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Electricity vs. Gas

I was wondering if any one knows of some type of calculator that allows you to work out how much power you are using per hour so I can work out the running cost between gas and power. I would have thought power to be a lot cheaper but I am still interested to see what the difference is.
It is prity ezy to grasp how much it costs with gas just by the amount of bottles I use but I don't have alotto go on with electric side of things.

Comments

  • It's pretty easy to work out.

    I think I'm paying 24c per kW/h. If I'm using for example 7.2kw for my stripping run and that strip run goes for 2 hours including heat up. It's cost me about $2.80 for that run.

    Electricity is cheaper to run but setup costs are a lot more

  • OK so I got a 2400 watt element. 2400watt = 2.4kw. Is that 2400 watt's what it draw's every secon/minet or hour.

  • edited May 2014

    Most watt ratings refer to kw per hour, but they leave off the per hour on the end. So 2400w = 2.4kw/hr x** rate** per kW/h is close enough for us.

    eg I'm on 34c peak, 16c off peak and have solar feeding in, as well that means stuffed if I know what it really cost me when the suns shining, but ball park on a weekend off peak.

    heat up 7200w x 30min x 16c = 57c

    run 3000w x 3.0hrs x 16c = $1.44

    perhaps $2 to do a basic run , double for peak times, add more for long runs, more power to strip but less time....add in water pump, lights, tv in the shed...

    Anyway its fairly cheap no matter how you work it out cause a bottle of gas is at least $25 for me.

    fadge

  • Yeah its prity cheap. After working out what I have spent on gear so far to convert over to power I would get my money back in about year. Thats prity good. I got a bigger boiler on its way and thats going to use alot more gas if I was to set it up on it but I am not. Once Im ther I think Im going to be prity happy with it. Thanks for you help jonno and fadge

  • @Drunkas I started with gas and switched to electric.
    All I can say is
    Electric rocks! You're going to love it.
    Clean, precise, can use a controller... more heat goes into the boiler instead of bouncing off of it... no bottles to fill or run out of... want to distill inside? no problem... no more black carbon build up on the bottom of the boiler... the shed stays cooler... beautiful women find you more attractive...

    Electric is better, faster and cheaper than bottled gas. (If I had FREE natural gas or wood I'd have to re-think all of this but I don't).

  • edited May 2014

    @Lloyd said: beautiful women find you more attractive...

    AHA.

    LOL :))

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  • @Sunshine said: LOL :))

    No no,,,its true.

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  • Don't listen to him Sunshine. He has a fat ass.

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  • @punkin said: Don't listen to him Sunshine. He has a fat ass.

    Seems I told you a hundred times...I have no ass. Just two legs stuck into my lower torso.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • search this forum for electric calculator, I am certain I posted it here before... ok, I will search for you.... here you go

  • Excellent @CothermanDistilling. That's very useful and should be added to the calcs thread.

  • I'll add it to the calcs discussion, but I can't add it to the online calculator page because obviously it's an Excel spreadsheet. If someone would have some time and knowledge to convert this into HTML/PHP/JS (in a rush only @DistilliTraK comes to mind?)?

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  • AYe? - I'm here....What calc are you looking for, the KwH? ... I'm just about ready to release Distillitrak for real (Production release!!) and it has this calc in it on it's calc page. I have the html/php code for it too.. I'm on vacation starting today, but it's a "staycation" - one where you stay on the ranch and do all the outdoor shit you said you were gonna do, but did something "else" all spring... fence post resets, dead/down tree removal on the north pasture line....run the Dash 2 a few times.. You know, the important stuff ;)

    Hobby Distillers Association Member - Join us today!

    The only sillae question is the one you don't ask folks...

  • edited May 2014

    For LPG

    1 Kg LPG = 1.96 litres of liquid =49 MJ = 13.6 kwh.

    If you go to Bunnings a 9 Kg cylinder costs $23 = 23/9 = $2.50 Kg = 2.50/13.6 = $0.18 per kwh.

    Taking into account that you lose a lot of heat from the burner to atmosphere and you have to drive there and get it then electricity is the way to go simply for convenience sake.

    For natural gas you have to work from MJ to kWh as you are charged in MJ. 1kWh = 3.6MJ. On my last bill I pay $0.03608/MJ = $0.126 per kWh.

    If there are 122.4kWh in 9kG of LPG for $23 then the equivalent in natural gas is 122.4 X 0.03608 X 3.6 = $15.81

    122.4 kWh in electricity cost me $0.31 X 122.4 = $37.94

    Summary for 122.4kWh (9kg bottle)

    LPG = $23 (18cents kWh) Electricity = $38 (31cents kWh) Natural Gas = $15.81 (12.6cents kWh)

  • edited May 2014

    Damn Mickiboi where do you live your energy prices are sky high!

    For Electric I pay Availability Charge @ $22.00 (Single Phase) or @ $34.00 (Three Phase)
    Plus: First 1,200 kWh @ 7.98¢/kWh Excess Summer kWh @ 7.48¢/kWh Excess Winter kWh @ 6.98¢/kWh

    for Natural Gas $8.47 per 1,000 cubic feet Compressed Natural Gas Per Gallon $1.05 for your car or filling a CNG cylinder

    Propane is $2.50 a gallon for the small tanks.

    I will not bitch about my energy bills after seeing that wowsers Oklahoma we don't have much, but we have lots of oil and gas.

    Very nice work on the Math its good to see it broken down like that.

  • I live in Adelaide Australia, according to the news we have the highest electricity and energy prices IN THE WORLD. We get ripped off on everything in this country (Still Dragon parts not included in that remark).

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