Saved on electricity by going LED?

[SeahorseKeeper]

We all have heard that a benefit of going LED is the savings on the electricity bill, but is it true? I switched to LED's 7 months ago and I have not noticed a difference. I switched from x2 250 watt MH and x4 96 watt PC. Just wanted to hear some other people's thoughts on this.

 

[Saltgator]

We all have heard that a benefit of going LED is the savings on the electricity bill, but is it true? I switched to LED's 7 months ago and I have not noticed a difference. I switched from x2 250 watt MH and x4 96 watt PC. Just wanted to hear some other people's thoughts on this.

Same here. I switched out 3 x 250 mh and 2 x 160 watt VHOs for 4 x 120 watt fixtures. No drop in electric, but am very pleased with my LEDs. My only drawback is the time spent easing my corals to the middle and upper regions due to the high intensity.

Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO

 

[AZDesertRat]

I have been following my usage and bills closely. Fortunately my power utility installed a smart power meter on my home about 6 months before I made the switch and I have been able to document it daily.

I switched from 2x250w MH and 2x140w VHO actinics to 2xAI Sol Blue LED and controller. I sold the 1/4HP chiller a couple years ago and used fans in the canopy and a clip on over the sump for cooling.

My bills dropped $50 a month immediately the month I made the switch. I attribute around $25 of this to the actual lights themselves and the additional $25 to the reduced load on my home AC unit due to the reduction in heat from the lighting.

I then went even further, one step at a time so I could document and track the progress, and swapped out my return pump to a much more efficient WaterBlaster HY-5000, combined some pump functions to reduce the number of pumps and wattage consumed and eventually eliminated the fans, or more accurately placed them on my RKL controller as back ups. Then I slowly switched my lighting period to later in the afternoon and evening to take advantage or off peak power rates which I didn't even know were available in my area.

On top of all that I later replaced every light in my home that had not already been converted to CFL, high efficiency electronic ballast T-8 or LED bulbs. Getting rid of the old tar ballasts and 4 and 8 foot T-12 fluorescents made a big difference. Next I swapped out my swimming pool pumps and pressure side cleaning system to a two speed high efficiency 1.5 HP pump that only draws 1/12 HP when on low and circulating chlorine. I control this with a digital 2 speed controller my power utility subsidized so it cost me next to nothing. I then replaced by old double uninsulated garage door with a R-17 insulated version and the results were amazing.

I have been tracking my power consumption for the last two years now and have cut my kilowatt hours in half and my cost to about 1/3 of what it was previously due to off peak usage rates.
My peak summer usage has dropped as much as 1184 kwH and the bills have decreased as much as $174 a month. My overall savings annually is over $1400 the last two years or about $3000 since starting on this savings kick so every purchase I made has already paid for itself and then some. This includes the LED lights and controller, pool pump and controller, garage door and installation, interior lighting etc.

I never though going "green" could give me so much satisfaction!
I have a thread on www.azreefs.com documenting my progress.

 

[revhtree]

My bill dropped on average of $50 but I downgraded from a 250g tank with (3)x MH to a 135g with (2)x MH.

 

[impur]

I switched from 250w MH to LED, and also put up a second tank also with LEDs. My bill went up, probably from the 2 added powerheads + heater + LEDs i guess.

 

[chort55]

I went from 10x 39w t5 to 72 x 3w LEDs, then added a few more powerheads, got another dog that requires a radio to be played when I am gone or she sleeps in the other room (separation issues... yay lol), and am home pretty much all day now so the tv is constantly on, kid turns the surround system on/off all day, etc, etc, etc.... which pretty much balanced out the savings..... but obviously I saved $ because my bill didnt go up and I am using more power

Oh yeah, I also added a 14g nano with 3x18w leds and a radion over my 30g and didn't even notice them on my bill.

 

[AZDesertRat]

The best thing you can invest in is a Kill A Watt meter. I have the old style and the new EZ version that is easily programmed with your electric rates etc. and can track and log usage and actual costs. I am fortunate to have both the Kill A Watt meters and a smart power meter so its easy to track my usage and what is consuming what. The Kill A Watt is less than $25 most places and an awesome easy to use tool.

 

[impur]

The best thing you can invest in is a Kill A Watt meter. I have the old style and the new EZ version that is easily programmed with your electric rates etc. and can track and log usage and actual costs. I am fortunate to have both the Kill A Watt meters and a smart power meter so its easy to track my usage and what is consuming what. The Kill A Watt is less than $25 most places and an awesome easy to use tool.

Yah, newegg has them on sale all the time!

 

[Dog Boy Dave]

I pulled 6 times 400 watts halides and replaced with about 600 watts of LEDs. Chiller almost never runs anymore. House stays kooler. Still run 12 hour light cycle and electric bill has dropped about $170 per month.

 

[jdpiii3]

When I built my 400 I had to figure out ways to save electric, so I went with natural sun lighting. I also no longer need a chiller total cost to run tank is $40. a month Want even more electric savings ideas, add more insulation, I added another R30 in my attic, my central a/c runs about 25% less this past summer. I also added the GE Hybrid hot water heater and that save me around $50. a month.

 

[Reef Pets]

For those that have LED's in northern states - I realize that you probably were able to drop your bill during the warmer months but how about the colder months? When having metal halides they obviously warm the water well but having much cooler running LED's during the winter you most likely have to warm the water. I only ask because a friend switched from three 400W metal halides that he had for several years to LED's this past summer. He said it would save him on electricity because the metal halides added too much heat to his house. Now that its cold and stays cold for 6 months in the north he is wishing he had metal halides to not only add heat to his tank but also his house. Not only that, now that he is running LED's he is running 1200W of heaters to keep his tank warm. At this point LED's are costing him much more money.

 

[skinz78]

I haven't noticed a difference in my bill since changing from T5 to LED. But the wattage difference wasn't huge ether, I had 6x54w T5 so 320w and now I have 2x 120w LED so 240w total and only 120w difference.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I think one of the reasons that I haven't noticed a difference is that my heater is on much more than it was with the halides.

 

[mainereefer]

I live in maine, and I have noticed a drop in electric bill by $20+ a month. and I upgraded from a 120g with 2x250w with 2xt5 to a 180g with 3x120w led fixtures

my ReefKeeper says I am drawing 1.9 amps for the 3 lights im not sure what it was with the mh and t5 fixture