Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 30

Thread: Brag about your power savings

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Discovery Coast Qld
    Age
    60
    Posts
    1,127
    Thanks
    114
    Thanked 370 Times in 228 Posts
    Rep Power
    353
    Reputation
    6687

    Default Brag about your power savings

    I went from $326 to $85 a quarter
    1.5kw solar and an Apricus Hot water



Look Here ->
  • #2
    Premium Member
    ol' boy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    17,662
    Thanks
    8,131
    Thanked 10,460 Times in 5,194 Posts
    Rep Power
    4471
    Reputation
    184272

    Default

    i went from $360 to $95
    I moved out
    Last edited by ol' boy; 28-10-11 at 04:15 PM.

  • #3
    Premium Member
    SS Dave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    North Canberra
    Age
    63
    Posts
    2,119
    Thanks
    5,297
    Thanked 7,921 Times in 1,282 Posts
    Rep Power
    3337
    Reputation
    154762

    Default

    I wish i could

    SS Dave

  • #4
    Premium Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Central Tablelands of NSW
    Age
    81
    Posts
    13,824
    Thanks
    1,242
    Thanked 3,806 Times in 2,525 Posts
    Rep Power
    1797
    Reputation
    56986

    Default

    And everyone else is paying for it at 60 cents a unit.
    I wonder what it would have cost if EVERYONE had been able to add the Solar planels?
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

  • #5
    Registered User

    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Discovery Coast Qld
    Age
    60
    Posts
    1,127
    Thanks
    114
    Thanked 370 Times in 228 Posts
    Rep Power
    353
    Reputation
    6687

    Default

    Qld is 44 cents only above what you use, not everything you produce.

  • #6
    Banned
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Posts
    124
    Thanks
    6
    Thanked 30 Times in 17 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    143

    Default

    i have installed LED downlights in my place, the light is great. I hope the bills are lower due to this.

  • The Following User Says Thank You to albatross For This Useful Post:

    Xplorer (29-10-11)

  • #7
    Premium Member
    Xplorer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Mid SE
    Posts
    987
    Thanks
    513
    Thanked 470 Times in 226 Posts
    Rep Power
    345
    Reputation
    6285

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dishtrackted View Post
    I went from $326 to $85 a quarter
    1.5kw solar and an Apricus Hot water
    If I worked it out properly, it's 277% saving.

    That level of saving is incredible. Nice one.

  • #8
    Premium Member
    Xplorer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Mid SE
    Posts
    987
    Thanks
    513
    Thanked 470 Times in 226 Posts
    Rep Power
    345
    Reputation
    6285

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by albatross View Post
    i have installed LED downlights in my place, the light is great. I hope the bills are lower due to this.
    We've got friends that have normal downlights and keep complaining their bills are very high.
    We are the same, have normal downlights throughout the whole house (not our doing), so we use lamps with energy saving globes trying to keep our bills down.

    We have been considering going LED, but the expense in doing so has put it on hold.
    I'm interested in knowing how much difference you experience.

  • #9
    Registered User

    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Discovery Coast Qld
    Age
    60
    Posts
    1,127
    Thanks
    114
    Thanked 370 Times in 228 Posts
    Rep Power
    353
    Reputation
    6687

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Xplorer View Post
    If I worked it out properly, it's 277% saving.

    That level of saving is incredible. Nice one.
    I have a wine fridge, a chest freezer, a big fridge going non stop and also turn on a second large fridge for about a month a quarter,when I go for a big shopping trip.
    2 LCD tvs and computer and assorted sat dvd etc a water pump and an electric stove/oven.
    Major thing I changed is I turn the dishwasher on after 11 PM and bake and vacuum after sunset on the weekends to take advantage of the 10cent a Kw rate.
    I also turn all the TV/ Computer stuff off at night with a power board so no stand by. (but did that before solar)
    We have a electric oil filled heater that got about 4 hours use over the whole winter and we have ceiling fans for summer.(lots of sea breezes so you don't need a/c) (but did that before solar)
    We have always had flouro lights everywhere for years.They get turned off after dinner as we usually sit in the dark its better for watching TV.(but did that before solar)

  • #10
    Administrator
    admin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Victoria
    Age
    56
    Posts
    31,150
    Thanks
    2,238
    Thanked 13,731 Times in 5,823 Posts
    Rep Power
    4552
    Reputation
    165805

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Xplorer View Post
    We've got friends that have normal downlights and keep complaining their bills are very high.
    We are the same, have normal downlights throughout the whole house (not our doing), so we use lamps with energy saving globes trying to keep our bills down.

    We have been considering going LED, but the expense in doing so has put it on hold.
    I'm interested in knowing how much difference you experience.
    Standard downlights are 50w. My LED downlights are 1.5w.

    Have a look on ebay or deal extreme, you can buy them pretty cheap.

  • The Following User Says Thank You to admin For This Useful Post:

    Xplorer (31-10-11)

  • #11
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Age
    77
    Posts
    400
    Thanks
    256
    Thanked 80 Times in 48 Posts
    Rep Power
    209
    Reputation
    346

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dishtrackted View Post
    I went from $326 to $85 a quarter
    1.5kw solar and an Apricus Hot water
    You sure that was not a guestimate bill.. That sounds incredible...

  • #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    570
    Thanks
    464
    Thanked 77 Times in 53 Posts
    Rep Power
    226
    Reputation
    450

    Default

    My LED downlights are 1.5w.
    good point, i now use a strip of leds at various places thru the house and are motion sensitive, last 12 mths 4 bills for free 2 bills to pay up, $24, $180, average bill was $180-200 b4 solar on 1.1kw/h setup

  • #13
    Banned
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Posts
    124
    Thanks
    6
    Thanked 30 Times in 17 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    143

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Xplorer View Post

    We have been considering going LED, but the expense in doing so has put it on hold.
    I'm interested in knowing how much difference you experience.
    i paid about $40 per light. Globe / Housing / and driver(transformer) You can use a normal 12V transformer but the lights flicker and it was annoying so we went the proper drivers. 30000 hrs per globe is what we've been quoted on the life of a globe. A touch better than a halogen globe

  • The Following User Says Thank You to albatross For This Useful Post:

    Xplorer (31-10-11)

  • #14
    Premium Member
    OSIRUS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    3,592
    Thanks
    10,571
    Thanked 2,467 Times in 958 Posts
    Rep Power
    1071
    Reputation
    38001

    Default

    We went from a $700-$800 bill a quarter, to $346 last quarter...

    We no longer use the Electric Stove, we now use the Wood Fired "Rayburn" stove (we have a good supply of our own Firewood)

    & turned off two small deep freezes

    there are still more things in the house, that could be turned off..... or turned on....to save more electricity
    Become a Premium Member and support the Austech Forum

  • The Following User Says Thank You to OSIRUS For This Useful Post:

    Xplorer (31-10-11)

  • #15
    Premium Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Central Tablelands of NSW
    Age
    81
    Posts
    13,824
    Thanks
    1,242
    Thanked 3,806 Times in 2,525 Posts
    Rep Power
    1797
    Reputation
    56986

    Default

    The Sydney Water Board have been mumbling that because people have economised and reduced consumption, they are not 'earning' as much as they think they should (needed or not I dont know) so their doing a 'Chinese Whisper' that they will have to increase prices.
    Years ago when NSW went into DST because of limited Power supply, the suppliers began to realise they faced just such a situation and had to increase prices to make up for the shortfall.
    This is going to happen again along with the new NSW State Government's possible backflip on not Privitising the State's Electrical system so no matter what happens, we will be like the Grapes in a wine press being squeezed every last drop or cent out of the crop.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

  • The Following User Says Thank You to gordon_s1942 For This Useful Post:

    gulliver (02-11-11)

  • #16
    Senior Member viper5150's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    731
    Thanks
    30
    Thanked 133 Times in 85 Posts
    Rep Power
    244
    Reputation
    1141

    Default

    Last 2 quarter's have been great with credits to our electricity account. The 60c rebate plus an extra 8c from AGL is doing wonders for our bill account. The bill we got last week had a $60 credit and the previous quarter was $16.

    gordon, its probably not that much to do with consumption but more a case of more people having rainwater tanks. People still use the same amount of water, they are just using less of the supplied water.

    There was a rumor up here in Newcastle that Hunter Water wants to stick a meter on your rainwater tank. The reason being that what ever water you are using about 90% goes down the sewer and should be charged accordingly.

  • #17
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    96
    Thanks
    39
    Thanked 19 Times in 13 Posts
    Rep Power
    179
    Reputation
    105

    Default

    Got a 1Kw system installed 3 years ago, have not paid an electricity bill in that time! My account is still $110 in credit.

    Have got an 80W panel mounted on the garage charging batteries for the garden lights during the day, path lights come on at 8 and off at 7, all LEDs.

    The only thing running during the day is the alarm, CCTV, fridge, bedsite clock, average house on standby is around 130W.

    Most people dont know that their split system AC draws alot of power in standby, I used to see the electricity meter drawing 250W from time to time, ended up going to the switch board isolating every circuit and finding the offender. Only turn it back on in Summer and occasionally in winter.

  • #18
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
    Age
    49
    Posts
    366
    Thanks
    41
    Thanked 66 Times in 55 Posts
    Rep Power
    208
    Reputation
    370

    Default

    my wife and i installed a 3kw solar system.

    We went from 800 - 900 a quarter to about 300 - 400 we have not change our electricity habits yet, and we have not turned the fully ducted a/c on yet. we used gas for heating.

    the cost of the solar was about 10k as we have 4kw inverter

  • #19
    Premium Member
    ol' boy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    17,662
    Thanks
    8,131
    Thanked 10,460 Times in 5,194 Posts
    Rep Power
    4471
    Reputation
    184272

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by OSIRUS View Post
    We went from a $700-$800 bill a quarter, to $346 last quarter...

    We no longer use the Electric Stove, we now use the Wood Fired "Rayburn" stove (we have a good supply of our own Firewood)

    & turned off two small deep freezes

    there are still more things in the house, that could be turned off..... or turned on....to save more electricity
    That really is the answer when it comes to Electricity Bills!!!!

    I have been trying to help people for 20 years with their usage, sooo many people are under the myth that "lighting" is the cause... pfft... Elec Stoves and HWS and Elec Panel heater (aka Nobo), clothes dryers, second and 3rd fridges/freezers are the cause... anything that is on for a reasonable length of time.

    As much as changing to LED downlights will save you, its a bit of a wank really.

    Its like buying silicon tires for your car when there are more savings by not using the A/C or driving hard.

    Unless it is continuous bulk lighting... it really doesn't make up much percentage of your bill.

    And as the OP has said his bill is now $85 a quarter.... christ, most suppliers are more than that just in charges without even adding usage costs.

    Although the government has also taken this "lets attack lighting approach" as the new building code allows 5watts of lighting per square meter in new dwellings in Victoria.... meaning a standard bedroom has a maximum of 60watts of lighting to pass the building code. So the use of LED will come into its own just to pass this law... or a lot more 20watt downlight lamps at least.
    Last edited by ol' boy; 31-10-11 at 12:46 PM.

  • The Following User Says Thank You to ol' boy For This Useful Post:

    OSIRUS (02-11-11)

  • #20
    Registered User

    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Discovery Coast Qld
    Age
    60
    Posts
    1,127
    Thanks
    114
    Thanked 370 Times in 228 Posts
    Rep Power
    353
    Reputation
    6687

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by remote View Post
    You sure that was not a guestimate bill.. That sounds incredible...
    Its actual not an estimate

  • Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •