Just for a Electrical Service, will my electric bill be cheaper using 480VAC versus 208VAC.?

Question

Since we pay out in Kilowatts, wouldn't 480VAC reduce my bill by half the cost versus 208VAC 3phase. I'm looking long term here. I just built me a monster garage, now I need to get power from the street. I had talked to a Electrican, but he keeps feeding me hogwash!

Answer 1

Kilowatts are kilowatts, regardless of the voltage of your service. If a refrigerator takes 4 kWh per day to run it, it will take 4 kWh to run it whether your voltage service is 480V or 208V.

Getting a higher voltage electrical service does not mean that you will use less power. If your electric company gives you a discount for the higher-voltage service, then you might save some money.

Sounds like a nice garage... have fun!

Edit: Some of the answerers clearly do not understand the relationship of voltage, current (amps) and power (watts). Voltage times current equals power, so the formula is V x A = Power in watts. If you double the voltage, the current will be cut in half... but the power used will stay exactly the same.

For example, if you have a tool that draws 10 Amps at 100 Volts, the tool uses 1,000 Watts. If you double the voltage to 200 and half the current to 5 Amps, and 200 x 5 = 1,000 watts. You do not use less power when the voltage goes up, and power is what you pay for.

Answer 2

You pay in kilowatt hours actually, which is energy. KW is power. But either way, that does not change with voltage. 480V is used for larger loads because the wire can be smaller. Double the voltage the current is half, power is the same.

This is your house? I doubt you can get either one. Both are 3 phase services. If the power co would give you 208V you'll probably pay through the nose. 480V is only for customers that have a higher power requirement. Equipment will cost a LOT more for 480V also. Even smaller commercial buildings don't use 480V.

As far as your electrician feeding you hogwash. Get a second opinion. I would expect an electrician to know more than the average DIYer. If your electrician is saying what I am, it is no hogwash.

Answer 3

Unless you will be using motors and equipment requiring 3 phase it will actually cost you more in the long run.

You said for "just for electrical service". I assume that you think that the 3 phase 480 volts means you will draw less amps.
NO Whole different ball game when you go 3 phase. And unless the utility has 3 phase right there on the street for you get ready to prove that you need it and how much power you will use cause it ain't cheap bringing 3 phase supply into a service hookup. Another point is if you don't need the 3 phase that means you have to step it down and put in a peice of switch gear to get back to single phase. $$$ +$$$ Or you could always rig it and just use one leg and then when the utility got a power surge and 1 leg jumped to 300 amps, your building caught on fire, your insurance said no way to paying because of illegal wiring, your wife left you and married the insurance salesman.

Unless you need 3 phase for 3 phase motors there is absolutely no cost savings with going 3 phase. I can show you my peak power demand penalties from July and August. My service to my business is 13.8 KVA running through swithgear to 480/277/208/120 August bill $137,331.00 after peak $151,049.73

Hope this Helps :)

Answer 4

480 WILL be cheaper. It all has to do with how many AMPs your equipment will draw. For instance one of our machines can draw 480 OR 208. Hooked up to 480 it draws HALF the amps. Drawing less amps, it runs more efficiently. Running more efficient it draws less power.

However, you might want to look into cost before you do this. At my location at work we could only justify going with 480 because our building consumes-at peak- up to 150 amps at any given point. If we kept with 208, that would be 300. And at 300 amps we would have had to upgrade the buildings supply. BUKU DOLLAR. We ended up going with the 480 and reducing the amps by getting a transformer inside the building, which was a little more cost effective.

Answer 5

it depends on your loads
most commercial building are usally 480/277 service,and usally are stepped down inside the building to 120/208 service for anythnig needing 120v power ( mainly computers and appliances ), where a the AC units, lighting and big motors to run machinary tend all to be 480/277v, for better performance at the higher voltages.

Answer 6

Should not affect your cost at all. Price is based on how much power you use. You should consider whether or not you will want to use 3phase for large motors or machines. Most homeowners don't use such large machines.

Answer 7

Only if you use 3 phase motors. 110 lighting draws the same wattage no matter what the service is.

But you pay for wattage. Raising voltage in itself does not change the wattage but rather the amperage. (P = IE)

Answer 8

3 phase will be no less or more its the amount of power that you will draw call thew city and ask to speak to the codes or someone in their inspection department or call your local IBEW union and ask them good luck

Answer 9

the higher the volts the less amps you need so i think that it will cost less