Ever checked electricity cost of running your workshop?

[rcx132]

My garage is on it's own circuit and has a calibrated electricity meter connected. Yesterday, before starting a typical days hobby work I checked the meter, it was at 2004 units.

I did a typical day, TV running, big strip lights, and using a very air hungry tool. I wasn't using the tool continuously, maybe only 15% of the time. It was triggering both my big compressors as it uses 17 cfm.

This morning I'm at 2028 units. That's 24 units, I think a unit costs 13p, so that's £3.12 for one day! If I was spraying I would have expected it to be five times higher as the compressors would be running continuously.

Thankfully most days are cheaper. It's been two years since the meter was installed and clocked up 2028 units, so that £132 per year on the garage which isn't the end of the world.

 

[8ob]

I was wondering what my 10kva 110volt buz box consumed a day by just being turned on, is there an easy way of checking the draw of single items ?

Bob

 

[optima21]

No idea, but its not something I'm too worried about as my electricity usage for my garage and house has been £96 for the last 3 months, the majority of that will be used by my garage though...

...slightly off topic, but anyone else wondering if they will start charging a premium for high current usage (not peak time usage) with smart meters one the roll out is complete.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I have one of these for work, it's a multicore clamp meter but it's not cheap, about £200 from memory but it's the dogs danglies for measuring current as it works with twin & earth, 2 core and 3 core flexes.

 

[pedrobedro]

Electricity companies supply a plug in thing to monitor usage. Plug one in and switch your welder on then dash back out and switch it off again. There are lots on ebay for about £10

 

[rtbcomp]

I was wondering what my 10kva 110volt buz box consumed a day by just being turned on, is there an easy way of checking the draw of single items ?

Bob

I have a small extension lead, about 1 foot long, with the neutral wire stripped out from the outer cover so I can fix clamp ammeter to it. This gives you the current draw (amps), multiply that by the voltage (volts) and the time (hours) and you get the consusmption in watt-hours, this won't take into account power factor, but you get a rough idea.

Or just buy an electricity meter, there must be loads kicking about now smart meters are being installed. Connect a plug & socket to it and away you go.

You can get cheap & cheerful energy monitors which plug into a 13A socket, but they're only good for 3 KW.

 

[dobbslc]

I have one of these for work, it's a multicore clamp meter but it's not cheap, about £200 from memory but it's the dogs danglies for measuring current as it works with twin & earth, 2 core and 3 core flexes.

I didn't realize you could get a meter that worked on multi cores! Very handy, does it work on 3 phase though?

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I didn't realize you could get a meter that worked on multi cores! Very handy, does it work on 3 phase though?

I don't know as for work I only ever deal with single phase stuff, if I get chance today I will dig it out and check.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

...slightly off topic, but anyone else wondering if they will start charging a premium for high current usage (not peak time usage) with smart meters one the roll out is complete.

You can bet your life on it!!

 

[Pete.]

I never considered it. I bet my wife has though...

 

[ukracer]

I was wondering what my 10kva 110volt buz box consumed a day by just being turned on, is there an easy way of checking the draw of single items ?

Bob

You can buy a unit for items that run of a 13 amp plug. Just plug it in and it tells you what its using.

 

[wookie]

You can buy a unit for items that run of a 13 amp plug. Just plug it in and it tells you what its using.

Yes you can, I have one but it would be no good for @8ob 's 110volt buzz box as it's 10kva and the plug in ones are only good for just over 3kva.

 

[ukracer]

Yes you can, I have one but it would be no good for @8ob 's 110volt buzz box as it's 10kva and the plug in ones are only good for just over 3kva.

I thought that might be the case.

 

[brightspark]

according to the spec on it on it it measures up to 600v on multiocore cables

 

[Kayos]

No idea, but its not something I'm too worried about as my electricity usage for my garage and house has been £96 for the last 3 months, the majority of that will be used by my garage though...

...slightly off topic, but anyone else wondering if they will start charging a premium for high current usage (not peak time usage) with smart meters one the roll out is complete.

I think smart meters are not that smart. They send 1 reading a day via sms, they have to have someone in front of them to reconfigure them as they can't be put into config mode remotely as for the "they will cut me off for not paying" brigade, it still has to go through the lengthy court process, even then they still send someone out as you can't disconnect a bypassed meter remotely

 

[8ob]

Assuming a power factor of 1
10Kva = 10Kwh
Which means running at full load, 10 units an hour, lower loading = lower consumption though, most are generally 90-95% efficient

Mr @mrfuzzy I was wondering what the draw would be in its dormant state i.e. turned on but not in use , the thing is buzzing away all day and I was curious about its leccy consumption.

Bob

 

[GW8IZR]

Mr @mrfuzzy I was wondering what the draw would be in its dormant state i.e. turned on but not in use , the thing is buzzing away all day and I was curious about its leccy consumption.

Bob

The make up current in a big transformer is often very high, rarely do people consider it. Those yellow 110V site transformers are bad and they are often left humming away for ever.

The waste energy (if you consider it waste) is simply heat and a bit of sound, the sound is insignificant and a quick common sense test is to feel how warm its getting when not in use. If a big iron 10KVa traffo in a cold workshop is warm to the touch - then its using a fair amount of electricity to do that.

Keeping itself warm and hence dry might not be a waste of energy long term.

 

[CornishPete]

I've never checked my consumption before because I don't care. I don't waste electricity/gas/water etc but if I want to use something I don't give it a second thought I just use it. I know it might be different in a commercial environment but for me as a hobbyist I don't go in the garage every day so £3,4, or 5 per day that i do is nothing really. In fact I'd say its good value!

 

[MrFluffy]

I don't ever want to know what my workshop consumes. "A lot" if you ask my wife.
I'm certain she would like this information however, which is why I have a new meter to fit on the 3 phase workshop spur, but haven't got round to doing it for about 6 years so far... Just cant *seem* to make time for it...
Please nobody remind her...

 

[dannyp]

biggest wate of energy in mine is proably the fridge and battery chargers, they are only things that are allways on.

as for what it costs to run it the rest of the time i should but don't actually know, depends what i'm doing in there they did come round to check meter after i got the genny. ive had the supply to workshop repeated throwing a 80A breacker so say proably drawing near coniunous 15KW and the odd tool kicking it over so that would be £19.50 per day going full bore on the singel phase supply, but for what was getting done that's just fine. otherday it'd be closer to 20p to run the fridge. tho now if have a mega session playing with the hungery toys the genny can guzzel it's way though nearly a whole 205 ltr drum of diesel