Knowing the hidden costs of operating appliances will help you to shop smarter and save you money for many years to come.  Use this handy formula to help you calculate the cost of your Major Home Appliance.  

What is watt?

Energy consumption is calculated by kilowatt hours  (KWH), and is recorded by your electric meter. Your electricity bill is calculated based your electric consumption, the more you use the more you pay.

How to calculate the cost of operating an appliance.
 

1. Convert Watts to kilowatts by dividing the Watts by 1000.
2. Multiply by the number of hours you plan to use the appliance per month.
3. Multiply by cost of electricity (per KWH).

For example, let's take a typical 60 Watts light bulb that's turned on for a whole month, and that the operating cost is 10 cents for every KWH.  You can find out how much you are paying per KWH by looking on your current electric bill or by contacting your electric supply company.

1. Kilowatts = 60 Watts divided by 1000 Kilowatts = 0.06 kW
2. Kilowatt hours = 0.06 KWH multiplied by  (24 hrs/day times 30 days) = 43.2 KWH
3. Cost = 43.2 KWH multiplied by .10 cents = $ 4.30

Multiply this by 12 if you want to know how much the light bulb would cost you per year to operate.  In this case, it works out to $51.84 per year.  Of course you don't operate your washer or dryer continuously, so you would have to figure out approximately how many hours per week you are using them and figure accordingly. 

You can use the same formula when shopping for a new appliance. You should be especially concerned when you purchase big appliances like refrigerators, freezers, ranges, etc, since they can literally waste hard earned cash out of your pocket if you are not careful.  With today's standards, most appliances are expected to last more than 10 years.  Unfortunately, KWH is the last thing people think about when making an appliance purchase.  It should be right up there with other buying considerations such as Brand Name, Quality and Price.

You should also note that the six major appliances, refrigerator, freezer, stove, washer, dryer, and dishwasher are required to have the Energy Label Guide by law. The Energy Label Guide is NOT a seal of efficiency or approval, but merely an estimated guide of the average KWH consumption per year. The lower the number the more you save on your electricity bill.

Need more information, email us at sales@affordableappliance.com