Jun 30, 2009
Posted by Freshwater Aquariums in FAQ | 11 Comments
Is It Possible That An Aquarium Could Have Tripled My Electric Bill In One Month?
I set up a 55 gallon aquarium last month, and I have the filter and heater running constantly. That's the only thing that I can think of that's different. My electric bill went from $110 to $345 last month.
ABSOLUTELY, i have a 220 gallon tank between the heaters and the filter it cost me about 100.00 a month.
P.S. Do this turn everything off and go out side and watch the meter start to turn everything back on leave the tank for last, turn the filters on first, then power heads, then the heater, see if it doesn’t spin faster
I cannot believe an aquarium could add that much. Geez we have so many people in this house with Tvs and stereos on plus the ac running all the time and never goes past 150. Check with the electric co. Seems to be a problem maybe.
Absolutely not.
Are you running your AC 24-7?
Something is wrong, call your utility company and maybe there is a mistake.
I have two tanks indoor and a pond outdoors that all have electrical devices running. I only saw a slight increase in my bill.
Now, my swimming pool, that is a different story.
nope..absoultely no…it will not that much cost you if u had an aquarium…try to check your electric wiring or any jumper,, or maybe one your neighbor was illegal tap on your electric connection taht your not aware….and lasltly you must work it on your electric company…and ask anything about your bill
Unless your electric is REALLY expensive, no way. Using an average of $0.10/kWh, you would appear to be using on average an extra 3200W 24/7 more than last month. Your filter and heater probably aren’t rated for more than 200W each, so it has to be something else.
I would guess that either your HVAC or water heater is on the fritz or you have a hot water leak somewhere. 3200W is equivalent to 27 amps at 120V, so the problem is either spread across multiple regular circuits or involves one of the high amp/volt circuits.
A 55 gal. tank shouldn’t have increased it that much. Are there other factors? Has the weather become much colder in the past month? Do you have a dripping hot water tap? Could the utility company made a mistake when they read the meter? I had a sudden rise in my electric bill and requested that they reread the meter. It turned out that the meter reader had made a mistake.
its not the aquarium, its your electicals!
You really should check out other reasons, a cold or warm front in your area could have caused you to use the AC or heater more than you noticed. Also, you could need to clean your refrigerator coils. I know it sounds like a small thing, but enough dust and dirt accumulated on the back could cause your bill to go up. More likely than not, it’s probably a combination of things. You could also be experiencing surges of power, or someone tapping into your energy illegally. Ask the electric company.
In one year I have used 21000kw i suppose theres no hope at all for me,and that was a new meter
My electric bill also increased by $200 after I installed the Magnum 350 canister filter (at the beginning of the year). Did you find out that your increase was from the filter/tank workings, or another problem? Thanks
It would have an effect, but I do not think it would be $200+ worth.