Electricity Bill

[ReptileBuddies]

Does anyone have any good tips on saving on electricity bills?? For some reason our reptile addiction is making our electricity bill sky high!! I'm not willing to sacrafice care at all, just wondering if anyone has ideas. We have a radiator type heater in our reptile room so the room air temp is in the high 70s at night with only a few lights on....

 

[Meg90]

Outdoor enclosures maybe? If the animals are outside a couple days a week, you can keep the lights off.

That's about all I got! I have a lot of reptiles, but the majority don't need heating, or artificial light.

Also, I let my temps dip at night. I have my furnace set at 65F, and it warms up nicely during the day (I'm in an upper), and stays cooler at night.

 

[ReptileBuddies]

Hopefully this summer we can have a few temporary outdoor enclosures...but by bf bought half a duplex so it would have to be the front yard (cause the dogs have claimed the backyard) and I would have to make sure its heavy enough and locked really really well. I don't know how comfortable I would be leaving them outside alone...lots of (mean) kids and animals running around. Something for me to keep thinking about!
How low can the temp drop for a 14month old redfoot?? The temps get down to 76 on her cool side at night. (Daytime is 82).
I wish the electrical company had coupons....lol I'd be all over those

 

[Meg90]

Well, I have Greeks, one of them 9 mos. I don't let it get below 65F. A bit of a drop at night is good for them. Its part of the cycle.

 

[Kristina]

Change all the other bulbs in your house for CFLS Use the lowest possible wattage bulb that you can for heat, and just adjust it closer to the substrate. I turn my heat sources totally off at night.

 

[ReptileBuddies]

CFLS??? Energy efficient ones??
I'll work on getting the bulbs closer to the substrate thanks!

 

[Meg90]

The OTHER bulbs to CFLS--not the ones on your reptiles

 

[ReptileBuddies]

Yah I caught that, but what does CFLS stand for?? I'm having a brain fart.....

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...If your ambient temp at night is over 65, you don't need any heat lights. They need a cool down at night. For the daytime, put something close to the heat lights for the lizards to climb up to if they want more heat & use the least wattage to get the needed temp.
good luck
Patsy

 

[ReptileBuddies]

Yup i turn off almost all the lights at night, the only ones on are a red heat light for the uromastyx, red lights on the carpet python and columbian boa (just cause they are in tanks that lose heat way to quickly ), and basking light dimmed over my baby redfoot (she's the one I worry most about...) I think I'll work on getting the lights closer to the substrate, hopefully then I can get lower wattages

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...If I understand right...you are leaving a basking light dimmed at night for the Redfoot...they need it dark at night. And they, nor the uromastyx, don't need the temps any higher than 65 at night. I don't know anything about snakes' needs.
Patsy

 

[dannomite]

Hey have you ever considered Solar Panels or Wind generators? The tech is pricey but may be worth it in the long run if you consume a lot of energy.

 

[reptylefreek]

I've been having the same problems... I dont keep any heat sources on at night and keep only reptile lights on during the day when Im not home and still have a higher bill then I want. I've just kinda excepted it... I try to work a little extra each week to help with the electricity bill

 

[Kristina]

CFL = Compact Florescent.

 

[Tom]

If your reptile room is in the 70's at night, you don't need any other night heat for any of the species you listed. You could also adjust the radiator style heater down to the low 70's instead of high 70's. I have a whole room full of reptiles too and all of my daytime bulbs are between 35 and 50 watts, but fairly close to the substrate. I have several outdoor pens and cages, so when the weather is favorable everybody goes outside and all the lights get shut off.

Good luck.

 

[-ryan-]

I keep my heat lamps pretty close to the tortoises, but as I mentioned in another post, they have to be flood bulbs and not spot bulbs. Right now I am heating all of my tortoises using 45 watt heat lamps (either halogen floods or the smaller floods used in track lighting) and I am providing additional light with 7 watt cfl twist lamps.

The numbers as they stand right now for the tortoises are:

Adult red foot: 97 watts (1 - 45 watt halogen flood, 1 - 45 watt incandescent flood, and 1 - 7 watt cfl)
4 female russians: 104 watts (2 - 45 watt halogen floods, 2 - 7 watt cfl)
1 male russian: 52 watts (1 - 45 watt incandescent flood, 1 - 7 watt cfl)
1 hatchling russian: 52 watts (same as male)

Together that's 305 watts. Granted I don't use UVB bulbs (haven't for years and they are very healthy and producing nice eggs... I do keep them outdoors for short periods of time when possible though). All of these lights are on for 14 hours and off for 10. Oh, and I have a heat pad attached to the back of the red foots hiding spot for night time heat in the winter, but that's only an additional 15 watts or so.

For 7 tortoises, that's not too bad. It's the food bill that's costing me money!

 

[dmmj]

My house is hamster powered, no electricity bill, but lots of wheels sqeaking.

 

[Mango]

Our house is cold, and so the heat bulb stays on. However, turning the UVB bulb off at night lowers the habitat temp some.

Is it right that night time for a Greek can be 65?
Also, I need UV bulb clarification. I use ceramic base with a lamp. I heard the bult has to point straight down, and not at an angel, for the tort to get proper UV.

Thanks.

For the one habitate and two expensive bulbs, our electric bill went up $10/month.

Mango the Greek Tortoise person.

Does anyone have any good tips on saving on electricity bills?? For some reason our reptile addiction is making our electricity bill sky high!! I'm not willing to sacrafice care at all, just wondering if anyone has ideas. We have a radiator type heater in our reptile room so the room air temp is in the high 70s at night with only a few lights on....

 

[-ryan-]

65 at night is fine. My russians sometimes go into the 50's at night. In the winter, sometimes low 50's at night (I don't hibernate them). 65 for a greek should be no problem at all.

Our house is cold, and so the heat bulb stays on. However, turning the UVB bulb off at night lowers the habitat temp some.

Is it right that night time for a Greek can be 65?
Also, I need UV bulb clarification. I use ceramic base with a lamp. I heard the bult has to point straight down, and not at an angel, for the tort to get proper UV.

Thanks.

For the one habitate and two expensive bulbs, our electric bill went up $10/month.

Mango the Greek Tortoise person.

Does anyone have any good tips on saving on electricity bills?? For some reason our reptile addiction is making our electricity bill sky high!! I'm not willing to sacrafice care at all, just wondering if anyone has ideas. We have a radiator type heater in our reptile room so the room air temp is in the high 70s at night with only a few lights on....

 

[ReptileBuddies]

Thanks for all the great replies! I guess I wasn't supposed to be leaving the uro's red light on...whoops. And I'll be turning off Anabelle's dimmed light now too. I just always worry about them getting too cold. Our bill went from $70 a month with no reptiles to over $200 now... I have my work cut out for me this summer with changing everything around.... 2 more weeks of school then I'm free for a few months, lol.