cant afford to run hps any ideas how to get round this problem.
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cant afford to run hps any ideas how to get round this problem.
replace all of the other lights in the house with CFLs...that will go a long way towards bring the power bill down, you can calculate the exact numbers with the wattage of the CFLs, the average time they are left on, and your electric rates off your power bill. Its really a no brainer.... just a little basic arithmetic. That will tell you if you have reduced your usage enough to be able to run the HPS without running up your power bill.
Right ok , will try cfl's throughout and hopefully balance out, thanks G-MAC.
- CFL's
- Raise the temps on your fridge/freezer slightly.
- Put your devices on power strips. Many appliances pull energy even when off. Just flip the switch on the power strip and all power is cut.
- Lower the temperature of your water heater (if it's electric).
- If you live in a house see if you can partially shade your A/C unit. This will make it work a little easier as it's not being heated by direct sunlight
- Turn off everything you're not using. The hardest habit for me to break was the computer. It was always on 24/7 whether I was using it or not. At 500 watts that comes out to be about 360Kwh and $40/month at my current kwh charge rate.
Every little bit counts.
hps isn't too bad on 12/12 cycle.T5's seem to be pretty cheap.My power bill went up $9 using 16 4 foot T5's and 8 42 watt cfl's plus 2 fans.