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Apparent excess electrical usage

Yahoo Message Number: 71418
We are two months into full-timing in our Intrigue and our bill for shore power seems out of sight. According to the park where we have our coach we burned 964 KW last month for a bill of $215. The previous month we burned 792 KW. We're using the electric side of the Hydro Hot and doing occasional loads of laundry in the washer/dryer, but we're not using AC or radiant floor heat. Our neighbors in a Monaco use electric water heat, washer/dryer and AC a bit, and their bill is $80. The coach next to them uses propane water heat and their bill is $60. This disparity doesn't seem to pass the smell test.
Anyone have any ideas? Could the Intrigue be that great of a power guzzler? Could there be something set wrong in my coach that's causing such inordinate power draw? Does anyone know of an inline power meter that I could plug between the shore power box and my power connection so I can check for myself?
Thanks to so many in this group for coming to the rescue of each other and especially us. We aspire to be like you.

Ron Wilbur

2004 Intrigue Ovation
#11799

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71419
We also had some large hydro usage in the cold weather. We switched from the hydro hot electric to the radiant floor heat which seems more efficient and our usage dropped to half.
Marc 05 affinity 6429

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71420
I don't know anything about your coach but, do you have electric heating for the engine coolant. If you do, it may be plugged in.

Jim E

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71422
Ron,

There is a gadget that I believe is called called "Kill-A-Watt". {Costco?) It plugs in between your power source and your coach. It will measure actual usage. Then you can determine if your park power meter is the culprit.
Daron Hairabedian, 98 Allure 30226

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71423
Ron,

Can't speak about usage but 22 cents a KW is a tad expensive. Also, You can have the power company replace the meter with a new one and test the old one. I did that on my stick house when I purchased it four years ago and they found the meter was off by about 30% (gave me a credit).

George

'04 Inspire 51061

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71424
I know for my rig, while in South Georgia during the summer i was consuming about 1600 kwh per month. But that was running both AC's and doing laundry and electric hot water.

Steve & Jane
1998 Intrigue
#10557

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71427
Your power meter may be owned by the park, so check with them first.
The meter may have the ability to display the current amperage draw. If so, you can turn things on and off in your coach, to see if the draw shoots up. Start with everything off - heat, battery chargers, inverters, lights, etc. You could have a pump running, or a thermostat stuck on.
If the meter does not have this capability, the park electrician may be able to hookup a different meter.

Mike 03 Lexa.

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71432
We've just completed our 4th year of full time living in this coach and 900 to 1000 kwh months are not unusual. $0.22/kwh is.

We're currently in Republic Washington and the rate is $0.093.

Jim

07 Allure #31570

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71433
Ron,

To determine the number of KW's you are drawing at any "instant", it is possible to count the number of meter revolutions made over a period of time, or for newer meters, count the number of beats over a period of time -- then plug it into a formula. Typically allow a minute per measurement, then turn something on or off and measure again. The difference is the KW's drawn by that appliance (if it is running continuously during the one minute measuring period, and nothing else is turned on or off).

An excellent web page for instructions and easy calculations is: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/measure.html
Scroll down that web page to get to the calculation techniques.
FYI, you are being billed for KWH (KiloWattHours) used, not KW (KiloWatts) while tells how fast you are using the power at any instant.
In my opinion, using the electric side of the HydroHot is very inefficient. Also, at the park's electric rate (may be higher that what the power company charges them), it may be more cost effective to use diesel or propane for space and water heating. And, of course, conversly, if the power is not metered, then save your diesel or propane. Rates vary by utility companies. My last electric bill from the City of Roseville for my home was $145 for 990 KWHs!

Herb

Forum Moderator

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71437
Ron,

Our summer home in Washington State has 3000 sf of living space, a 2000 sf RV/boat barn with a shop. Shop is full service with electric welder, etc. Have (2) 50-amp plugs for RV's. I looked at our electric bills from last summer when friends were parked here in another coach (2 coaches plugged in) plus laundry twice a week, music room with large sound system, 5 guitar/keyboard amps used almost nightly, landscape lighting etc. The monthly usage for July was 2100 KWH for a charge of $206. Even in Washington State with conservation fees and many other energy charges, the KWH charge was .098 (10 cents). We do not have A/C. Something is wrong with your bill!

Dick Bradley

04 Intrigue #11830

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71443
Here is a suggestion, it's what we did to determine the current draw on our appliances and systems. It helps in managing the coach power when connected to 30A.
Purchased (at Home Depot) a 50 A Male and 50A Female 4 prong RV connectors and appropriate box for for the female. Connected them with #6 (could use #8 for this short of a run) separate wires. Obtain an AC clamp on ammeter (good thing to have in your tool box). Measure the standby draw and the draw of each system by turning them on and off at your panel. Also note which systems are on which circuit. This allows better management of systems when your connected to double plugs using the "cheater Box". See what your running and compute the KWHs.
Just left a park that was a good deal but we paid the electric, cost us $50 for week, came out about right, $0.15/KWH and we ran an AC just about 24/7 and second in the afternoon, used 336KWHs in a week. AC is about 1.5KW*24 hrs*7days = 250KWH just for the AC.

Judy n Joe

98 Intrigue 10578

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71456
What's weird is we live in Southern California. We don't use the Hydro Hot for heat and we don't use AC because we don't need either in this climate. We only use the electric Hydro Hot for hot water (for dishes, laundry and the occasional shower - we usually shower in the park showers because we like longer showers). And, we're not using the radiant floor heat. The park assistant manager insists that it's because we have an RV refrigerator and "they are notoriously energy inefficient." He doesn't live in an RV and never has, so I'm not sure where he gets that information. Has anyone had problems with a 1200 LRIM Norcold being energy inefficient?

Ron Wilbur
2004 Intrigue
#11799

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71457
We're in Southern California where we haven't had to use heat or AC since we moved in. Just curious, if you didn't turn on heat or AC in your coach would 900 to 1000 kwh months be unusual?
Yeah, we're kinda stuck with the rate. It's based on a sliding scale, the more you use the higher the rate. I was thinking about buying my own small nuclear power plant but that would require Dallas Evans for engineering and installation. lol

Ron Wilbur
2004 Intrigue
#11799

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71459
Ron

If you are connecting to San Diego Gas & Electric they are one of the highest rates in the country.
When I lived in Vista $0.22 per KWH sounds about right. I t does require a PHD in mat and science to read the electric bill. My bill used to be from 1000 to 1200 KWH and $250 to $300 / month.

Bob Wexler
SOB

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71461
Here in the Poconos of PA our rate, which are high are 12.5 cents/kw. IF the campground owns the meter they probably are adding their own "fee" to the local price. AND they are buying at a large discount too. BUT if you are paying the local utility, that is a different story. I agree, you need to determine what amperage draw you have to start with and then determine the individual main loads on your system. Something that am amateur would need help with, but not impossible. The "kill a watt" thing that I have seen is only designed to plug into a 15 or 20 amp standard electrical outlet so that will not work with your 30 or 50 amp shore cord. I like the idea of the external box where you can use an amp-probe on each power circuit to determine the total load draw when operating your appliances. Our Prevost has a set of meters over the door showing incoming volts and amp draw on each of the 2 legs of the 50 amp power circuit along with a cycle meter to monitor if the power is 60 cycle or not.

Bill n Barb, Poconos of PA, 1998 CC Prevost 40' XL #30635
 

Re: Apparent excess electrical usage

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71710
Hi Ron,

Our Affinity is all electric and 900-1000 kwh is about right.
IF you are using the electic coil water heater, that is likely your most electric hungry appliance on the coach. Put a timer in the water heater and only run it 8-12 hours a day. That will pay you back in a short time for the trouble of installing it.