I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and socket
used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine the
usage?

Thanks,

cm

cm wrote:
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and socket
used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine the
usage?

What's the supply voltage/phase?

Where's the connection(s)?

There are ways depends on what it is and where, etc., as above.

Alternatively, it's possible one might get an estimated usage and then
simply count operating hours and be close enough.

--

On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:30:40 -0500, dpb wrote:

cm wrote:
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and socket
used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine the
usage?

What's the supply voltage/phase?

Where's the connection(s)?

There are ways depends on what it is and where, etc., as above.

Alternatively, it's possible one might get an estimated usage and then
simply count operating hours and be close enough.

Yeah. If it is on 24/7 you could ball park it pretty close.
You need wattage and power factor. At the breaker(s) you can take an
amp meter and get it pretty close.

Pete C. wrote:

... Certainly a $30 hour meter will be a lot cheaper than a real KWH meter.

A used residential kWh meter might cost $20.

Nick

"cm" wrote in message
...
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and
socket used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine
the usage?

Thanks,

cm


Jeebus man, raise your sights and think big! Apportioning cost for electric
use for a sign? You must be some kind of landlord!

cm wrote:
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and socket
used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine the
usage?

Thanks,

cm


You can buy used meters for ~ $30. You can get various form factors such
as the common "A" base plug ins or two wire panel mount versions with
lugs which are typically used for sub-metering.

"cm" wrote in message
...
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and
socket used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine
the usage?


Go to an electric supply company and inquire about submeters. They are used
in situations such as this. You may find that the material cost and the
cost of labor to install it is not worth it.

On Sep 23, 8:29*pm, "cm" wrote:
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and socket
used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine the
usage?

Thanks,

cm

Just figure out what the power usage is (consumption of the
lights) and the number of hours per day it runs and go from there. It
is not likely to change from week to week. No need to buy anything.

wrote:

Pete C. wrote:

... Certainly a $30 hour meter will be a lot cheaper than a real KWH meter.

A used residential kWh meter might cost $20.

Nick

Might, if you can find one. They aren't exactly a popular item, so they
aren't found in abundance from common sources.

just see how many watts it pulls and calculate simple math man. jeeeeze...
OR hook it to one of the tennants meter and forget it. I doubt it makes a
noticible difference.

s


"cm" wrote in message
...
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and
socket used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine
the usage?

Thanks,

cm

wrote:

On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:00:31 -0500, "Pete C."
wrote:


wrote:

Pete C. wrote:

... Certainly a $30 hour meter will be a lot cheaper than a real KWH meter.

A used residential kWh meter might cost $20.

Nick

Might, if you can find one. They aren't exactly a popular item, so they
aren't found in abundance from common sources.

http://www.hialeahmeter.com/spwm.html
$16

Well, there you go, though you do have to figure in the cost of the
socket as well for another $11 + shipping on everything.

On Sep 24, 9:04*pm, Blattus Slafaly
wrote:
cm wrote:
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and socket
used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine the
usage?

Thanks,

cm

How many watts is it? *1000 watts for 1 hour is 1 kwh (1 kilowatt hour)
Times 24 hours is 24 kwh times 30 days is 720 kwh times .07 per kilowatt
hour is $50.40 a month divided by 3 is $16.80 each.

Then see your electric rates and do the math per kilowatt hour.

--
Blattus Slafaly *? 3 * * *7/8

Agree unless it is giganticus sign using many kilowatts it should be
pretty easy to calculate how much electrcity it uses and just
apportion that.

For example suppose the sign uses 500 watts. So for one hour that is
half a kilowatt hour.

If electrcity costs ten cents per kilowatt hour that sign will cost 5
cents for every hour it is on.

Even if that 500 watt sign is on continuously for a month (720hrs) it
will only cost approx. $36.

Anyway: Divide the $36 up four ways. One quarter for each tenant and
one quarter for yourself. That will create good will when the tenants
get one third of the usage of the sign and it will only cost you $9.
It's your building after all?

On other hand if it's only on at night it will probably cost less
than $20 bucks/month, hardly worth bothering about?

But apportioning such a minor item seems rather unproductive and time
wasting?
It's not like trying to share a $600 snow clearing bill between three
tenants!

terry wrote:
On Sep 24, 9:04 pm, Blattus Slafaly
wrote:
cm wrote:
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter
so we can determine the electric use and divide it between the
three tenants on the property. Are there any simple meters besides
a typical meter and socket used on most homes and business. Is
there another way to determine the usage?

Thanks,

cm

How many watts is it? 1000 watts for 1 hour is 1 kwh (1 kilowatt
hour) Times 24 hours is 24 kwh times 30 days is 720 kwh times .07
per kilowatt hour is $50.40 a month divided by 3 is $16.80 each.

Then see your electric rates and do the math per kilowatt hour.

--
Blattus Slafaly ? 3 7/8

Agree unless it is giganticus sign using many kilowatts it should be
pretty easy to calculate how much electrcity it uses and just
apportion that.

For example suppose the sign uses 500 watts. So for one hour that is
half a kilowatt hour.

If electrcity costs ten cents per kilowatt hour that sign will cost 5
cents for every hour it is on.

Even if that 500 watt sign is on continuously for a month (720hrs) it
will only cost approx. $36.

Anyway: Divide the $36 up four ways. One quarter for each tenant and
one quarter for yourself. That will create good will when the tenants
get one third of the usage of the sign and it will only cost you $9.
It's your building after all?

On other hand if it's only on at night it will probably cost less
than $20 bucks/month, hardly worth bothering about?

But apportioning such a minor item seems rather unproductive and time
wasting?
It's not like trying to share a $600 snow clearing bill between three
tenants!

Or you could do like my old landlord (whose name was Satan). Hire your
brother-in-law to do the common area maintenance. When the tenants complain,
show them the invoice (at ten times the going rate), go through the math
based on square footage, and declare they're paying a fair pro-rata amount.

Or you could do like my old landlord (whose name was Satan).

You used to live in Hell? And they made you pay rent too?

What did you do to deserve THAT?

:-)


JK

Big_Jake wrote:
Or you could do like my old landlord (whose name was Satan).

You used to live in Hell? And they made you pay rent too?

What did you do to deserve THAT?


No, it wasn't Hell, it just seemed like it.

And my landlord wasn't THE Satan, he was just a Satan wannabe. Or at least a
Satan groupie.

On Sep 25, 9:22*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Big_Jake wrote:
Or you could do like my old landlord (whose name was Satan).

You used to live in Hell? *And they made you pay rent too?

What did you do to deserve THAT?

No, it wasn't Hell, it just seemed like it.

And my landlord wasn't THE Satan, he was just a Satan wannabe. Or at least a
Satan groupie.

Just to reword a comment concerning the rather odd original posting;
"The road to Hell is paved with 'bad' intentions".
It will probably turn out that the sign referred to by the OP (Who, so
far, has never responded to any of the thread posters suggestions),
uses 150 watts (that's about 2 cents worth of electricity per hour);
and is only switched on for six to eight hours per night.
Ergo, for a month total consumption = $5 per
month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Storm in a teacup; maybe?

On Sep 25, 7:35*am, terry wrote:
On Sep 25, 9:22*am, "HeyBub" wrote:

Big_Jake wrote:
Or you could do like my old landlord (whose name was Satan).

You used to live in Hell? *And they made you pay rent too?

What did you do to deserve THAT?

No, it wasn't Hell, it just seemed like it.

And my landlord wasn't THE Satan, he was just a Satan wannabe. Or at least a
Satan groupie.

Just to reword a comment concerning the rather odd original posting;
"The road to Hell is paved with 'bad' intentions".
It will probably turn out that the sign referred to by the OP (Who, so
far, has never responded to any of the thread posters suggestions),
uses 150 watts (that's about 2 cents worth of electricity per hour);
and is only switched on for six to eight hours per night.
Ergo, for a month total consumption = $5 per
month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Storm in a teacup; maybe?

Maybe its just me, but I am picturing a billboard that is 30' wide by
10' high, lighted by some huge halogen lighting system drawing
thousands of watts. Why he would be trying to divide the cost of it
between the three tenants is beyond me.

JK

On Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:39:18 -0700 (PDT), Big_Jake
wrote:

On Sep 25, 7:35*am, terry wrote:
On Sep 25, 9:22*am, "HeyBub" wrote:

Big_Jake wrote:
Or you could do like my old landlord (whose name was Satan).

You used to live in Hell? *And they made you pay rent too?

What did you do to deserve THAT?

No, it wasn't Hell, it just seemed like it.

And my landlord wasn't THE Satan, he was just a Satan wannabe. Or at least a
Satan groupie.

Just to reword a comment concerning the rather odd original posting;
"The road to Hell is paved with 'bad' intentions".
It will probably turn out that the sign referred to by the OP (Who, so
far, has never responded to any of the thread posters suggestions),
uses 150 watts (that's about 2 cents worth of electricity per hour);
and is only switched on for six to eight hours per night.
Ergo, for a month total consumption = $5 per
month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Storm in a teacup; maybe?

Maybe its just me, but I am picturing a billboard that is 30' wide by
10' high, lighted by some huge halogen lighting system drawing
thousands of watts. Why he would be trying to divide the cost of it
between the three tenants is beyond me.

JK

He may be able to call the sign company and just ask how much it cost
to operate.

Thanks for all the suggestions and information. I do not own the buildings
or sign. The owner insists on installing a meter. I gave him a quote of $400
and another guy did it for $125.00.

cm


"cm" wrote in message
...
I have a lighted sign on a commercial building that I need to meter so we
can determine the electric use and divide it between the three tenants on
the property. Are there any simple meters besides a typical meter and
socket used on most homes and business. Is there another way to determine
the usage?

Thanks,

cm

"cm" wrote in message
...
Thanks for all the suggestions and information. I do not own the buildings
or sign. The owner insists on installing a meter. I gave him a quote of
$400 and another guy did it for $125.00.

cm

It would be interesting to hear what the monthly use is to see if there is a
payback.