My wife and I recently bought a Co-op, and we were astounded by our first electric bill. We have a lot of tech, so I figured that would make it more than our neighbors, but this was just way to much. I decided to invest in a Kill-a-Watt to find out just how much power our stuff uses, both "on" and "off".
I checked all the components hooked up in the entertainment center, at my desk in the office, and the few gadgets in the kitchen. I currently have the Kill-a-Watt hooked up to the refrigerator, and in a couple days I'll check it to find out the average power (it varies a lot depending on whether or not the compressor is running).
I've posted the power of each item (the number in parentheses is when the item is "off") and the total cost to me each month, based on my estimated hours of usage. Check here for a complete rundown.
Oh, we live on Long Island, and we have decided :cough:were forced:cough: to get our electricity from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) which charges 18¢ per kWh.
The only thing I really discovered is that I should make sure I put my computer in sleep mode or turn it off when I am not using it. I spend about $20 per month to run my computer, but I am only using it a few hours a day.
The question still remains: what are we spending all this money on every month?!?!? There are things that I can't/won't test with the Kill-a-Watt (washer/dryer, dishwasher, water heater, etc), but I don't know if they could make up the difference. Any suggestions in the comments would be appreciated.
| Item | Power | Cost Per Month |
|---|---|---|
| Living Room | ||
| Floor Lamp | 7.5 (0) | 0.162 |
| NES | 10 (4.5) | 0.5832 |
| MacMini | 20 (0) | 0 |
| LaserDisc (Pioneer) | 22.5 (8) | 1.0368 |
| N64 | 8.5 (0) | 0 |
| Cable Modem | 8 (N/A) | 1.0368 |
| Plasma TV (Samsung) | 250 (0) | 6.75 |
| Phone | 1.5 (N/A) | 0.1944 |
| Wireless Router | 2.5 (N/A) | 0.324 |
| Wii | 16 (1) | 0.1296 |
| Xbox 360 | 100 (0) | 1.08 |
| Cable Box | 22 (22) | 2.8512 |
| Office | ||
| Computer | 150 (2) | 19.44 |
| Monitor | 25 (0) | 3.24 |
| Computer (w/sleep) | 150 (2) | 3.456 |
| Monitor (w/sleep) | 25 (0) | 0.54 |
| Printer | 7 (0) | 0.9072 |
| External DVD-R | 6 (9) | 0.7776 |
| Speakers | 11 (6.2) | 1.4256 |
| Kitchen | ||
| Keurig | 5.4 (3.8) | 0.69984 |
| Toaster | 950 (1.7) | 0.647055 |
| Kitchenaid Stand Mixer | 90 (0) | 0.0324 |
| Total Cost (w/o sleep) | 41.317695 | |
| Total Cost (w/ sleep) | 22.633695 |
2 comments:
That is cool you you posted this. Very interesting. I will now try to turn off my computer faithfully.
Thanks @:-D
It's harder than you think. I should leave a note on the lamp on my night stand so it reminds me before I turn the light out.
In college I had a wireless mouse that I would always forget to set on the charger, so I put a post it over the monitor power button that said "Got Mouse?"
I stopped forgetting to charge the mouse, and I never forgot to turn off the monitor, because it bothered my roommate's sensitive eyes while he was sleeping if I left it on.
(I just put that last part in so I can find out if he reads my blog.)
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