Incubators and my electricity bill!!

[Laurelm]

This probably seems like a dumb question but………..I run five incubators and have at least 5 heat lamps going lately 24/7. I would expect my bill to go some but a couple hundred dollars is completely ridiculous!

Does running the incubators and heat lamps really take that much electricity??

Anyone out there going through the same pain??

Just checking before I call SDG& E and complain (for what good it’ll do!)

Thank you!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Incubator, not so much...............heat lamp, A LOT!

That's exactly why my DH wants to use broody's.

 

[speckledhen]

Not the bator, the heat lamps are your problem!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Well, I'm taking incubator off of my Christmas list and continue to use broodys. WOW ! That is a lot. Sorry to hear about that.

 

[Lensters]

If you are really using that many heat lamps I would suggest that you take a look at buying a rack of commercial brooders. They still aren't terribly efficient but they are much better than heat lamps. If you don't like that idea, try the "infrared bulbs". They are really little radiant heaters instead of bulbs, but they are more efficient in getting the heat where it needs to be and not wasting energy creating light.

I'm not sure where you are at but the price you pay for electricity is nuts. I run two Sportsman incubators, four old commercial brooders and a 800 CFM blower in my barn and it costs me $15 to $20 a month.

Edited for a typo.

 

[kathyinmo]

I did see someone post (I think it was patandchickens) that it costs about $30 a month for one heat lamp.

 

[CindyS]

I agree with above posts, its the heat lamps! I have usually 12 hovabators running all summer and the electricity bill is not that high!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I use every bit that many if not more, 5 full blown incubators, and tons of heat lamp brooders, turned them all off 2 bills ago, only a $25 difference and havent hardly used the a/c either since then, and still just $25 difference.. A few heat lamps dont equal $200 a month, dont care how many watts it is. I'd check into all you appliances and stuff and be sure they are running properly, a deep well running all the time will jack it way up....I have 4 salt water aquariums, 2 are reefs and we run like 1,000 watts of lights on them 12 hours a day to simulate the sun for the corals, again, the bill was only about a $25 or so increase......

 

[chickenlittle32]

I use a HUGE incubator and 4 heat bulbs and my electric bill has not gone up...I have been doin this since the end of Aug. It is always under $200. Has your light company gone up on the price per kilowatt? I'd check to make sure.

 

[Bock_Bock]

Quote:
since i too live in California i would suggest the same i know here in the bay area we have had our prices go up and not jus tthta but the electrical companies have installed new meters, which calculate a different way so you might want to check into that