Reducing Electric Costs

Your little "fuses" are for running those items in your RV on 12 volt DC (your battery). Pulling them will make no difference on your electric bill.

Now, flipping your breakers, that's turning off circuits for your 110 volt AC power (like Air Conditioner, outlet plugs, microwave, and any other appliance you have plugged in). I wouldn't think flipping the breaker would make that much difference. Maybe a penny or two a year over the next million years may make a difference, but in the short term (say, less than 10,000 years), it probably won't make any difference.

More than likely, the breakers inside your camper are only 15 amp. Basically, you can run only one 1500 watt item on a circuit (along with some other things), and that's about all.

I don't know what the a/c could possibly be drawing if it's off.

Easy answer: reduce heating costs by turning down the thermostat and wearing heavier clothing. Try some mild calisthenics - the body is great at generating heat, turn sugar into btus.

Homework: Determine which costs more per kwh (or btu), propane or electricity in your area... then use the cheaper option for heat, supplementing with the more expensive option.

Extra credit: find a park that doesn't charge based on usage - I've never stayed at a park that charged extra / separate for electric, but I've never stayed anywhere more than a week at a time.

Instead of pulling fuses/flipping CB off just reduce the amount of energy being used.

Unless something is ON it is not using electricity...except for those items that are 'hot' when off. And that energy consumption is minimal.

When you stated you tripped 'the breaker' .... was that the CG power pedestal breaker? A 30A breaker?

2800W accounts for 2 space heaters going full blast but what else was ON?
Lights, TV, water heater/fridge on electric of propane?
Converter/charger maintaining battery voltage.

A/C Unit uses NO AC power unless it is ON......flipping 120V AC CB OFF would NOT lower energy usage

Sounds more like power pedestal CB was being overloaded....you had more then 2800W and/or power pedestal CB is weak (tripping early)

Old-Biscuit wrote:

Converter/charger maintaining battery voltage.

What do you mean by this? If I'm parked and hooked up to a power supply with a cord, can I turn this off? How?

Thanks for the posts. Some good tips here!

Appliances actually do use power even when they're turned off. You guys don't have to believe what I'm telling you, but I tried everything to stop the breaker from tripping, but it wasn't until I switch the A/C switch that it stopped.

http://gogreeninyourhome.com/how-to-save-electricity/appliances-still-use-power-when-turned-off/

I just want to make sure I'm not going to damage anything or do something wrong by removing fuses and flipping switches on the breaker.

BruceAllen wrote:
You guys don't have to believe what I'm telling you, but I tried everything to stop the breaker from tripping, but it wasn't until I switch the A/C switch that it stopped.

You see what you see, but it doesn't make any sense to me.

And your link doesn't mention air con as an appliance that uses any power when it's off.

BruceAllen wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:

Converter/charger maintaining battery voltage.

What do you mean by this? If I'm parked and hooked up to a power supply with a cord, can I turn this off? How?

IF you open the 120V AC CB that feds converter.charger then you will only have 12V DC until battery goes low....and no charger to maintain battery voltage.

Drawing battery voltage down below 50% will shorten battery life



And as I posted earlier......SOME components are still 'hot' when OFF

But just like your link suggested...minimal energy use
The A/C Unit might have a circuit board that still consumes power (1 watt or less) when NOT running
IF limiting 1 watt is keeping your power pedestal breaker from tripping then power pedestal breaker needs replaced (worn out) or you are overloading it AND flipping CBs off isn't the solution.

That 120V AC CB for the A/C Unit.....remove panel cover and see if that breaker has '2' wires connected to CB Load terminal.
Sometimes RV mfg. use a CB to fed 2 components from single breaker.
Not right but they do it......sometimes converter is fed this way.
Converter will use 1-8 amps (float mode to bulk mode)
But again if converter is turned off then battery WILL run down

Fridge/water heater..on electric or propane???

What else are you using besides the 2 space heaters?

How do you know you only are using 2800W?

Again WHAT breaker is tripping....30A?
Power pedestal breaker?

What is your RV....30A or 50A?

2880 watts is over what a standard 20 amp breaker would handle. That is 23 amps.
I would look at your 120 volt power system. It is possible that you have a loose neutral.
Your 12 volt system would or should not have much effect on the 120 volt side.

Why are you worried about turning off items to say a few $$ ?