Electrical usage for your house???

[heehaw]

"Bottom line is that your meter charges you for the sum of the current on the common return line." i didn't think there was any current on the common return line if the load was balanced? so i don't see how that could work?
heehaw

 

[BobRip]

Me too!!! LOL

I still haven't been able to check the breakers, but hope to real soon.

Here is a quote that I received and I was wondering if anybody knows anything abou this.



Eddie

Eddie, that's bogus. They charge you for power, it does not matter how you use it. This is just a legend. Some people make money by "balancing" your loads. You will not save anything.

 

[Alan L.]

Maybe you should turn off the main breaker and then take a look at your meter. If its turning, somethings wrong.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

A 1 phase, 3 wire meter will use use both load conductors for the metering. A mechanical KWH meter is an induction motor, with currents derived from the load conductors using current transformers.

 

[dfkrug]

I use about 450-475 KWh/month year round for about a 2000 sf house.
I pay an average of about $15/mo for propane, too.

I do have a lot of electric stuff (water heater, well pump, septic pump,
compressor, welders, etc.). No A/C.

Question: does everyone here pay widely varying amounts per KWh for
electricity? I pay about 12c/KWh for the first 350KWh in a month. The
next 100KWh bumps up to 13 cents, then over 450 it jumps to 26 cents!

 

[piller]

Our all electric 2100 square foot double wide mobile home in TN used 1430 kWh last month for a family of four. We pay about 12 cents per kWh here.

 

[heehaw]

hey, what has happened? have you found a problem yet or are you really using that much electricity?
heehaw

 

[ultrarunner]

The Kill-A-Watt devices are on the rack at my local Costco store for $26.00.
I use one to check my pto alternator voltage and frequency and another to check my appliances. A 50" LCD HD TV uses the most juice at my place other than the oven. The welder and air compressor take the most power out of my barn. I wouldn't think a leak out of a wire would last very long before it shorted out or blew a hole in the ground (That happend to my shed soon after a lightning hit). Is there anybody else who'se tapped into your electric feed and is getting a free ride? That's pretty common around here in the township with all the remote buildings and field outlets.

Here's what I found at Costco for $84.99

Costco - Kill-A-Watt Surge Protector & Outlet Package

 

[EddieWalker]

Sorry for not updating this. I received the Kill A Watt, but haven't done anything with it yet. I was planning on doing it over the weekend, but it's never stoped raining and the meter is several hundred feet away from the house. While it's not a huge issue to slop around back and forth in the mud to see what it's reading when I turn off the breakers, it's also something that can wait until it dries out a bit. Six day of rain has turned out to be more then I had expected!!! LOL

The other concern is doing this when Steph doesn't have laundry going on, or we're doing something with the kids. My Dad is also reminding me on a fairly regular basis on when I'm going to do this.

Thank you to everyone for your help and concern. I'll be sure to update this when I get off my but and figure out what's going on. I did get another electric bill. Last month I used 2,464 kWh of electricity.

Eddie

 

[heehaw]

the kill-a-watt will only measure the 120volt devices you have: but its a place to start: i replaced a Hunter ceiling fan a couple weeks ago, because i need a ceiling hugger type an it didn't have a reverse: but i was really surprised when i set the step stool under the fan an reached up to start taking it apart: the metal housing was really hot: the fan worked fine, but no telling how much electricity it was pulling when it was on. a little to run the fan an a bunch more leaking an heating the metal housing.
heehaw