[FaD] Electricity cost concerns

[ArcticFox]

We just got our latest electric bill, and it was higher than normal, probably because I leave 2 pc's on all day and crunch FaD. This presents a problem, because my other machine is running only what it needs (Mobo, HD, LAN card) while my main box is packed with juicy hardware. Suggestions? Should we sue the power company and get a discount so we can crunch?

[geobot]

we had a thread and the cost of running 24/7 is somewhere between 3 to 4 or 6 to 8 dollars a month. you may be able to figure the cost increase using these numbers. there are a lot of factors in electricity, this has been our hottest week of the year in alabama. a good thing is to try to compare from last years bill at the same time. turn off something else we cant afford to loose any crunchers.

[sharder8]

Define normal!

Mines always high . . . . . 3 kids, 10 computers running 24x7 etc.

But in a 3 bedroom, all electric house, my electric bill is running about $85 a month right now.

Harder

[Telexen]

I used to figure my brother leaving a 20" box fan all the time and my parents running ceiling fans non-stop were worse than me running an extra [slow/old] box or two for SETI.

[ArcticFox]

Good question. Once I get a chance, I'll flip through and find out what the exact cost difference was. I think it's more my main box, with it's 19" CRT and all the hardware I'm packing in. Only uses a 300w PS though, so it has to be under that.

[vass0922]

Originally posted by sharder8
Define normal!

Mines always high . . . . . 3 kids, 10 computers running 24x7 etc.

But in a 3 bedroom, all electric house, my electric bill is running about $85 a month right now.

Harder

85 !??!?!

Thats' it?!
ours is 180!
stupid summer AC
hot down here

[Mike]

Don't tell me you guys are complaining about a $180 power bill. You don't want to hear what we paid last month. (I leave one computer on 24/7 and we had the AC on).

[win2kuser]

I have 8 pc's running 24/7 (was 10 but thats another story ), our electricity bill is a touch higher, but not so much that I would shut down my efforts. What realy pushes it up though is the AC.

During the last couple of months, here in the UK it has been extremely hot for this part of the world, I found that my herd were crashing left right and center. I invested in a AC unit which did the job rather nicely, unfortunately, it almost DOUBLED our electric bill.

I think someone else wrote somewhere that each high power pc is comparable to leaving a 60 watt bulb on 24/7. Things that push it up though are large monitors, so set these to shutdown when not in use.

Also, older slower computers use more power than the newest eco friendly computers. When I started DC'ing, I had a p75 and a p100 running, the electric they used compared to my XP2100@2200 and a XP2500@2200 but of course they were about a million times slower

[geobot]

Originally posted by ArcticFox
We just got our latest electric bill, and it was higher than normal, probably because I leave 2 pc's on all day and crunch FaD. This presents a problem, because my other machine is running only what it needs (Mobo, HD, LAN card) while my main box is packed with juicy hardware. Suggestions? Should we sue the power company and get a discount so we can crunch?

here is an old thread look toward the bottom, it may be off one way or the other but it gives you an idea.

http://www.broadbandreports.com/faq/2404

[ArcticFox]

What I really want is a "Watts Up? Pro", a device that you plug into the wall and then plug whatever your testing into it. It will show you the amperage, wattage, and whatnot that your computer/stereo etc takes up. Calculate the numbers with the rate your power company charges you, and that's how you get yer numbers.

Unfourtunatly, this thing is a little expensive (over $100, or $100), so it really isn't much of a toy.