How much energy does your appliances use?
If you’re curious about how much electricity your appliances consume, please check the kWh Consumption Levels Table. This table gives the approximate energy consumption of typical appliances. If you have appliances that are not listed in the table, or want a more exact figure based on actual energy consumption, here’s another way to estimate the amount of energy each appliance consumes:
- First, determine the watts of power consumption as described below. A full description of how to find an appliance’s wattage is provided below
- Next, multiply this by the hours per day and number of days you use the appliance during the year. This is the annual consumption.
- Finally, calculate the annual cost to run an appliance by multiplying the kWh per year by the local utility's rate per kWh consumed.
Determining the wattage of your appliances
You can usually find the wattage of most appliances stamped on the bottom (or back) of the appliance, or on its "nameplate." The wattage listed is the maximum power drawn by the appliance. Since many appliances have a range of settings (for example, high and low power for a hair dryer), the actual amount of power it consumes varies by the "setting" used at any one time.
Refrigerators, although turned on all the time, actually cycle on and off at a rate that depends on a number of factors. These factors include: how well it is insulated, room temperature, freezer temperature, how often the door is opened, if the coils are clean, if it is defrosted regularly, and the condition of the door seals.
To get an approximate figure for the number of hours that a refrigerator actually operates at its maximum wattage, divide the total time the refrigerator is plugged in by "3."
If the wattage is not listed on the appliance, you can still estimate it by finding the current draw (in amps) and multiplying that by the voltage used by the appliance. (Most appliances in the United States use 120 volts. Larger appliances, like clothes dryers and electric cook tops, use 240 volts.) The amps might be stamped on the unit in place of the wattage. If not, use a "Clamp-on Ammeter" (an electrician's tool that clamps around one of the two wires on the appliance) to measure the current flowing through it. This type of ammeter can be obtained in stores that sell electrical and electronic equipment. Take a reading while the device is running; this is the actual amount of current being used at that instant.
Note: When measuring the current draw by a motor, in the first second that the motor starts, the meter will show about three times the current than when it is running smoothly.
