Calculate Electric

Understanding your electricity consumption and its associated costs can help you manage your household budget and identify opportunities for energy savings. This calculator helps you estimate the monthly electricity cost for a single appliance or a group of similar appliances based on their power rating, usage duration, and your local electricity rate.

How Electricity is Billed

Electricity is typically measured and billed in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt-hour represents the energy consumed by a 1,000-watt (1 kilowatt) appliance running for one hour. Your utility company charges you a certain rate per kWh consumed. By knowing an appliance's power in watts, how many hours it runs per day, and how many days per month, you can estimate its contribution to your overall electric bill.

Using the Calculator

To use the calculator, you'll need three main pieces of information:

1. Appliance Power (Watts): This is usually found on a label on the appliance itself, in its manual, or by searching online. For example, a standard incandescent light bulb might be 60W, a refrigerator 150W, or a microwave 1200W.
2. Hours Used Per Day: Estimate how many hours the appliance is actively running each day. For appliances that run intermittently (like a refrigerator), you might need to estimate its "on" time.
3. Days Used Per Month: How many days out of the month is this appliance typically used?
4. Electricity Cost Per kWh ($): This rate is found on your electricity bill. It's the price your utility company charges for each kilowatt-hour of electricity you consume. Rates vary significantly by region and utility provider.

Examples of Appliance Costs

Let's look at a few examples using a typical electricity cost of $0.15 per kWh:

• 60W Incandescent Light Bulb: Used 5 hours/day, 30 days/month.
  Energy per day = (60W * 5h) / 1000 = 0.3 kWh
  Energy per month = 0.3 kWh * 30 days = 9 kWh
  Monthly Cost = 9 kWh * $0.15/kWh = $1.35
• 1500W Microwave: Used 0.25 hours/day (15 minutes), 30 days/month.
  Energy per day = (1500W * 0.25h) / 1000 = 0.375 kWh
  Energy per month = 0.375 kWh * 30 days = 11.25 kWh
  Monthly Cost = 11.25 kWh * $0.15/kWh = $1.69
• 200W Desktop Computer: Used 8 hours/day, 22 days/month.
  Energy per day = (200W * 8h) / 1000 = 1.6 kWh
  Energy per month = 1.6 kWh * 22 days = 35.2 kWh
  Monthly Cost = 35.2 kWh * $0.15/kWh = $5.28

Tips for Reducing Electricity Consumption

• Unplug "Vampire" Devices: Many electronics consume power even when turned off (e.g., TVs, chargers, game consoles). Use power strips to easily cut power to multiple devices.
• Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Appliances: Look for ENERGY STAR® certified appliances, which are designed to use less energy.
• Use LED Lighting: Replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs, which use significantly less energy and last much longer.
• Optimize Heating and Cooling: Use programmable thermostats, seal drafts, and ensure your HVAC system is well-maintained.
• Wash Clothes in Cold Water: Heating water for laundry uses a lot of energy.
• Air Dry Clothes: Clothes dryers are major energy consumers.

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Estimated Monthly Consumption & Cost:

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