Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok,,,a lot of talk about Electrcty use ( yes OBO).

Here I wish to discuss peoples total "foot-print".

please only add info IF you use only electricity,,,gas heating/cooking etc is not going to help" qualify" the results.

I'm not GREEN,,,actually,I am a varied shade of white beige and brown,,,I have never seen a green electron.

But I love common sense,,I have always tried to limit my power usage because ???? That makes sense.

My bills/////invoices if you prefer

Quarterly,,,
1)$191.91, average 16KWH per day.
2)$258.32 25 KWH per day.

This is with 3 Adults and 2 children using just electrical power,,,,we also have an Aquarfium tank with 300Watt heater connected 24/7.

As stated , I do NOT claim to be green,,,but I amVERY interested inthe power usage of others:)'

OBO/ Steve/Rupert,,,,any chance you guys want to add your bills/invoices/usage?

No problems Chappo... I average between $250-$300 a quarter... myself and two teenage kids...

That's mainly because of two teenage kids.... .... seriously, a running battle over shower times.

Unfortunately i have a continuous hot water system... the meter board is so old it still uses fuses rather than CB's and the landlady didn't want to spring for an off-peak meter...

Also have numerous computer systems going full time .... and tend to do most of my computer work at night.... more lights...

I'll just stick with KWH since our money might not be the same shade of "green"

I have watched the electric bill change as I have added new obsessions, switched pumps, been running more/less pumps, gotten some more energy efficient appliances and scolded the cook for jacking the thermostat up and down.

Last May, before AP happened we used an average of 30 KWH a day.
This May, we used an average of 48 KWH a day. In may I had lots of extra little pumps and air pumps running since I had just gotten the new batch of fish.

I got the AC system cleaned up yesterday so hopefully will see an improvement in it's efficiency. We are also down to fewer pumps running constantly since the new fish are out of quarantine and I have fewer air pumps running. There is some energy use for the charger/inverter on the battery backup system though and since we are into the hot summer months, I have a light inside for growing lettuce which uses 216 watts for about 14 hours a day.

It would be really nice if I could get my energy usage back down around 30 KWH a day. Perhaps I should make that a priority for a while since energy usage above 1000 KWH in a month costs more.

In this house, I think our lowest daily average KWH usage was probably down around 27 KWH per day and the highest was 58 KWH per day when we were running the very inefficient pump.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,,, Rupert thanks for being honest,,,I place a very high value on that.
So from the first calculations , we can see that my family is NAHH NOTGREEN,,buy yes , a lower than average consumer,,,
If I "choose" to use those AHHH "carbon credits?": ( more accurately non carbon bills"),
to heat a fish tank , should I be branded as a power waster???
Steve time to chime in.

Need to add to that though Chappo... that my little system is only just ticking over with a very small pond pump and a couple of small airstones at the moment... on a timer 15on/45off from 09:00 - 16:00... as I've only got the a dozen yabbies and the 50 odd Pacific Blue Eyes running 4 half blue barrels...

The rest of that system will come on line in a week or so and run more frequently and longer.... and the mega system (iif/when it goes ahead) will substaintly add to that...

I'm installing a seperate sub board with a consumption meter that will eventually run all the tanks and growbeds from both systems.... so I'll be able to give real figures later...

Heating is by gas heater.... 45kg bottles... about 1/mth for about three months of the year @ $95/bottle....

Lighting is neons in the kitchen and office and garage.... the rest is compact fluro bulbs...

alright, a family of four, with a large AP system

last June we had 34.1 KWH and 5.6KWH (water)
this June we have 27.0KWH and 6.3KWH (water)

This is bertha and ebara running on floats all day, air pump 24/7, pooter modem 24/7 (phone system)

Average daily consumption is 25 units @ 12.67 c/unit.

Average daily cost is $3.69.

Our bills are for 60 ish days, @ $225 - (1504 units) this doesnt really change much from summer to winter, and the last bill was exactly the same as the previous bill, and the same billing period last year.

Gas hot water and stove top. Large reverse cycle for heating. Evaporative A/C for cooling. Electric oven.

My bills are a lot lower than most people we know. All lights are cfl, and they get turned off lots. Usually by me yelling - who left the bloody lights on !

The whole heating your fish or not subject, was more about there actually being a requirement to heat, or just run fish to suit the environment.

I suppose if you can do it for 8 units a day, go for it - but I doubt it, just by looking at what vb has had to do.

Hmm, some serious power users. Lynx you've got the most to gain

Our measured daily usage (2 adults) is 8.7 kWh for electrical appliances and 2.6 kWh for hot water (total 11.3 - measured over 5 months). This is when the swimming pool was running as normal - we should see up to 1 kWh drop now that the pool is Aquaponic.

The Aquaponic pool is currently drawing 70 Watts/hour - this may yet prove not to be enough in summer - and if I add another large growbed or two I'll have to add another 35 Watt pump (but this is still less than the original saltwater chlorination system used).

We are looking to put in a solar hot water system soon, and put in a grid connect solar system when we can - which would effectively make us a power generator (i.e. a system larger than our requirements).

Be interesting to see vb/s power bill this month

My power jumped about $30 dollars per bill when I started my system full time. ($190 now)
Unfortunately the HWS is 100L elect but I installed a timer so it is not on all the time (in summer it goes on for 30min in the arvo and does the job, in winter 1hr early morning/1hr at arvo)
I have gas heating and stove approx $110 p/cylinder and going up (onya Apache energy).

All in all not too bad BUT could be better.

Yeah the electric HWS is a killer eh Gnash..... as I said I have constant battles with my daughter in particular over the length of time in the shower... to the point of a dummy spit...

Even her brother Aaron chimes in on occassions.... one in particular was the funniest (and true) story.... took place at the height of the water restrictions.....

Aaron (knocking on bathroom door) : Knock, knock, knock ...

Nivea : "Whaaaaatt"

Aaron : "There's a phone call for you"

Nivea : "Who is it?"

Aaron : "It's the blokes in the smoko room up at Warragamba Dam.... want to know if you could turn the bloody shower off so that they can have enough water for a cup of coffee"

Nivea : "Inaudible....."


I likes the lad.....

59 days, 18 feb-17 april, ADC(aver daily cons) 10 units/day. AD cost $1.65.
we use power for our household pressure pump, lights, computers, tv, m/w.
This does not include the 2 x pumps and airpumps
Gas powers oven and stove top, we use 2 x 40kg bottles/year $110 each
Hot water is via burnt sticks.(other people rake them up for months and have
a bonny, we burnt them daily to give us hot water.

I just rang the power company...
latest bill 59 days $85.75 = 615 units @ 13.94c
green power would have been $112.00
This is with all BYAP systems in place.

Oh and we like candles!
2 adults + 16yo (H1)

C1,
Does "AD charge" mean you pay $1.65 just to have the power on??????

No it should read Average daily cost $1.65

Gnash and rupt are you living in the dark ages $90 $110 for gas the stuff in the servo is just the same 60 c a litre by 80 $40 dollars thousands of people all over the country are filling there own [ on a side note dont take notice of this you are not allowed to do ti ]