Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: cappykat on November 29, 2005, 05:10:00 pm
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Got our first bill with the hot-tub. Just for electric it was $112.12. The previous month was $138.98 but we were using the a/c more.
A more accurate picture is our 2004 bill for the same time period was $86.79. So it looks like it is costing us $25.33 a month with the hot-tub. That seems pretty high to me. Cost per KWH is .08261 for first 1,000 and then .09261 thereafter.
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Cappy, I would guess this month is higher than most will be because you had to completely heat the water twice. I would guess that should make some difference... maybe? What do I know, I have an empty tub sitting in the yard and still have a $220 electric bill.
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That could very well be...I hope that's the case. So when do you think you'll have yours up and running?
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Electrician is due here at 4. He still has to hook up the box as we didn't have it in advance, and then he has to run the wire from the box to the spa... so depending how long it takes him to do it, we will have water in it tonight, but it might not be warm until morning.
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I hear customers take on electirc bills quite frequently, here in the store and on forums like these. Usually its a year over year comparison, much like you are making now cappy. Some customers are elated the bill was only $5 more. Others worried it is $45 more. Some even find the bill is lower than last year, does this mean the tub gave back electricity?
It is very difficult to guage electrical consumption on your tub without actually attaching a meter to your wire going to your tub.
Was the rate for electricity the same on last years bill?
Were all other electrical appliances being used the same amount last year? Computers, TV, stereos, furnace, oven, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer....etc etc.
Dont panic. I am quite certain your tub is not an energy hog.
There are ways of testing, but comparing bills year over year has far too many variables to be considered an acurate comparison, in my humble opinion. :-/
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I agree with you hottubman. I pretty much already figured out that there are too many variables. In fact, last year's rate was lower...by a penny per KWH.
I think it's HS that guarantees its spas won't cost more than $15?? per month. But yes, you're right, there are too many things that vary from month to month, year to year. It's still worth having the hot-tub.
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I think it's HS that guarantees its spas won't cost more than $15?? per month.
Yep, as long as you do not connect the spa to an electrical service. I know of no other spa company that will stand behind it's product to that extent.
Terminator
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I agree with you hottubman. I pretty much already figured out that there are too many variables. In fact, last year's rate was lower...by a penny per KWH.
I think it's HS that guarantees its spas won't cost more than $15?? per month. But yes, you're right, there are too many things that vary from month to month, year to year. It's still worth having the hot-tub.
Show me where Hot springs guarantees this cost....how could use not affect it the cost if it was at say a collage dorm and was hardly ever off.....is it still 15.00 bucks.....25.00 with 2 fills is not bad at all....for 450 gal....also most people seem to have extra use during the first few months.....
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Cappykat,
I wish I was only paying $.08 KwH. I live in Southern California and my electric company charges about $.18 per KwH with the extra penalties for going over our allotment. We are only allowed 351 KwH and then they hammer us. It's still the best money we've ever spent though. I think I will try to change out all our light fixtures to florescent to offset the charges.
Got our first bill with the hot-tub. ?Just for electric it was $112.12. The previous month was $138.98 but we were using the a/c more.
A more accurate picture is our 2004 bill for the same time period was $86.79. ?So it looks like it is costing us $25.33 a month with the hot-tub. ?That seems pretty high to me. ?Cost per KWH is .08261 for first 1,000 and then .09261 thereafter.
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Wow...I have no room to complain and actually I wasn't. I've heard all the problems CA has with their utilities...why is that? Why is CA so expensive?
Term...what do you mean electrical service? What...HS will guarantee $15 a month as long as you don't have any service...meaning the thing is OFF!!
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Wow...I have no room to complain and actually I wasn't. I've heard all the problems CA has with their utilities...why is that? Why is CA so expensive?
Term...what do you mean electrical service? What...HS will guarantee $15 a month as long as you don't have any service...meaning the thing is OFF!!
We guarantee LESS than $15 a month, as long as you do not attempt to connect the spa to an electric service. Find anyone else who'll make that claim!
Terminator
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Wow...I have no room to complain and actually I wasn't. I've heard all the problems CA has with their utilities...why is that? Why is CA so expensive?
Term...what do you mean electrical service? What...HS will guarantee $15 a month as long as you don't have any service...meaning the thing is OFF!!
I think he was joking....... but most HotSprings will run $15-$20 pm
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Some even find the bill is lower than last year, does this mean the tub gave back electricity? :-/
Only if it is DAIT equipped.
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Why is CA so expensive?
Isn't the high price in California due to the high population / consumption and shortfalls in production resulting in electricity being imported at high cost? I know that a few years back, electricity in my area was de-regulated, and suppliers were selling to California for huge profits.
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Why is CA so expensive?
It's because they can get away with it.
If the prices of things went high in Wisconsin everyone would just leave the state but people like living in California too much so they get 'em while they can.
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I think they think if people can afford $400k for a 1200 sqft house in the middle of nowhere they can afford .18kWh for electricity. Little do they know we all have interest only loans and maxed out credit cards. :)
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You're right, Brooke. I have a relative who lives in CA who recently bought a house...just what you said, in the 400K range and about 1200 sq ft. for interest only. He's in the military and they will only be in the house for about 3 years...basically they are renting IMO, but I guess they'll be able to sell for a profit because in 3 years they can probably get $450-500K. It's crazy!!
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Only if it is DAIT equipped.
yea right. Have you been followiung the latest installment of that train wreck? Did you know that a unsealed (Doh!) diat tub still runs 20% more efficent that a Sundance? ::) It's true!! Doens't matter what the conditions are, or what specific tub/model you're talking about, 20%! It's got to be true! I bet once he gets donw stuffing foam in the craks the tub will actually generate electricty! I feel bad for the poor guy that has to rely on him. IT's a mess.
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east tx spa whats with the gun? u look like a crazy man. ::)
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Cappy,
That's not bad for power....I would guess my Epic to be about $15 per month but we are at .07 per KWH. One thing that most people don't take into account is the extra money they spend in the first few months on energy because they are now washing 3 times as many towels and opening the back door in the cold evenings 2 or 3 times more a night. All of this adds up.
Think about this though...What else can you do per session to get that much enjoyment for that cheap?
BTW don't feel bad, Terminator spent more than that on ammo and fried twinkies last week! ;)
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east tx spa whats with the gun? u look like a crazy man. ::)
I'm the sanest person on this board, my dear. That's what my guns tell me in the darkness of the night. They tell me I'm pretty, too. No one else tells me I'm pretty.
Terminator
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Cappy,
Talk about crazy? Down here in desirable HB, 1200 sq. ft houses are in the $700k range PLUS! We just got our electric bill yesterday. $151. Ouch! We are in the tub every night, but there are, like all are saying, too many variables: New large TV and surround system, additional computer in the son's room, substantial landscape lighting in the front yard, baking going on in the double convection oven, etc. I'll have to look at it again, but, like Gombo said, we are allotted a certain amount, and then are charged overage fees. I know I had fees for a certain percentage over (1-3%), then for around 10-30%, then 30-100%, then 100-300% !!! They make me feel like I'm lighting up the world or something! :-/
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Leaky,
My bill was $220 and I didn't have my tub yet. ??? That was as high as my highest summer bill with the AC on. Plus about $100 higher than same time last year. Not sure what is going on, but I'm getting more diligent about not leaving the big screen on cartoons when we are playing outside or leaving the football game on when we go to Home Depot on Sundays, etc. etc.
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Ok, I'm just speaking in generalities here so I hope no one gets "bent out of whack" on this, but why is it most people are quite happy to go to dinner and think nothing of spending $50.00 bucks in one pop, but then freak out when their electric bill for an entire month is say $150.00?
I think its a safe bet to say that if we can afford to buy a 7000.00 hot tub, we can afford to pay another 15 or even 25 a month on our electric bills for something a lot of people out there would view as quite a luxury. Just a thought.
-Sarge
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Well...let me just tell you how much that bill was $251.93. Now granted, that includes water, sewage, and garbage pickup. Of that amount $112.12 was just electric.
And Sarge...I agree with your comparison about eating out. It's odd how we will spend an amount on one thing and complain about it on another. I guess it's just because utilities are one of those things we have little control over...well, actually maybe we do!
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I understand there are magnets you can get that significantly reduce energy consumption.
::)
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Yea, I'm working on that....
Hey, in all seriousness. I have used magnets on my aching back. I use to wear one 24/7 and I swear they worked for me. Like everything else...what works for one doesn't for the other.
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Ok, I'm just speaking in generalities here so I hope no one gets "bent out of whack" on this, but why is it most people are quite happy to go to dinner and think nothing of spending $50.00 bucks in one pop, but then freak out when their electric bill for an entire month is say $150.00?
I think its a safe bet to say that if we can afford to buy a 7000.00 hot tub, we can afford to pay another 15 or even 25 a month on our electric bills for something a lot of people out there would view as quite a luxury. Just a thought.
-Sarge
Keeping a focused eye on the books is a good discipline and knowing where your money is going is common sense. Watch the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themseves. ;)
If I choose to go out and have a filet mignon and a bottle of wine, thats my choice. I don't choose to see my rates go up $50, when I expected them to be only $20. If I can correct someting to bring it down, you'd be a fool no too.
Having a carefree attitude about it...."hey, it's only a few bucks", is a habit that most of us shouldn't get into.
If you start saying "what's a few dollars here, or there, pretty soon, you want have a few extra bucks.
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Good comments, Drew!
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Keeping a focused eye on the books is a good discipline and knowing where your money is going is common sense. Watch the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themseves. ;)
If I choose to go out and have a filet mignon and a bottle of wine, thats my choice. I don't choose to see my rates go up $50, when I expected them to be only $20. If I can correct someting to bring it down, you'd be a fool no too.
Having a carefree attitude about it...."hey, it's only a few bucks", is a habit that most of us shouldn't get into.
If you start saying "what's a few dollars here, or there, pretty soon, you want have a few extra bucks.
Drew, I certainly don't advocate throwing money away at anytime, but I have seen friends and relatives drive across town to save 50 cents on a grocery item, spending a buck in gas to do so. I also had an aunt who refused to turn her heat above 65 because she didn't want to spend the extra money and when she died, her children found almost 100,000 cash in a safe in her basement she had saved over the years.
While its good to have common sense about "cents", its also good to enjoy life and don't sweat the small stuff. Remember, you can't take it with you.....unless you're like the dying man who instructed his wife to put all his money in the casket with him. On the day of his funeral, she wrote him a check. ;D
-Sarge
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I received my first full months power bill for our Maxxus... It was $180.00 :'( .... A big jump, +$80.00, from the same month last year. It's hard for me to determine if it was the tub that caused the high increase or what.... I'll just have to wait and see what the next few months will be. I know this months bill will be even higher cause of all the Xmas lights I have put up...
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I'd give it several months to see. Your first water fill had to heat up 600 gallons of water, or however much your Maxxus holds, so you heater was probably running constantly for many hours. Plus it's pretty normal to use the tub a lot in the first few weeks you own it, and you'll probably be lifting the cover more than usual until you get the hang of water maintenance.
And christmas lights can certainly impact the bill.
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Last month was my first real indication on the cost to run the Hot Tub. We did not use heat or air conditioning. My Beachcomber has a 24 circulation pump and I use the tub about 5 times a week, for about 20 to 30 minutes each soak. Our electric is 13 cents a kwh on peak and 4.5 cents a kwh off peak, the rates have not gone up versus last year. Most soaking is done off peak. Anyway my bill went up $15.51 over last year.
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Marks, are you saying your electric company charges you different rates depending on the time of use? My electric company charges about $.12 per Kwh for the first 350 Kwh's regardless of the time. Anything over baseline is penalized to about $.15. In the end, it costs me about $.15 per Kwh to run the spa. It's definitely worth it but I pay about 4 times what you do for the same service.
Last month was my first real indication on the cost to run the Hot Tub. ?We did not use heat or air conditioning. ?My Beachcomber has a 24 circulation pump and I use the tub about 5 times a week, for about 20 to 30 minutes each soak. ?Our electric is 13 cents a kwh on peak and 4.5 cents a kwh off peak, the rates have not gone up versus last year. ?Most soaking is done off peak. Anyway my bill went up $15.51 over last year.
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Gomboman,
Yes, they do charge a different rate depending on the time of day. It is a special program that you must sign up for. I have saved about 20% per month on it, but you need to be careful when you do things like wash. Check it out:
http://www.tep.com/Customersvc/PaymentOptions/TimeofUse.asp