Energy cost of 40" vs 30" smokers

[mummel]

So you've got the 800 watt vs 1200 watt elements.  You've got more wood chips required in the 40".  You've got a larger area to heat overall which = more power drawn/longer element burn times.

So it's obvious that a 40" smoker costs more to run, but by how much?  Has anyone run a test using something like the Kill A Watt P3?

 

[backyardsmokin]

Your electric bill is calculated in KiloWatt per Hours (kWh).  Take the wattage and divide by 1000 to get the KiloWatts, then multiply this by the number of hours that it is running to get the total kWh.  Finally take that number and multiply it by the rate that your utility is charging you.

wattage / 1000 = kilowatt (kW)

kilowatt x duration = kilowatt hour (kWh) 

kWh x utility rate = cost to run 

If I were to do a brisket for 16hours out where I live, here is what it would look like

MES 30 - 800W /1000 = .8kWh x 16hrs = 12.8 x .16362 = $2.094
MES 40 - 1200W = 1.2 kWh x 16hrs  = 19.2 x .16362 = $3.141

So a MES 40 would cost me $1.40 more than the MES 30 to run over 16 hrs or .0875 per hour.

Of course this is if the element is running at the highest possible setting the entire time.  The element would not be on the highest setting or on all the time.

 

[mummel]

Great info thanks.  Yeah, Mass is a fricken rip off.  We get charged 0.245c / kWh.  Seriously corrupt system when energy prices are at all time lows............

So by your calcs:

MES 30 - 800W /1000 = .8kWh x 16hrs = 12.8 x .245 = $3.14
MES 40 - 1200W = 1.2 kWh x 16hrs  = 19.2 x .245 = $4.70

Not a big difference IMO.  I dont see energy cost as a reason not to go with a 40".  What do most people get?  Storage space is more of consideration for me so that's why I did not consider a 40 incher.  But I read a post of someone saying the meat touched the side of their 30 and it wasnt ideal. 

 

[timberjet]

Remember that those smokers are very well insulated and the element only comes on to maintain temp.. So if you keep the door shut most of the time you don't lose much heat. I would figure that into the equation. meaning the actual cost for a 16 hour smoke would be considerably less than what that number is. Like maybe 10 percent of what you have there. 

 

[Bearcarver]

Put it this way:

I'll bet we can find a lot more people sorry they got a 30" MES (including me 5 years ago) than we can find sorry they got a 40" MES.

I bought the MES 30 ---6 years ago, and bought the MES 40--- 5 years ago, Then I sold my MES 30 for $50.

Bear