How much energy does an appliance use?

Jennifer Chait — Sat, 30 May 2009 02:13:33 +0000

The question of just how much energy does a particular appliance or electronic device use is a valid one. For one thing, if you’ve got some cash for a green upgrade why not invest that money in the best most energy saving option?

The U.S. Department of Energy offers the following calculation…

Formula for Estimating Energy Consumption

“(Wattage × Hours Used Per Day ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption

(1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 Watts)

Multiply this by the number of days you use the appliance during the year for the annual consumption. You can then calculate the annual cost to run an appliance by multiplying the kWh per year by your local utility’s rate per kWh consumed.”

They also offer a list of common consumptions you can browse.

Another great place to estimate cost vs. worth of an energy efficient appliance is at Green and Save. Green and Save is this awesome website that allows you to calculate cost vs. savings of different green home features. It can help you decide which green home choices are worth the money.

For example, you can visit their ROI Tables and learn which fridge might save you the most money over time OR if an energy efficient dryer would be a better use of funds. See below for an example of a programmable thermostat.

For the complete ROI tables and topic page with details on over 50 ways to SAVE Money and the Environment visit: Home Remodeling ROI.

Now you can calculate some of your own appliances and electronics and see which are the best green choices for your home.