Cost of leaving a 23W fluorescent bulb lit. Money waster?

**gatch** · 5th May 2011, 20:15

I live with people a bit younger than me, who tend to make a huge deal of things because they have nothing better to do.

The latest debacle is one of the flatmates leaves her "energy saver" light bulb going when she leaves her room, the miserly flatmate thinks it is wasting money. He is not that bright. For the record, I couldn't give a flying fuck, it really doesn't bother me, at all. But I like squashing their dramas with simple logic. Yay for brains.

Anyway, I just did some rough maths on how much money is actually being wasted.

I figured the most we are being charged for our power is $0.38kW/H.
The offending bulb uses 0.023kW/H. The answer I get is we are being robbed of 0.874 CENTS PER HOUR. ZOMFGROFLMAOLOLRUS THE HORROR.

Does this seem about right ?

**FJRider** · 5th May 2011, 20:20

Originally Posted by gatch

Does this seem about right ?

Your posting of this thread will have cost more than a week of that light bulb ...

YOU ENERGY WASTER ...

**Flip** · 5th May 2011, 20:57

Sounds about right. $90 a year.

**sil3nt** · 5th May 2011, 21:06

My flatmate switches off the PS3 (at the back) unplugs the microwave and dryer (which he says we are not allowed to use) then leaves the house for a few days (stays at his girls) leaving his computer running with no power saving modes on (so screen and hard drives still chugging away) and then when he gets home he jumps into his bed that is nicely warmed by his electric blanket.....

When hes gone i do a load of washing and then throw it in the dryer for a couple of hours

**Laava** · 5th May 2011, 21:06

Originally Posted by gatch

ZOMFGROFLMAOLOLRUS THE HORROR.

Is that a movie?

**Crasherfromwayback** · 5th May 2011, 21:11

Originally Posted by sil3nt

When hes gone i do a load of washing and then throw it in the dryer for a couple of hours

I'd get a new flatmate. Preferably one with big tits and no morals so you can root her. No need for an electric blanket then either.

**AllanB** · 5th May 2011, 21:40

Originally Posted by Crasherfromwayback

I'd get a new flatmate. Preferably one with big tits and no morals so you can root her. No need for an electric blanket then either.

Now that's some solid advice.

**FJRider** · 5th May 2011, 21:45

Originally Posted by Crasherfromwayback

I'd get a new flatmate. Preferably one with big tits and no morals so you can root her. No need for an electric blanket then either.

Won't matter even if she's ugly ... think of the power you'll save ... and you wont need to change YOUR sheets so often either ... (just use HER bed)

win win I say ...

**gatch** · 5th May 2011, 22:12

So I told the miser flatmate about his logic fail. He is not smart enough to comprehend what kilowatt hours are. So still doesn't really understand that leaving the light on is NOT going to bankrupt him.

Originally Posted by sil3nt

My flatmate switches off the PS3 (at the back) unplugs the microwave and dryer (which he says we are not allowed to use) then leaves the house for a few days (stays at his girls) leaving his computer running with no power saving modes on (so screen and hard drives still chugging away) and then when he gets home he jumps into his bed that is nicely warmed by his electric blanket.....

When hes gone i do a load of washing and then throw it in the dryer for a couple of hours

I wash everything I can with hot water. I take long showers. I move his stuff around in the pantry to fuck with his routines. I've even taken to leaving half chewed bits of sausage around the house, then blame it on his dog. He's fun to annoy...

Originally Posted by Crasherfromwayback

I'd get a new flatmate. Preferably one with big tits and no morals so you can root her. No need for an electric blanket then either.

Never a truer word spoken. I'm working on mine now

**Crasherfromwayback** · 5th May 2011, 22:28

Originally Posted by gatch

Never a truer word spoken. I'm working on mine now

Two bottles of Red, straight to bed.

**Gremlin** · 5th May 2011, 22:29

You could also point out that the energy saving bulbs are not at their brightest straight away, so it's not the type of bulb to constantly turn on and off.

I'd shudder a bit to think how much my PC consumes, with 7 drives, 2 graphics cards etc. Screens are off, but it's on 24/7

**Ender EnZed** · 5th May 2011, 22:36

Originally Posted by gatch

I figured the most we are being charged for our power is $0.38kW/H.
The offending bulb uses 0.023kW/H. The answer I get is we are being robbed of 0.874 CENTS PER HOUR. ZOMFGROFLMAOLOLRUS THE HORROR.

Does this seem about right ?

I doubt you're getting charged as much as $0.38 per kWh unless you're on a low user plan with hardly any lines charges. I pay $0.169 per kWh on a normal plan, at that rate leaving a 23W bulb on for an hour would cost 0.3887 cents per hour.

**steve_t** · 5th May 2011, 22:52

Originally Posted by Ender EnZed

I doubt you're getting charged as much as $0.38 per kWh unless you're on a low user plan with hardly any lines charges. I pay $0.169 per kWh on a normal plan, at that rate leaving a 23W bulb on for an hour would cost 0.3887 cents per hour.

Who's your provider? I'm now playing $0.2529 per kWh with Genesis Energy. Was $0.2439 til the start of the month

**gatch** · 5th May 2011, 23:45

Originally Posted by Ender EnZed

I doubt you're getting charged as much as $0.38 per kWh unless you're on a low user plan with hardly any lines charges. I pay $0.169 per kWh on a normal plan, at that rate leaving a 23W bulb on for an hour would cost 0.3887 cents per hour.

I know it is actually less than 38 cents. But for the sake of simplicity I used the highest figure I could find on their pricing plan.