Electrical Usage when Camping
just curious since electrical costs especially here in Ontario are astronomical who leaves their ac and water heater on constantly? we shut off the ac except when we're actually in the trailer f...
Forum Discussion
Electrical rates/KWH are very low in both Michigan and Florida at approx 9-12 cents/KWH. Looked at our monthly electric bills for both in Florida and here in Michigan, in black and white! The big difference is that high A/C use in the south and southwest is very inefficient in electric use compared to the little electric heat used or the little A/C used in Michigan or Ontario. Some states or countries have mind numbing rates/KWH and usually pass it along and pad the true costs in CG's. It's a regional or local situation and if you with your RV are paying the electric use bill, you may need to react accordingly. Ontario is hundreds of miles north of where we live in West Michigan and A/C shouldn't be a huge electric use factor by any stretch.
A big reason very good insulation and proper sealing is the very first energy use/waste factor of consideration whether in the south or north and then dual pane windows or storms and using solar reflectivity measures. A clean kept white roof makes a huge difference in A/C use required in the summer sun as does a CG site with true shade. Next, is the benefit of having an all white side walled RV with it's reflective properties. Dark colors absorb the sun's rays and heats the object while white or silver reflect the rays away.
As was mentioned, 1.8 KWH/day for an RV water heater is miniscule and only about ~20 cents/day in electric used here or about ~$6/month while A/C can easily be 25+ to even 40 KWH/day for even a mid-sized RV in the south and at 13 cents/KWH that can be over $3 to even $5/day or $90 to even $150/mo for A/C alone. Have to use common sense!
Interesting: In our local newspaper last Monday was an article stating that our local municipal power operation will be lowering the already low KWH rate an additional 2% starting July 1, 2016. High electric cost must be a Canada/Ontario mandated add-on cost as they even use a lot of free hydro power to generate their electric power. Sounds like somebody is gouging and fleecing!
A big reason very good insulation and proper sealing is the very first energy use/waste factor of consideration whether in the south or north and then dual pane windows or storms and using solar reflectivity measures. A clean kept white roof makes a huge difference in A/C use required in the summer sun as does a CG site with true shade. Next, is the benefit of having an all white side walled RV with it's reflective properties. Dark colors absorb the sun's rays and heats the object while white or silver reflect the rays away.
As was mentioned, 1.8 KWH/day for an RV water heater is miniscule and only about ~20 cents/day in electric used here or about ~$6/month while A/C can easily be 25+ to even 40 KWH/day for even a mid-sized RV in the south and at 13 cents/KWH that can be over $3 to even $5/day or $90 to even $150/mo for A/C alone. Have to use common sense!
Interesting: In our local newspaper last Monday was an article stating that our local municipal power operation will be lowering the already low KWH rate an additional 2% starting July 1, 2016. High electric cost must be a Canada/Ontario mandated add-on cost as they even use a lot of free hydro power to generate their electric power. Sounds like somebody is gouging and fleecing!
