# Wattage Costs in Toronto - Has anyone estimated?



## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

I've never been able to figure out how to calculate this one, so im wondering if someone already did their homework and I can just copy.

Has anyone figured out how much the average cost per month it costs to run something like a 5W powerhead 24/7, or a 150W heater 24/7???

What about skimmers, etc... has anyone done some research they can share?


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

Step 1. Count up the wattage of your aquarium equipment that is on all the time (heater, skimmer?, etc.) It generally says right on the piece of equipment what sort of wattage it uses. If it doesn't say what the energy use is right on the equipment, search online for that information (For instance, type in the product name & model and "watts.")

-- Multiply this by 24 (hours in a day)
-- Then by 356 (days in a year)

This is how many watts your 24/7 equipment uses per year.

Step 2. Find out thewattage of *each* of the kinds of aquarium equipment you use that is on part of the time (heater, lights, etc.)

Estimate how many hours per day *each* of these pieces of equipment is on. For instance, if your aquarium lights are on for 8 hours a day, you would

-- Multiply 8 (hours per day) by 365 (days in a year)

And if your heater is on about half the time, you would

-- Multiply 1/2 (of the time) by 24 (hours in a day)
-- Multiply this by 365 (days in a year)

Etc.

Step 3. Add all the yearly wattage use for all your equipment together.

Step 4. Look at your hydro bill for your electricity rate. It will be expressed in kilowatt hours. A kilowatt is 1,000 watts.

Step 5. Divide the wattage for your equipment by 1,000. Now you know how many kilowatt hours your equipment uses in a year.

Step 6. Multiply this number by the hydro rate to find out how much money you are spending per year for hydro for your aquarium!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

characinfan said:


> Step 6. Multiply this number by the hydro rate to find out how much money you are spending per year for hydro for your aquarium!


Haha, I'd rather not.


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## Beijing08 (Jul 19, 2010)

Perfect math! However, it becomes difficult when Toronto has different rates at different times of the day.


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## Big Ray (Dec 8, 2009)

there are different rates and ... even different service charges lol 

you are way better off not calculating  lol

I pay 200 a month for a 1 bedroom condo :S with 4 tanks and AC on 24/7

usually its 100 without the AC, 

should be about 40 if I had no tanks. lol


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

Ouch... Time to scrap the 'frag' tank idea and setup a hamster sweat shop... using the spinning wheels for power


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

If you have a digital meter, then different time cost different rate. It's a bitch to calculate through that. Assuming that you are running 7/24, you will have to calculate the average cost and multiply that by the kilowatts to get your amount.
Not sure how many tanks you have, but I estimated that my 8 tanks chew up around $100 - $150 per month. Even with the stupid rate and tax hike from stupid Mcginty.

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## Big Ray (Dec 8, 2009)

Kweli said:


> Ouch... Time to scrap the 'frag' tank idea and setup a hamster sweat shop... using the spinning wheels for power


I am actually in process of making a turbine to generate some power from the water puring down to the sump, but of course, the most I can get is a fraction of wattage spend on the return pump lol

specially with the smart meters, you would probably end us saving a bit if you run your lights on at night instead of during the day, to heat up the tank for colder nights and lower cost bracket for light hours. but whats the point of a reef tank if its gonna be dark when Im at home lol

AHH  I miss my good old condo downtown, electricity was included LOL


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## KevD (Mar 2, 2008)

Yeah man....the time of use rates really mess with consumption cost calculations. There's not much you can do regarding running necessary life support equipment such as filters, etc. Shifting the use of lights to off peak hours (currently 9pm- 7am) will make a difference especially if a coral reef tank is involved. Also, try to buy/use equipment that uses the least amount of electricity possible without sacrificing function and performance.....my 2 cents.....fwiw.


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## aquanutt (Aug 27, 2010)

I'm so glad my wife doesn't know how much my hobby cost a month. 
Lol

Cheers
Sly


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