Will a 100 amp to to 200 amp increase electrical bill? Approx. cost for NJ?
Pardon my total ignorance. A lot of times lights flicker when my A/C clicks on or when hair dryer is being used in bedroom when washer & dryer & computer & lights are on in my 1100 sq. ft. home. And certain lights in the house "blow out" a lot more than others. An electrical plug/light combo in the basement blew out and now the light doesn't work. The house was built in 1997, so it is not that old.
. 1. If I have to upgrade to 200 amp service, will my monthly electrical bill be higher because of the upgrade?
2. Also, about how much (in central New Jersey) would it it cost (approx) to upgrade from 100 to 200 amp service? What size wire would good electrical contractor use?
Mr. Peachy®2008-06-15T08:03:04Z
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You probably just need your wiring checked. Sounds like a loose neutral connection, or something. Improving the incoming service probably won't help. Going to a 200 amp box will have no affect on your monthly usage. You probably never come close to 100 amps (that's over 20,000 watts of potential power). Best thing would be to have all the wiring between the circuit panel and the outlets checked. All it takes is a burnt wire or loose/weak connection to cause the symptoms you describe. I don't recommend you do this, but I went and tightened all the pinch screws on all the wires in my panel and replaced all my sockets with the kind that screw the wire in place. The newer, more convenient push in terminals are junk.
An 1100 square foot home shouldn't normally need 200 amps. 200 amps would be for large homes. If by flicker you mean they dim for a moment, then that will happen even if you have a 200 amp breaker box and meter. This is caused by a decrease in voltage from the sudden draw in current. Amps is how much electricity can flow and the voltage is the pressure behind the flow.
Unfortunately I don't live in NJ so I can't tell you how much it will cost there. When I Had my home in Kansas upgraded from 60 to 100 amps 5 years ago, it cost me just under $1000. The equipment for 200 amp service should not be much more and the labor should be the same.
Having a 200 amp service will not increase your electric bill because it will not change how much electricity you use, just enable you to use more if you want to.
Upgrading from 100 Amp to 200 Amp will not increase ur bill. All it meant is , now u have more if u needed. Of course rewiring the basement and put extra line in to accomadate all the extra stuff u have is not cheap. U have to get 3- Electrical contractor to get u the best price and for the amount of work u need done. Average upgrade can cost as much as $5,000- to $7,000. So, plan on the work and needs of the project and get the best price available to you. good luck. P.S- The contractor will know what size wire to use. Just tell him/ her to go according to NJ code. A permit is a MUST.
As mentioned it will not run up the electricity bill..it will simply make it capable to run more items at once...I had the same problem and my place is right at 1100 square feet itself..it was wired with a 60 amp service center and we couldn't plug certain things into the outlet at the same time..we upgraded to a 200 amp service and all is fine...it cost us here in Florida 1200.00 installed and all.... That was 8 months ago and now with gas and all materials going up immensley..I agree with once answerer here saying around 2grand now..
200 amp service for an 1100sq ft dwelling is big. Your elect. bill won't change, unless you use more power, then of course it will, bigger panel doesn't equal more $ per Kw/hr. But what your experiencing sounds like "voltage drop" you might want to have a pro have a look, do a voltage drop check, a load check, and a panel inspection, and make sure he pulls the meter and checks for arcing at the socket.Bus bars too. And tightens all the neutrals @ the panel. A service increase from 100 to 200a. will probably run ya a couple grand. And he should use 2/0 copper for the feeders per NEC table 310-15(b) (6).