YOUR APPLIANCES ARE EATING ELECTRICITY So put them on a diet!
by David Wells
his very minute, your appliances are chewing through your bank account. Gradually, pennies become dollars, and you have a men- acing electric bill. Did you know that a ceiling fan uses only one third as much electricity as a box fan, or that switching just 10 light bulbs to CFLs or LEDs can save you $10 to $40 per month? Education is your best weapon against obese electrical costs. How much electricity does each
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lamp, kitchen appliance, computer or TV actually use? Four factors affect the cost of using any electrical device: the maximum watt/amp rating of the product, how much of that capacity you use, how long you use it, and when you use it.
Example: The Average
Cost of Running a Fan If you use an oscillating fan in your office all day long, at the highest setting, during “peak” hours, it may cost $12/month to operate. The same fan, used in
your bedroom, at the lowest setting without rotation, during overnight “off-peak” rates, may only cost $2/month. You can estimate the cost of operating any appliance using a standard calculator: Your oscillating fan is
rated at 2.1A (amps), operated 8 hours a day.
• Multiply 2.1 amps by 120 volts (equals 250 watts). • Multiply 250 watts by 8 hours usage (equals 2,000 watt- hours). • Divide by 1,000 (equals 2.0 kWh).
Kill A Watt EZ ©P3 International 2010
Get a Handle on It For a more precise projection of electricity usage, especially on devices with variable set- tings, you need to physically measure the electrical draw of your specific appliance. Plug any 120V device into an inexpensive Kill A Watt meter (
p3international.com/ products/
p4460.html), and you will instantly see how much electricity it is using, per hour/day/month/year, at
that particular setting. Once you understand how you
• Multiply the kilowatt-hours by the price of electricity, somewhere between 6¢ to 20¢ per kWh, depending on your utility rates (equals 12¢ to 40¢/day, or $3.60 to $12/mo). Check your APS/ SRP plan – average off-peak rates in Phoenix are 6¢/kWh, average peak rates are 20¢/kWh.
Utilized at maximum capac- ity (high fan speed, with oscillation) during peak hours, the fan costs $12 a month to operate.
can reduce your consumption and take appropriate action, you should see the evidence in your very next electric bill, when compared to the same month last year.
David Wells is a partner in now2zero, a community-minded, Green Energy Information consultancy, helping Phoenix-area homeowners sensibly reduce their energy needs and move towards energy independence. Find out more at
Now2zero.com or call 623-535-0744.
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
October 2010
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