What is the biggest drain in my electric bill?

[Amr]

Ok, my house is quite big house - 3 story house with a total space of 650 sq/m have 5 of those type of A/Cs and the bed rooms split type - 4 of them - most of my lighting activity would be at night for sure till morning 6 am for the outdoor ones, most of light bulbs are LEDs, outdoor lights ON all night - about 22 light bulbs on all night - my monthly bill about $200, all my A/Cs are set to 20c

[Amr]

In my previous reply i meant a wall mounted type by saying split type By the way ...

[alfieconn]

RE Post 51

Point is that you appear to being to be talking about the bill for your current house because that is what you described, not the average bill for 12 years. If that is not the case then you need to write more clearly. Reread your own post and you just may be able to understand.

I'm glad someone understood me !

[alfieconn]

RE Post 51

Point is that you appear to being to be talking about the bill for your current house because that is what you described, not the average bill for 12 years. If that is not the case then you need to write more clearly. Reread your own post and you just may be able to understand.

So presumably you now want to know what my electricity bills were at my previous homes in Thailand: in Chiang Mai, Muang, in a 2 bed/2 bathroom condominium where the price of electricity was inflated, my average bill rarely exceeded THB 1,000 per month, the only exception to this being two month periods over four years where we used aircon and the bills came in at circa THB 1,400.

In Phuket for four years, in a 2 bed/2 bath house running aircon frequently, electricity bills ran circa THB 2,500.

Prior to those periods, I can't recall.

And so the moral of all of this is: if you use aircon. it will cost you - if you don't and you can pick your property/location (most of us can) with some care, the cost of electricity for normal everyday living, (2 people, 4 showers/day, laundry 2 x week, cooking, PC's, TV's and so on, is really quite inexpensive in Thailand. The caveat of course must be that if you pay an electricity surcharge to a landlord or a condominium complex your bills will be higher.

BTW it's hot season currently in Chiang Mai!

No it's not

[jasonsamui55]

Ok, my house is quite big house - 3 story house with a total space of 650 sq/m have 5 of those type of A/Cs ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1424830912.933850.jpg and the bed rooms split type - 4 of them - most of my lighting activity would be at night for sure till morning 6 am for the outdoor ones, most of light bulbs are LEDs, outdoor lights ON all night - about 22 light bulbs on all night - my monthly bill about $200, all my A/Cs are set to 20c

$200 is only 6500. That's super cheap! especially for what you're cooling and doing, especially with those cold temperatures of 20 degrees. We are a family of 3 adults and 2 children in a 275m 3-bedroom house with small pool, 4 of the same big ceiling mounted split level AC units mostly running 24 hours per day at 23-24 degrees, cooking 2-3 meals per day on electric stove and/or oven, multiple showers between all of us, multiple loads of laundry with washing machine and electric dryer, washing dishes all the time, double door refrigerator, and TV and computer constantly in use, but solar hot water heater, LED light bulbs all around, and highly insulated house, and get electric bill direct from government and pay about 4.75 baht per unit and yet our bill is about 17000-18000 if we are home for the entire monthly billing cycle. but, even if this is expensive, if a 1 unit = 1 kwh as measured in most other countries, these rates aren't so bad. i suppose we just use a lot of units or kwh. The same usage in europe would be at least 50% more.

[Cheesekraft]

i used to get regular 8000-11,000 electricity bills, but we used a couple of ACs regularly

[sprq]

The biggest drain? My landlady, who charges 5 baht a unit, which is double the normal rate I'd pay if I were directly billed. My bills are from 2,000 baht (cold season) to 4000 baht plus in the hot season for an 80 sq m apartment, which I spend most of my time in, working - which means aircon is essential most days of the year. I take the high cost as a necessary hit, because the rent is very low.

Saying that 5 baht is double the normal rate is just complete nonsense. Where do you justify that statement. I pay my bills direct to the electric co and I calculate at 4.6 baht/unit. That includes the surcharges and tax.

I justify it from the published rates several years ago, which were about 2.3 baht per unit. From the information sent in by several people since my post, clearly I am out of date, and am happy to know that the current rate is about 4.4 baht or so, since that means I am now paying little more than the normal rate. Time flies, doesn't it?

[Tywais]

The biggest drain? My landlady, who charges 5 baht a unit, which is double the normal rate I'd pay if I were directly billed. My bills are from 2,000 baht (cold season) to 4000 baht plus in the hot season for an 80 sq m apartment, which I spend most of my time in, working - which means aircon is essential most days of the year. I take the high cost as a necessary hit, because the rent is very low.

Saying that 5 baht is double the normal rate is just complete nonsense. Where do you justify that statement. I pay my bills direct to the electric co and I calculate at 4.6 baht/unit. That includes the surcharges and tax.

I justify it from the published rates several years ago, which were about 2.3 baht per unit. From the information sent in by several people since my post, clearly I am out of date, and am happy to know that the current rate is about 4.4 baht or so, since that means I am now paying little more than the normal rate. Time flies, doesn't it?

For the curious, this is the cost per unit all inclusive (base+VAT+FT) for the house we moved to going on three years ago.

[chiang mai]

That matches almost exactly my usage, without using the garden irrigation system.

[chiang mai]

RE Post 51

Point is that you appear to being to be talking about the bill for your current house because that is what you described, not the average bill for 12 years. If that is not the case then you need to write more clearly. Reread your own post and you just may be able to understand.

So presumably you now want to know what my electricity bills were at my previous homes in Thailand: in Chiang Mai, Muang, in a 2 bed/2 bathroom condominium where the price of electricity was inflated, my average bill rarely exceeded THB 1,000 per month, the only exception to this being two month periods over four years where we used aircon and the bills came in at circa THB 1,400.

In Phuket for four years, in a 2 bed/2 bath house running aircon frequently, electricity bills ran circa THB 2,500.

Prior to those periods, I can't recall.

And so the moral of all of this is: if you use aircon. it will cost you - if you don't and you can pick your property/location (most of us can) with some care, the cost of electricity for normal everyday living, (2 people, 4 showers/day, laundry 2 x week, cooking, PC's, TV's and so on, is really quite inexpensive in Thailand. The caveat of course must be that if you pay an electricity surcharge to a landlord or a condominium complex your bills will be higher.

BTW it's hot season currently in Chiang Mai!

No it's not

Perhaps other Chiang Mai residents would care to comment on this drivel!

[alfieconn]

RE Post 51

Point is that you appear to being to be talking about the bill for your current house because that is what you described, not the average bill for 12 years. If that is not the case then you need to write more clearly. Reread your own post and you just may be able to understand.

So presumably you now want to know what my electricity bills were at my previous homes in Thailand: in Chiang Mai, Muang, in a 2 bed/2 bathroom condominium where the price of electricity was inflated, my average bill rarely exceeded THB 1,000 per month, the only exception to this being two month periods over four years where we used aircon and the bills came in at circa THB 1,400.

In Phuket for four years, in a 2 bed/2 bath house running aircon frequently, electricity bills ran circa THB 2,500.

Prior to those periods, I can't recall.

And so the moral of all of this is: if you use aircon. it will cost you - if you don't and you can pick your property/location (most of us can) with some care, the cost of electricity for normal everyday living, (2 people, 4 showers/day, laundry 2 x week, cooking, PC's, TV's and so on, is really quite inexpensive in Thailand. The caveat of course must be that if you pay an electricity surcharge to a landlord or a condominium complex your bills will be higher.

BTW it's hot season currently in Chiang Mai!

No it's not

Perhaps other Chiang Mai residents would care to comment on this drivel!

It isn't 17c at night in the hot season .

CM Climate

Chiang Mai enjoys a cooler climate than other areas in Thailand and a holiday here can be enjoyed all year round. While it does experience a hot season, this is still somewhat milder than in Bangkok and certainly less humid. Like elsewhere in Thailand, the north sees three distinct seasons: the hot season, the rainy season and the cool season.

The hot season lasts from March until June and sees daily temperatures ranging between 30 and 35°C.

Today

34 °C 17 °C

Edited February 25, 2015 by alfieconn

[Tywais]

RE Post 51

Point is that you appear to being to be talking about the bill for your current house because that is what you described, not the average bill for 12 years. If that is not the case then you need to write more clearly. Reread your own post and you just may be able to understand.

So presumably you now want to know what my electricity bills were at my previous homes in Thailand: in Chiang Mai, Muang, in a 2 bed/2 bathroom condominium where the price of electricity was inflated, my average bill rarely exceeded THB 1,000 per month, the only exception to this being two month periods over four years where we used aircon and the bills came in at circa THB 1,400.

In Phuket for four years, in a 2 bed/2 bath house running aircon frequently, electricity bills ran circa THB 2,500.

Prior to those periods, I can't recall.

And so the moral of all of this is: if you use aircon. it will cost you - if you don't and you can pick your property/location (most of us can) with some care, the cost of electricity for normal everyday living, (2 people, 4 showers/day, laundry 2 x week, cooking, PC's, TV's and so on, is really quite inexpensive in Thailand. The caveat of course must be that if you pay an electricity surcharge to a landlord or a condominium complex your bills will be higher.

BTW it's hot season currently in Chiang Mai!

No it's not

Perhaps other Chiang Mai residents would care to comment on this drivel!

The best you can classify the current period (end of February) is a shoulder season, that is coming off the cool season before the beginning of the hot season which starts next month (March).

[alfieconn]

What was that about drivel ?

Edited February 25, 2015 by alfieconn

[HooHaa]

its your time on thaivisa. stop posting now for unimaginable savings

[chiang mai]

With all due respect to Tywais: anyone who can attempt to classify the seasons in Thailand (or elsewhere probably), down to the week of each year, needs serious help.- based on past experiences of several years here, we are now very firmly in the hot season.

[Tywais]

With all due respect to Tywais: anyone who can attempt to classify the seasons in Thailand (or elsewhere probably), down to the week of each year, needs serious help.- based on past experiences of several years here, we are now very firmly in the hot season.

Will still disagree based on all weather sites that classify the seasons for Thailand. I've been here long enough to not classify February as hot season and neither would any Thai I know. I still get chilly sleeping at night and have to cover up well and no air on. When I start having to use the AC at night then I will consider it the hot season.

But we digress except when the hot season arrives, March/April (April being the hottest season of the year normally), that power bill is going to jump up for me. Oh, that is another gauge of hot season, my power bills.

[trainman34014]

I can never understand why people need to use aircon in the winter in Thailand, especially in Chiang Mai area where it's really only just starting to warm up day times and is still dropping to around 17/18 at night. Doubt we will use ours until around the end of March and then only for an hour or so before we bed down. Conrtarotating wall fitted fans are best for the most part.

We have a 3 bed Bungalow, two of us, and our bill is normally around 500 Baht per month. All the usual electrical appliances, lights etc but i don't leave outside lights on all night as some do. Been living in this house for nearly 6 years and never had a bill for more than 600 Baht even when Christmas lights are up.

[minikev]

A little more than 110 baht each per day. Seems like a pittance for such lxury.

[minikev]

typo a little more than 10 baht each per day.

[MyFriend You]

They say Koh Samui is expensive. I have 3 bedroom house with small pool, never use the AC's, only the ceiling fans, use a gas hob, live alone and monthly power bill is about Baht 6000 (1000 kW x 600 Bt per kW)

That includes your Pool pump, which I assume uses a lot of electricity.......and I wouldn't have a clue what a gas hob is but assume that doesn't use electricity 6K, even on Koh Samui still seems like a lot.........make sure there are no power lines leaving your area under the wall to the neighbors house

[Mekong Bob]

The Kill-A-Watt meter measures power usage on individual devices and appliances.

[Gentlemc]

I thought from water heater.

[Dellboy218]

I disagree with the earlier post about computer use though, my machine is on like 10 hours each day and with a 600 W power supply that means I am using 60 Bt per day ( 1,800 Bt/month ) just to feed the computer. Laptops are more economical, but along with their running cost you have to look at replacement batteries every 2 years which can also cost 3,000 to 4,000 Bt or about 40 Bt per week just for that. Do not regard a computer as trivial usage. Everything hinges on the wattage of the power supply and VERY FEW of them are below 300 W

Just one comment......Because a power supply is capable of delivering 600W it does not mean it is. It is capable of delivering that when called on by by various resources of the computer when it is working hard. sitting watching the internet I would hope it was running at a much lower wattage.

[maidee]

go lay next to him and enjoy the airco ?

[Dellboy218]

As no one has mentioned Fluorescent strip lights..........These are switched on and left on because it is only a 20W tube or perhaps a 40W tube. This is true but........If you have that old wire wound ballast, the cheap one that lasts for nigh on a lifetime, it gets hot. That heat is energy being wasted. If you put a meter on the complete circuit you will find your 18/20W tube is probably taking in excess of 80W, your 40W tube circuit will be taking around 110W. An unfortunate feature of an inductance (the ballast) is to slow down the current waveform so that it is no longer in synch with the Voltage waveform. A capacitor of the correct value put across the input to the ballast can correct this and will reduce the overall Wattage to around 30W (for the 18/20W tube circuit). Or of course you can buy an electronic ballast instead which does not use the offending coil. Maybe time to ditch them in favour of the compact fluorescents, they are energy saving as they have electronic ballasts or LED's.

[JDGRUEN]

Biggest Drains on Electric usage:

Aircon

Shower Water Heater

Tap on your Electric Meter or down line... Easy to do ..

Family members undisciplined in the use of Aircon and shower water heater

Not becoming acclimatized to just using fans

Poor Insulation in numerous places

Do you see the electric bill or does your Thai wife pay it and tell you about it?