# Power usage



## Antsnest (Oct 4, 2017)

hey guys was wondering what would be the cheaper option using heat chords or using heat lights? I use quite a few of each and got a pretty big power bill. Also if anyone knows would a constant light being on or a frequently turning on and off be cheaper?


----------



## Scutellatus (Oct 4, 2017)

Constant power is cheaper than switching on and off. If you can get a lower wattage heat cord that provides the right heat it will be cheaper.


----------



## Pauls_Pythons (Oct 4, 2017)

My personal feeling is that keeping snakes with their heating requirements is not as expensive as people think. (Unless you have a large collection)
If you sat and calculated the amount of energy used by a single enclosure it would be less than 50c a day. We have 20+ adults and 2 hatchie racks running at the moment and our bill is not significantly higher than it would be without them.


----------



## pinefamily (Oct 4, 2017)

Turn all of your appliances off at the power point when not in use, electric kettle, toaster, TV, stereo, computer, printer, etc. You'll save more money on your power bill that way than worrying about the wattage of a heat cord.
Just my two cents worth.


----------



## Scutellatus (Oct 4, 2017)

pinefamily said:


> Turn all of your appliances off at the power point when not in use, electric kettle, toaster, TV, stereo, computer, printer, etc. You'll save more money on your power bill that way than worrying about the wattage of a heat cord.
> Just my two cents worth.


I maybe wrong but the kettle and toaster probably won't make a difference as they don't work on a standby switch.


----------



## pinefamily (Oct 4, 2017)

You might be right. I may have misunderstood my brother-in-law, a sparky, who told me that everything plugged in and turned on draws a little power. Either way, I know our bill has dropped.


----------



## Pauls_Pythons (Oct 4, 2017)

pinefamily said:


> You might be right. I may have misunderstood my brother-in-law, a sparky, who told me that everything plugged in and turned on draws a little power. Either way, I know our bill has dropped.



Absolutely correct as far as I'm aware PF. Even if it doesn't have standby mode or a light all electrical items will draw small amounts of energy when plugged in.


----------



## Scutellatus (Oct 4, 2017)

In the case of a kettle or a toaster they do not use power while plugged in. They need the switch to be flipped on the appliance before they use power.


----------



## Murph_BTK (Oct 4, 2017)

I turned off my tv with a hammer as the bachelor was on... what crap [emoji109][emoji109]. 
Oh what was the original question. 

Instagram: murph_BTK


----------



## pinefamily (Oct 5, 2017)

Regardless of whether toasters and kettles draw power, getting into the habit of turning things off at the switch will help remind Antsnest to turn off TV, stereo, and any other electronic devices that do draw power while switched on at the power point. I know it works for me. I used to always forget.
And Murph_BTK, what are you doing watching reality TV anyway?


----------



## Yellowtail (Oct 5, 2017)

It probably costs me more to run my electronic security devices to protect my animals from bad people than for heating?

Pinefamily, doesn't all your power in SA come free from windmills and solar?


----------



## MANNING (Oct 5, 2017)

Yellowtail said:


> Pinefamily, doesn't all your power in SA come free from windmills and solar?



It should be alot cheaper and cleaner very soon

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/technology-41469231


----------



## Prof_Moreliarty (Oct 5, 2017)

I highly doubt your your cameras are using more power than your collection @Yellowtail


----------



## pinefamily (Oct 5, 2017)

If only it were free, Yellowtail. The power retailers actually charge more if you choose the renewable option, and I think that's in every state. It will change as more power comes from renewables. The only "free" power we get is from our own solar panels. A battery or two is on my wish list.


----------



## Antsnest (Oct 5, 2017)

My power went from 400 to 800 only thing different I did for the 3 months was get a hatchey rack 2 beardie enclosure and a frog enclosure.


----------



## Prof_Moreliarty (Oct 5, 2017)

Might buy a power meter to see what my hatchy rack uses as my power jumped a bit when I put it in theoretically it should be about the same as running an aircon unit for half hour per day


----------



## Smittiferous (Oct 5, 2017)

pinefamily said:


> If only it were free, Yellowtail. The power retailers actually charge more if you choose the renewable option, and I think that's in every state. It will change as more power comes from renewables. The only "free" power we get is from our own solar panels. A battery or two is on my wish list.


They charge us more too, just for having panels. It's insane. We're looking at batteries too. It's been suggested to us that we should charge the batteries during the off-peak hours, and use them during peak times to pick up any slack from the panels. Or at least I think that was how it was explained. TL;DR Be cheeky about it.


----------



## Prof_Moreliarty (Oct 5, 2017)

With enough batteries you could in a less polite way tell the energy companys to jog on, they arent cheap though but will prob last about 10 years with proper maintainance. have a generator for emergencys.. wish everyone had the money to do that... cost of energy in this country is a joke.


----------



## Murph_BTK (Oct 6, 2017)

pinefamily said:


> Regardless of whether toasters and kettles draw power, getting into the habit of turning things off at the switch will help remind Antsnest to turn off TV, stereo, and any other electronic devices that do draw power while switched on at the power point. I know it works for me. I used to always forget.
> And Murph_BTK, what are you doing watching reality TV anyway?


Mate I only watched it on your recommendation [emoji13]..

Instagram: murph_BTK


----------



## Flaviemys purvisi (Oct 29, 2017)

If the power bill is scary keeping a few snakes warm, definitely don't ever consider keeping turtles indoors. The cost of heating water for 5-6 months of the year in 600-1000 litre aquariums and using MVB lamps for 3-6 hours/day as well as running fluoros for 10-14 hours/day AND running huge filtration units 24/7 will haunt you. My power bill pushes $900/quarter thanks to my turtles, (more than double what it was prior to having them) but the way I see it, if I didn't have my shelled friends, I'd just be burning the $$$ elsewhere right? I definitely can't complain about a few 10 watt heat pads keeping my pythons warm. The laptop I'm currently typing this post on probably chews more juice. The way around it, how I sleep at night, I just put $50-$60 every week on my power bill by B-paying it via internet banking. When the bill comes every 3 months, sometimes I'm in credit, sometimes I owe $20 -$100. Sure beats copping a $900 bill.


----------



## Wokka (Oct 29, 2017)

You can always find thirstier activities to justify your current use of power.The fact is that the majority of reptile setups could use power more efficiently without a detrimental effect to the occupants. 
I used to keep about 500 odd pythons in 100 odd 1-2 meter cages, and 400 draws.
I used 1500 watts for the cages 12 hours a day on timers and 1500 watts for the draws up to 12 hour a day through thermostats. the surplus from the cages supported the ambient temperature to be in the low 20s. 1500 watts for 24 hours is 36 kilowatt hours or about $10 a day. I have seem setups based upon globes which could use say 100 x 100watts per hour, for cages alone = 10,000 watts per hour or say $3 per hour.
Generally the closer you can get the heat source to the animal the more efficient it will be, and if you add a heat bank, like tiles, better still! Globes heat air which blows away and so are the least efficient.


----------



## Flaviemys purvisi (Oct 29, 2017)

You're exactly right about globes/bulbs heating air. Unfortunately turtles have evolved to receive their heat from above and we're unable to utilise heat mats for them to bask on like snakes can, their carapace acts like a huge solar panel to soak up the heat which is then transferred to the rest of the body where it's needed. They can also direct heat away from parts of the body that have become too hot and store heat for extended periods, like a thermos. It's normal for a turtle's body temperature to be several degrees warmer than the cool water it's swimming in which many people wouldn't think possible for an ectothermic reptile. I like how easy snakes are to cater for.


----------



## Wokka (Oct 29, 2017)

Aussiepride83 said:


> You're exactly right about globes/bulbs heating air. Unfortunately turtles have evolved to receive their heat from above and we're unable to utilise heat mats for them to bask on like snakes can, their carapace acts like a huge solar panel to soak up the heat which is then transferred to the rest of the body where it's needed. They can also direct heat away from parts of the body that have become too hot and store heat for extended periods, like a thermos. It's normal for a turtle's body temperature to be several degrees warmer than the cool water it's swimming in which many people wouldn't think possible for an ectothermic reptile. I like how easy snakes are to cater for.


I wonder if by channeling the basking heat down say a 200mm pipe to say 100mm off the ground , less heat would be lost to the surrounding air and so available to the turtle on the ground. It might not look pretty but would save energy. If that works then the pipe could be suitably camouflaged.


----------



## Flaviemys purvisi (Oct 29, 2017)

It probably wouldn't work, the physical light along with heat, (imitating the sun) is what entices them to haul out. If the temp is too cool or too hot, they simply won't bask. You want it between 30-34 degrees C.


----------



## Wokka (Oct 29, 2017)

What happens to the heat in the first 400mm down from the globe? I looks like it is heating the room not ONLY the basking area. Not wishing to be critical but it certainly does look like a high energy setup! That would push me towards outside pits!


----------



## Flaviemys purvisi (Oct 29, 2017)

Hi Wokka, hence why the basking lamps are only on for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening. Turtles only bask early in the morning to ramp up their metabolism and again in the evening to store heat before nightfall. Thank God they don't bask all day.  125 watt MVB lamps have to be a good 400 - 450mm away to prevent photokerato conjunctivitis... Turtles have a tendency to go into a trance-like state while basking and stare directly into the lights. Also, any closer than 400mm in the warmer months and the basking temp would exceed 50 degrees easily. A newer version of the Exo-Terra Solar Glo MVB has now been made in 80 watt. Next time I replace, I'll downsize from 125 to 80. I remember back when I was using 160 watts... I would cringe when the timer switched it on... LOL


----------

