# How much is my heat lamp costing me??



## Trouta (Aug 30, 2011)

Had my first snake since january, had the heatlamp on since maybe March, electric bill has come in and snake is getting the blame for the high bill, do u guys no roughly how much a heatlamp would cost to run 24 hrs a day???


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## saximus (Aug 30, 2011)

It's easy enough to work out. 
Lamp wattage x 24/1000 to find the kWh per day then multiply by whatever your power costs per kWh then multiply that by the number of days


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## alrightknight (Aug 30, 2011)

It can set you back a fair bit, we use them for chicks and they rack up huge bills. using dimming probes and only having a heat lamp on for 12 hours a day can help reduce the cost.


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## Em1986 (Aug 30, 2011)

I think it depends on the wattage and if it is on a timer or thermostat.
The fact it has been winter should be blamed more for the power bill being high, not the snake IMO!


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## junglepython2 (Aug 30, 2011)

One heat lamp will not raise your bill a noticeable amount. Even 80W running full boar for 24hrs a day will only cost around $12.50 a month. With a thermo and night time temp drop this would usually be significantly reduced.


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## Trouta (Aug 30, 2011)

Thx for the info Guys and Girls, im unsure of the wattage as the lamp came with the cage but i will check that out, yeah i wouldnt of thought it would be that much and your right it has been winter so dryer and human heating can be blamed as well, when it starts to warm up a bit i might drop it of during the day and turn it on at night, possibly turning it off all toghether during the summer??? My girl is a MD


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## AndrewHenderson (Aug 30, 2011)

Reptiles, If they aren't getting blamed for the smell it's the "huge electricity bills" haha


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## gozz (Aug 30, 2011)

Get out of the hobby now !!!!!if the bill is an issue cause you will end up with a bill of a grand real quick lol


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## FusionMorelia (Aug 30, 2011)

im useing heat cord and mats with a dimming day and night thermostat and its not to bad if you set it up right, u can gain a nice thermal gradient with low watt cords and mats with dimming or pulse thermos 
enclosure material is somthing to look at too, as wood is better than glass and rocks that retain heat are an asset as well 

Nato


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## moosenoose (Aug 30, 2011)

Whatever it is, blame Gillard and Brown


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## Chris (Aug 31, 2011)

Running my set up (5 x 150w heat lamps running 24/7 currently, less in summer) adds about $700 a year to our electricity account.


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## slide (Aug 31, 2011)

Hi Trouta, wattage is usually written (pretty small writing) on the bulb itself, if you cant see it while its in the enclosure turn off the bulb and allow it to cool down then remove it so you can read it. Good luck defending your girl : )


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## wokka (Aug 31, 2011)

Bulbs are an inefficient way to heat as they have to heat the air before the heat radiates to the snake.


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## FusionMorelia (Aug 31, 2011)

great point wokka also the constant red is annoying as all buggery.


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## solar 17 (Aug 31, 2011)

wokka said:


> Bulbs are an inefficient way to heat as they have to heat the air before the heat radiates to the snake.[/QUOTE
> _*+ 1....$40.00 40 watt heat cord*_


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## KaotikJezta (Aug 31, 2011)

For 2 click clacks running a heat cord 24/7, 4 Lizard enclosures running lamps 12/7, 1 tub running heat cord 24/7, 2 enclosures running heat cord 24/7 and two snake enclosures running lamps 24/7 it costs me $144 a quarter going on the above calculations. I use Halogen energy savers in three of the enclosures which give you a 100W equivalent but only use 40W. My spotted pythons with lamps are the most expensive as I am running a 100W ceramic and a 75W night globe and I heat them 24/7which I really need to stop doing. That cost also doesn't factor in the times the heating is turned off by the thermostat so it is probably less than that in reality, and I live in Melbourne which means my heating stays on longer in the cold months..


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