I can't afford DC!

[kloostec]

So I moved into a place that already had two people living in it.

Their electricity bill was $30 for every two months (about 350 KWh over two months).

I moved in halfway through a billing period, so for the first bill we got, I only influenced one month out of two. That bill was $60, or about 850 KWh.

We just got the bill for the first full two month period I've lived here. The total electricity consumption was 1350 KWh, and the bill is $90! Since I moved in, the electricity bill has tripled! I have a 2700+ running ud, an 800 running seti, a Pm 1.5 running seti, a 166 laptop running UD (when it works), and a 166 router running nothing.

I can't afford to pay that much on top of everything else (I'm a student), so I'm going to have to scale back my DC at home, and start powering off my main computer and laptops at night (the 800 is a backup server for the business I'm trying to run to pay for school, so it's not going down). This means I'm going to lose 100% of my seti production, and between 750-1250 points per day in UD.

Note this is CAD, so divide by 1.3 or 1.4 to get USD.

I'm still going to put UD on all of the computers I sell, though, so not all is lost! Most of my UD production is from computers I've sold.

 

[Unforgiven]

you gotta do what you gotta do dude. crank it back up when the summer months come and rate drop. good luck!

 

[Zbox]

lol, you're crunching with machines you sold? does the buyer know?

 

[kloostec]

Yes, all of the buyers know that I've put the UD agent on their computers. I ask them before putting it on, and most say yes. A lot become interested, and ask how to set it up on other computers, too!

Edit: we don't get rate drops in the summer, either :S Mainly because the rate's pretty low year-round ($0.05770 CDN per KWh)

 

[BlackMountainCow]

I think u also took into consideration that it's not just the DC that causes the higher bill, but also your TV, hairdryer, VCR, DVD, light and so on. So why not just sell the TV, VRC and DVD, turn of all lights and never use a heating or aircondition ... I bet u can make up for the electricity that your PCs use with that! :beer::beer:

 

[CXGJarrod]

Originally posted by: BlackMountainCow
I think u also took into consideration that it's not just the DC that causes the higher bill, but also your TV, hairdryer, VCR, DVD, light and so on. So why not just sell the TV, VRC and DVD, turn of all lights and never use a heating or aircondition ... I bet u can make up for the electricity that your PCs use with that! :beer::beer:

Spoken like a true Seti junkie!

 

[wischeez]

Originally posted by: BlackMountainCow
I think u also took into consideration that it's not just the DC that causes the higher bill, but also your TV, hairdryer, VCR, DVD, light and so on. So why not just sell the TV, VRC and DVD, turn of all lights and never use a heating or aircondition ... I bet u can make up for the electricity that your PCs use with that! :beer::beer:

LOL



How about plugging in to the neighbors house????

 

[lobadobadingdong]

wish my electric bill was that low. my last bill was very low (for a february) and it was a little over $200 for 1145KWh(gas bill was just under $300) USD of course Dang the deregulation of power utilities in Texas, my bills are nearly double what the where before.

doesn't phaze me too much I already spend around $180 a week on fuel (and climbing with the rising fuel prices) for my little dakota.

do what U gotta do man, any help in DC projects is appreciated, no one expects anyone to foot bills they can't afford.

 

[kloostec]

Originally posted by: BlackMountainCow
I think u also took into consideration that it's not just the DC that causes the higher bill, but also your TV, hairdryer, VCR, DVD, light and so on. So why not just sell the TV, VRC and DVD, turn of all lights and never use a heating or aircondition ... I bet u can make up for the electricity that your PCs use with that! :beer::beer:

We do a lot to keep the bills down. The DSL bill is $16.95 a month, none of us have cars (bus is included in school tuition, and bikes are free transportation). We don't have cable (the TV is turned on for about four hours a week to play some video games or watch a dvd), we don't own high power stuff like hairdryers, and we very seldom turn the lights on (I work at night, under only the glow of my monitor ). Hot water and heating (by hot water) is paid for by the building. We just got a microwave, which is much more energy efficient than running the oven for half an hour to reheat food.

Basically all of the power we use is computers or cooking. Scary

 

[Unforgiven]

6000 watt power supply on those pc's or something?

 

[Soggysocks]

Originally posted by: kloostec
Yes, all of the buyers know that I've put the UD agent on their computers. I ask them before putting it on, and most say yes. A lot become interested, and ask how to set it up on other computers, too! Edit: we don't get rate drops in the summer, either :S Mainly because the rate's pretty low year-round ($0.05770 CDN per KWh)

But....if you moved onto campus and lived in the dorm utilities = $0.00

Let the school pay for DC. Besides, you might get extra credit for it

 

[CyGoR]

Sorry to hear about your problems Kloostec! Even the more reason to sell more systems!
Or you should buy more P(IV) M's, they are very energy cost efficient!

Good luck running your business and suceeding in school! (both more important than DC, isn't it..)

 

[BlackMountainCow]

Basically all of the power we use is computers or cooking.

Well, then stop the cooking and just eat cold food

 

[kloostec]

Rent for cluster housing (4 people share one unit, 4 bedrooms, common living room and kitchen): $420/mo.

Current rent: $265/mo.

 

[Unforgiven]

well you could always just stop paying rent...... that could at least get you a few months before collections comes in!

 

[Soggysocks]

Or just turn off the heat

Your 'puters will keep the place warm

 

[Coquito]

Originally posted by: Soggysocks
Or just turn off the heat

Your 'puters will keep the place warm

I concur.

 

[Twioz]

You could save money by installing a Peltier on your cpu and them mount a Fry pan on that. Then you could cook your food and be doing DC projects at the same time!

 

[DanC]

Man... I'd take that power bill ANY DAY. Mine's over $300 a month!

 

[kloostec]

Originally posted by: Coquito

Originally posted by: Soggysocks
Or just turn off the heat

Your 'puters will keep the place warm

I concur.

Heat is included in the rent, but we haven't turned it on once all winter anyway because it's already been warm enough

I like the peltier idea, but don't you have to put electricity through the peltier to displace the heat anyway?

Maybe every time I sell a computer I'll run the DC for a few days or something... so that I know I can pay for it!

 

[zodder]

Originally posted by: DanC
Man... I'd take that power bill ANY DAY. Mine's over $300 a month!

I hear that!

 

[Polo]

All the house (150 m²) is powered by electricity and I'm running a PIV 2.8, a PIV 2.6, an Athlon 1800+, a duron 1200 all 24/7.
My monthly power bill is 135 ?.

You're paying a lot for your electricity !

 

[Kenazo]

I never realised you were a fellow canuck. where are you?
Here in MB, Manitoba Hydro keeps our rates pretty low. I like it.
so, now I just need you to lose a bit more production, and I'll be overtaking you, I'm one spot out of the top-25. geolsen, you going down!

 

[Intelligence3]

Yeah, in the summer when my box is 24/7 and the AC runs all day... Nasty.

 

[dmcowen674]

Are you running the monitors?

The PC's don't use up that much power. For example older AMD's like a 20 watt light bulb, the new Bartons run at 160 watts.

How many machines was that? 3 ?

Hope your bill drops back down. If it does then you must be paying an incrdiblely high per Kilowatt charge.