How to Calculate Electricity Usage Costs and Charges
Do you know how much your electronics and appliances cost to run and operate? In today’s world, where eco-awareness is a growing concern, being mindful and aware of how much energy you are using and its costs to run certain appliances is growing in importance.
Each device or appliance you use is reflected in your monthly energy costs. However, this doesn’t mean they all cost you the same amount of money. Keep reading to learn how to determine how much your appliance costs you by using the current Houston electricity rates by EnergyBot.
Table of Contents
Determine the Wattage of the Appliance
First, find the wattage of your devices. This is easier than some people think for electronics and appliances. Usually, the wattage label is found somewhere on the device. If you don’t know where to look, check the back or bottom. It should also be found in the owner’s manual. Sometimes, this number is listed in kilowatts, which means you need to remember that 1000 watts are in a single kilowatt.
If you can’t find the wattage label, you still have options. You can research the manufacturer with the model number of the device. Just remember, the wattage you find online will be “peak wattage,” which means it is the most that the appliance will use.
For a general estimate, you can use the following wattage amounts for your devices:
- Television 65 to 170 watts
- Dishwasher 1200 to 2400 watts
- Laptop 50 watts
- Dryer 1800 to 5000 watts
- Washer 350 to 500 watts
Calculate the Watts Used Per Day
You may need a calculator for the next step. The goal is to figure out how many watts per day your devices are using. This means you need to multiply the device’s wattage by how many hours it is used per day.
For example, if you have a 120-watt television that is used for four hours per day, you multiply 120 by 4 to get 480. This means your TV uses approximately 480-watts per day.
Remember, though, electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours on your energy bill, rather than watt-hours. To figure this out, remember that one kilowatt is 1000 watts. To determine this number, divide the total watt-hours by 1000. This means 480 (from the example above) divided by 1000, which is 0.480 kWh.
Figure Out Your Monthly Usage
The next step is to multiply the daily kWh (determined above) by 30 to determine how much energy a certain appliance or electronic uses per month. This means 0.480 kWh multiplied by 30, which is 14.4 kWh/month. This is the monthly use for one device.
Now that you know the amount of energy the device is using in a month, you can calculate the total cost. You will need your energy bill for this.
Figure Out the Cost
Use your electric bill to figure out what you are paying for every kWh. This will likely range between $0.09 and $0.33 per kWh.
Now that you know the cost of running certain appliances, you can decide to reduce usage to reduce your utility costs.
Taking Steps to Reduce Your Utility Costs
Being informed and knowing how much each appliance and device in your home costs to run on an ongoing basis will help you decide if you should cut back on the use of certain things. If you are trying to save money, this will be invaluable and help you see where there is some room to reduce usage and, as a result, save money. Keep this in mind to optimize the energy usage in your home or business.