Measuring electricity use

you can use a kill-a-watt meter to test loads 'one at a time'
converter, then fridge, then ??? etc, don't try the A/C or a big MW

then add them all up

i assume you want to know how much you are using while plugged into the relatives property while visiting, so you can square your debt

you will need a professional RV grade installed meter to measure total useage
like one mentioned in the posts above

You plug in through a plug in meter. There are several on the market with different feature sets.

I think what your looking for is a simple Kill-a-watt. About $20 bucks and can be used for up to a 15 amp load. It will measure what your looking for as long as your not trying to power the RV in a live in situation. But for just storage, it will work fine.

If I understand MsSooz correctly, the only thing that would really do the job for him is the Efergy Elite mentioned above (or something similar). Many products will measure your usage during any particular moment but I think he wants to know how much electricity he used during the entire time he was hooked up to someones home. If he knows that and the rate the homeowner pays, he could make a fair assessment as to how much of a burden he has been on the persons utility bill during the entire stay.

The few places we had to pay for elec never charged more than $50 a month. This was in winter without a/c.
If you plan on a short stay, under a week, a good bottle of wine or two should cover it.

PapPappy wrote:


You want to find out what the KwH rate for the bill is, and you will want to know how many Kw you use in an hour.

Amps X Voltage = Watts (30A x 110V = 3300W = 3.3Kw So, if the rate is $0.15/kwh.....you would have about $0.50/hour = $12/day.....but remember, you don't use 30A anywhere near 100% of the time in a 24-hour day. The A/C isn't "on" 100% of the time (unless it's really HOT)

Exactly. To find the actual and current wattage, just get a small multimeter that has an AMP clamp. Clip it around the power cord and read the amount of current (amperage) being drawn. Using above math, you can figure out exactly how much power is being used at any given time.

Hope this helps

Ron

gbopp wrote:
Kill A Watt meter?
This should get the results you want. I'm not sure how many amps it will handle.

X2...though you probably won't be able to test the whole RV at one time, because I believe they are rated for about 20A.
But, you could get some estimates on the usage for the microwave, or the A/C by only running those items...and taking a reading.

You want to find out what the KwH rate for the bill is, and you will want to know how many Kw you use in an hour.

Amps X Voltage = Watts (30A x 110V = 3300W = 3.3Kw So, if the rate is $0.15/kwh.....you would have about $0.50/hour = $12/day.....but remember, you don't use 30A anywhere near 100% of the time in a 24-hour day. The A/C isn't "on" 100% of the time (unless it's really HOT)

If the RV is just sitting (storage), there is virtually no load, other than the converter to charge the batteries.
If you are looking for a number to pay someone?
If it's friend or family, and you are visiting, I'd offer $5-10/day, if you living in the RV. If it's just sitting at somebody's house for storage, I might even just consider a solar panel to charge the battery, and not even plug in!
If you are storing at a commercial lot...maybe $25/month, since you aren't really using much if any electricity, but it's a show of good faith.

Hi,

I added an Efergy Elite energy monitor--it measures the watts instantaneous and also does a running total of use. It is rated for 100 amps and uses Hall effect sensors so it can be easily moved from RV to RV should you choose to upgrade.

Elite

I would get the one that does power factor correction (unavailable when I ordered mine).

You can buy the product from Amazon. Efergy Watt meter

I second the Kill A Watt meter if your overall draw will be moderate. They're only good for about 15 or 18 amps. If you want to measure the draw using the 30 amp or 50 amp connection you will need to hard wire in a kWh meter. I've done that at my house on my electric water heater circuit. I wanted to see how much it contributed to my electric bill.
kWh meters (and sockets to hold them) might be hard to find at a store. The power company might be willing to give or sell you one. I'm a dealer for AEE Solar who sells them but they will only sell to their dealer network.

IF you want to measure the momentary usage, in watts, the Kill_A_Watt recommended above will work. If you want to measure the total power usage in kilowatt-hours, such as one gets from the power company via your electric bill, try watt-hour meters or try eBay eBay meters.