedro

Member
Apr 2, 2005
262
6
18
Funny I use an average of 175 kw/h and I pay DR$ 580 with EdenNorte.
You bought a Nedoca but how is the Amps?

Actually the best buy is the 1.8 Amp Samsung, 17 Cubico around pesos 22.000

Disconnect the heater that evaporate the condensing air you save on energy because it takes around 200 watts/h and your cat will have something to drink if you put the tube outside.

P.
 

Janin

On Vacation....
Jul 31, 2007
548
0
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Air vs. Water

... I might have reached a different conclusion, however................;)

Thank you for reading thoroughly.

The sentence should read:
"Thus cooling down water costs you more than four times as much as cooling down AIR (per kg and ?K(elvin)).

Janin
 

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
2,239
168
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Funny I use an average of 175 kw/h and I pay DR$ 580 with EdenNorte.
Yes, but you have to live with the long blackouts ;)


You bought a Nedoca but how is the Amps?
I have no idea, as there wasn't any yellow sticker inside when I bought it...

The best way to conserve electricity in your refrigerator is to turn down the setting dial in the refrigerator.
It seems my Nedoca fridge doesn't have such a dial :(

Actually the best buy is the 1.8 Amp Samsung, 17 Cubico around pesos 22.000
You should have told me that last year, when I was shopping for a new fridge (!!!)

Disconnect the heater that evaporate the condensing air you save on energy because it takes around 200 watts/h and your cat will have something to drink if you put the tube outside.
Too much of a mess, even my cat won't be able to drink all that water ;)
 

Estrella1

New member
Jan 13, 2006
106
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Edenorte

I have my last invoice : 145 KW at RD$ 3.12 from Edenorte. I have to pay RD$ 540, which is quite normal I think. I don't have any blackout as I have my inverter and don't even see the difference when there is electricity or not.
I have to say that I live alone in an apartment with only low-consumtion bulbs, no AC but fans, and sometimes I use the electrical water-heater. I have a very old fridge (Across) and a washing machine.
If I was living in Samana, it would cost me around RD$ 2000. This is a very big difference!!!
 

Don Pedro

Member
Apr 2, 2005
262
6
18
Power bill over charge or inverter investment?

No Squat , No blackout I have a Prosine True Sine 2000.
Before I used only 125Kw per month and paid around 350.

By the way you save money with a good converter/charger because it gives you back more power.

But the point is : better to pay Pesos 2200 per month for a 24H service
or pay
only 580 per month + inverter+batteries+ 3/4 years after batteries again?
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,808
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But the point is : better to pay Pesos 2200 per month for a 24H service or pay only 580 per month + inverter+batteries+ 3/4 years after batteries again?

36 months x 2,200 pesos = 79,200 pesos

36 months x 580 pesos = 20,800 pesos +
8 batteries x 3,000 pesos = 24,000 pesos
For a total of 44,800 pesos
(Not counting cost of Inverter, 3 year balance would allow 34,400 for Inverter cost)

I prefer the Inverter and have electric during the time the electric is not 24/7.
They say 24/7, but what do you do when it goes off anyway, light candles?

Peace of mind with "Inverter Electric Power in Emergency" = Priceless
 

sweetdbt

Bronze
Sep 17, 2004
1,574
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If this is an actual "apples with apples" comparison (same amount of consumption), you would be saving over $2000 US in 3.5 years, which will buy a lot of batteries!

2200 - 580 = 1620 x 12 = 19,440 x 3.5 = 68,040/33 = $2062.00