CRAZY ELECTRIC BILL...NEED HELP ASAP

[STEELMAN]

bought a hotspring grandee. just got the first months electric bill and ouch.
the average bill here in so cal at my house is 95 bucks. it was well over 300 bucks
this time . i cant figure it out. the cover is new, the tub is new. i keep the tub at
about 102. is this too high!!!!????this bill is highter than the bills i get in the summer time
running the a/c all day. please help because i am way over budget....anyone with
any answers i will honestly really appreciate it. please....my father in law tells me
to keep it around 90 but the dealer told me it wouldnt cost but 25 bucks more a month...
what gives....and by the way i love the grandee....i just soak about every other day
with the jets on and off...

[Chad]

Your dealer's quote of a $25 a month increase on your electric bill is almost laughable. In the Midwest sure, but no way in SoCal. His first mistake was quoting you a dollar amount instead of a kwh amount. Last year I did an experiment with my spa during a sub freezing day and came to the conclusion that my spa uses 11 kwhs a day. That would be 330 if the temps stayed that low for a full month. I pay $.07 per kwh here in the STL. Which brings the monthly increase to $23.10.
Gomboman lives near you I beleive and he pays $.30+ per kwh. During the same climate conditions there, the increase on your bill would be around $100 a month. Granted I don't think it gets down to sub freezing conditions for that long there but I would atleast triple the estimate your dealer qouted you. You also have to take into consideration that you had to heat the water from tap temp to 104, not an everyday thing. Your usage is always quite high the first couple of months too.
Disregard what your father in law suggests unless you're going away for atleast a few
days. Set it and forget it.

[Brewman]

Give it a few months to see if your bill levels off a bit.  It's not uncommon for a new spa owner to have somewhat higher electric bills, what with the initial heating of the water, using the spa more because it's new, that sort of thing.  Lowering the water temperature to 90 would save power, but you'd have to bring the spa up to temperature every time you used it.  If you use the spa a lot, then you woulnd' save anything by constantly moving the temperature around.  It takes a couple hours to move the water temperature 10 or 12 degrees.  But if you only use the spa a couple time per week or something, then keeping the water at a lower temperature might save you some money.
  

[AstaLaVista]

I have the HS Vista... My dealer has a sheet with the high estimate for winter, and summer in our area..( I live in Maine.. it can get pretty cold ) with the average Kw, use of 20 minutes every day and keeping the water set at 102*.  It was around $60 for winter, and $30 for summer.  He guarantees these figures.. and promises to pay the difference if its off.  Now granted.. he states he would come out and put a meter on the unit... but I still think thats pretty good.... I know I am going to be paying more than that... because 20minutes a day is laughable.. my clean cycle is 10! lol  Still worth it in my book : )

[TubsAndCues]

That does sound high to me, but there are a few things to consider as well.  When I first hooked up my tub, our electric bill jumped way more than we expected as well, but since then it has tapered off dramatically.  I, however, am on an electric plan and the explanation I received from the power company was when they see an increase over a certain amount they crank up the first month a bit to make sure they are covered.  BS if you ask me, but it all worked out.  The next 2 months were only a few dollars more than I had been paying.

Second, take a look around your house.  This time of year is when a lot of people start putting up their holiday lights.  It's a simple thing to forget about when you get your power bill.  Also, are you running more computers, tv's, etc.?

Lastly, if you can't figure it out, contact your dealer.  I sell Hot Spring Spas as well, and we guarantee our operating costs as well.  If you think it's the tub, call him.  I know that we would gladly hook up a meter to it to find out if that is what's causing the spike in your bill.  We'd rather find out why the tub is drawing too much juice and fix it than have an unhappy customer.

[Josh]

A 200 dollar jump in one month has to mean that something is going on, either with the hot tub or the power company.  Perhaps the power company is adjusting your bill in anticipation of a higher month next month, or perhaps the tub itself is broken.

Will your dealer send out someone to make sure the hot tub was set up correctly?

[Bonibelle]

I was the queen of high electric bills and for months I monitored everything that I could. I got great help from another Epic owner on this forum (Cola), had the electrician that installed the tub return to my house to check connections and measure current on the lines. My spa service man came our to test my pumps and electric system on the tub and  had my electric company come out to do a bogus audit. I even switched out all my incandescent bulbs for florescent ones! Finally the culprit emerged!! During a dump and refill, I suddenly had no water pressure. Long story short, there was a problem with my well and pump. I guess when I got the tub, that initial fill of 450 gallons taxed the pump and a hole formed (or enlarged) at the top of the pump so that water was actually being pumped back into the well. The pump ran continuously!! So several thousands of dollars later  (new pump/plumbing and all those overblown electric bills)...my electric delema was solved. But this took several months before the hole in the pump had expanded so much that I had no water pressure.

While you probably aren't on a well in SoCal, there could be a problem that isn't real obvious. Heck even the electric company missed my problem  

One thing that I know made a difference was the amount of dryer loads that I was doing when we first got the tub. We really went through towels  :-/

I think hot tubs should come with a coupon for a discount on TED (The Energy Detective, home energy monitors)

[ndabunka]

Most of us actually ARE spending about $20 to $30/month for the "luxury" of the tub.  But, there are CERTAIN things that CAN cause higher electricity usages.  Take not that when the heater AND the pumps both run at the same time, the meter spins like a top.  But if only ONE or the OTHER are used, it's more realistic.  SO, plan out your soaks.  Let the tub be warmed up to 103 (or so) and THEN turn it down to 101 when you soak.  Your heater will most likely not need to run to keep it at the 101/102 level and you WILL save energy.  Another issue can be the way you tub was WIRED.  I think someone here had a 60amp circuit but the tub was set to 50amp (or maybe visa-versa).  I'm not certain why, but when they corrected the mis-match, the power bills came down.  Others have set their tub into a deck and removed the skirting (to allow better access to the tub for service).  The deck WAS a concrete & brick deck but there was a LOT of air under there.  Turned out he was (un-intentionally) paying to heat the space under his 800 foot deck.

[Chad]

vice versa

Sorry it's a pet peeve of mine.

[clover]

Definitly a good question.  First, understand the operation of the Tub.  The electric bill is a direct relationship to Volts times Amps that equal Watts and 1,000 watts (1 kw) are what we pay for.  Consider what you have operating and how long each day.  Pump 1, Pump 2, circ pump, heater, blower, etc.

When I say "understanding the operation of the Tub", most people are unaware that when they leave their air venturri's open and air bubbles are injected into the hot water it has a cooling effect on the water and triggers the heater on.  Close the venturries, elinimate the less than 104° air that is being injected, and you will save money by NOT cooling the water unnecessarily.

Does you dealer have any recommendations to look into.  HS dealers have meters they can put on your tub to measure exactly how many kw's your tub is consuming.  That would nip this in the bud and would be the answer to your question.

[STEELMAN]

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME....HAD THE ELECTRIC COMPANY COME OUT AND
REREAD THE METER AND VOILA....THE LAST READING WAS OFF BY LIKE A 1000 KWH.
ULTIMATELY THE SPA COST ME AROUND 28 BUCKS TO FILL UP AND RUN FOR ONE MONTH WHILE KEEPING IT AT 102.....I LOVE HOTSPRING AND THIS FORUM...THANX AGAIN
STEELMAN

[Gomboman]

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME....HAD THE ELECTRIC COMPANY COME OUT AND
REREAD THE METER AND VOILA....THE LAST READING WAS OFF BY LIKE A 1000 KWH.
ULTIMATELY THE SPA COST ME AROUND 28 BUCKS TO FILL UP AND RUN FOR ONE MONTH WHILE KEEPING IT AT 102.....I LOVE HOTSPRING AND THIS FORUM...THANX AGAIN
STEELMAN

Great ending Steelman. I figured something was wrong with your electric company? Are you on Edison?

[SpaNE]

I just got an electic bill today for the month of November in New England.  I used 1516 KWH of electicity vs 1030 last November without my 330 gal Jacuzzi J-345.  This equates to approxmately $83 added cost for the spa.

The big benefit I see is that the spa will help me even out my once fluctuating electric bill.  Now when the colder weather comes and reduces the electricity expense for air-conditioning, the savings is offset by the expense to heat the spa.

Perfect balance. :-?

[Brewman]

That's pretty much my experience, too.  I live in Minnesota, and what I save in the winter by having the A/C off, I spend for the spa heat, and vice versa.

Gotta love equilibrium.

[Robby]

Just remeber that your heater is running a lot when you first start.  Probably 50 degrees to 102.  Your heater was on about 6 to 8 hours.  Thats the most expensive part of the spa.  It should be just keeping temp from now.  
There is a possibility that you don't have a tight seal between your cover and spa.  check!  You can reduce your additional filteration cycle to reduce cost too.  
Are you using your tub 4 hours a day?  Check your bill next month, it should be less.