Have you ever wondered how much electricity your home appliances consume each month? Understanding the monthly electricity consumption of electrical appliances in your home will help you know the way to reduce your monthly electricity bill is to reduce your energy use.
Each device or appliance in your home consumes a certain amount of electricity, in kWh. The total kWh used in your home is your electricity consumption. In this article, we will look at the power consumption calculator of any electrical equipment.
Some Definitions You Need To Know Before The Power Consumption Calculator
- Wattage Of The Appliance: It’s simply the electrical consumption of a given appliance and how much power it takes to run it. For example, a 50-watt television will not consume 50 units of electricity, instead, it means the TV will consume electricity at 50 watts per hour.
- Operational Hours: This is the number of hours that the appliance is in use in one day.
- Kilowatt Hours (kWh): A unit of work or energy equal to that expended by one kilowatt in one hour or to 3.6 million joules. This is the value your electricity provider charges you for each kWh (unit) of electricity your home consumes.
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How To Calculate Watts (Wattage) Of An Appliance
A technical specification may be found at the bottom or on the back of any electrical equipment we use. On the label, you’ll discover the wattage of the appliance.
You may discover information about the capacity from the product description on buying sites like Amazon or by simply searching the item name on the Internet. You may also receive an exact figure by visiting the appliance manufacturer’s website.
The issue is that compliance labels frequently display maximum power instead of real power. The only method to determine the true wattage is to use a plugged-in power meter. And we may use the calculation below to figure out the precise watts that your appliance uses.
An appliance’s wattage (in watts) is generally defined as current (in amps) multiplied by voltage (in volts).
This is true for simpler or direct current (DC) circuits, but not for the major electricity we use on a daily basis.
How NOT to Calculate Wattage – Apparent Power (VA)
Amps (A) x Volts (V) = Volt-Amps (VA)
To calculate apparent power usage in volt-amperes, apply the formula above (VA). This equation will give you an approximate indication of how much power you’re using in watts, but it’s not 100% accurate. This necessitates consideration of the power factor.
How to Calculate Wattage – Real Power (Watts)
Amps (A) x Volts (V) x Power Factor = Watts (W)
This formula accounts for the power factor and displays realistic power usage (what you are billed for).
***Note: Power Factor is a measurement of an electrical device’s efficiency in converting volt-amperes to watts. A dimensionless number between 0 and 1 is used to denote the power factor.
For example, we’ll compute the real watts of a television with a compliance label indicating a power consumption of 130 watts.
As previously stated, compliance labels frequently display maximum rather than real power. The power meter in this case displays a power usage of 70 to 110 Watt for 2 hours, which is substantially less than the label claims.
The TV was using 243 volts and 0.421 amps at one time, according to the power meter. If we follow common knowledge and just multiply Volts and Amps without taking into account the power factor, the apparent power drain would be as follows:
- Amps (A) X Volts (V) = VA
- 243 V x 0.421 A = 102.3 VA
…then falsely present it as 102.3 W
When we factor in the power factor, we obtain a completely different result. Because the power meter at the time showed a power factor of 0.65, the computation becomes:
- Amps (A) x Volts (V) x Power Factor = Watts (W)
- 234 V x 0.421 A x 0.65 = 66.5 W
Hopefully, you can understand why getting this math properly is so important.
We’ve also included a table below that displays the typical wattage of various household equipment. Though the wattage of your specific device may vary, this should provide you with a ballpark figure.
Appliance wattage chart
You can refer to the appliance wattage table below:
How to Calculate an Appliance’s Power Consumption
First, to calculate the power consumption of a device, you need to calculate how many watts each device uses per day. Simply multiply the wattage of the gadget by the number of hours you use it every day. This will provide you with the daily watt-hours consumed.
Here is the formula to calculate the Watt-hours you need to apply to calculate the power consumption of the appliance per day:
Device Wattage (Watts) x Hours Used Per Day = Watt-hours (Wh) per Day
Example: A 110-watt television used 2 hours/per day
=> The power consumption of this television each day = 110 Watts x 2 hours = 220 Wh/day
Then, to get the device’s power consumption for the whole month, multiply the device’s power consumption per day by 30 days.
Daily Usage (Watts) x 30 (Days) = Approximate Monthly Usage (Wh/Month)
Example: A television consumes 220 Wh/day
=> The power consumption of this television in a month = 220 Watts x 30 days = 6600 Wh/month.
On your account, electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) rather than watt-hours. Because one kilowatt equals 1000 watts, divide Wh/Month by 1000 to see how many kWh a device consumes.
Device Usage (Wh/Month) / 1000 = Device Usage in kWh
Example: A television that consumes 6600 Wh of power per month
=> Kilowatt-hours consumed per month = 6600 / 1000 = 6.6 kWh/Month
A 110-watt television, for example, operated for 2 hours every day for a month uses 6.6 kilowatt-hours. This is the amount of energy consumed by your television. What does this imply for your electricity bill? It’s now time to move on to the next step.
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Calculate The Electricity Bill You’ll Spend Using Appliances:
Simply multiply the device’s power usage by the energy rate to get the amount of electricity bill you’ll receive for using it.
Power Consumption X Electricity Tariff = Electricity Bill For Using An Appliance
Electricity Tariff – The amount your power supplier costs you for one unit of electricity is known as the electricity tariff.
Example: With an electric rate of $0.10/kWh, a television uses 6.6 kWh per month.
$0.66/month = 6.6 kWh x $0.10
This television would cost you $1.13 a month based on these calculations.
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Power Consumption Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
#1. What is the power factor?
As previously stated, the Power Factor is a measurement of how well electrical equipment converts volt-amperes to watts. A dimensionless number between 0 and 1 is used to denote the power factor.
The power factor becomes ‘better’ as the number approaches one. The more effectively electrical power is used, the greater the power factor. Because resistive loads, such as most electric heaters, turn all electrical power provided into heat, they have a power factor of one. Refrigerators and air conditioners, for example, will have a lower power factor.
#2. What is the wattage of a kilowatt?
Electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) rather than watt-hours on your account. 1000 watts equals one kilowatt.
#3. Why are kilowatt-hours used to measure electricity?
Kilowatt-hours (kWh) are the primary units of measurement for electrical power use, and they are what you see on your electric bill. Because kWh is a measurement of absolute power utilized over time, this unit is used to monitor your usage rather than kilowatts on their own.
#4. What is the difference between kWh and kW?
The power of your electric appliances and the length of time you use them is measured in kWh on your monthly energy bill. The difference between kWh and kW, as well as what you see on your account, is that kW represents the pace at which you consume power, while kWh represents the quantity you use.
#5. How many kWh per day is normal?
The average American home consumes 914 kWh each month, or little more than 30 kWh per day. As a result, a 1-2 bedroom apartment should consume between 20 and 30 kWh per day.
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Conclusion
Hopefully, our article about power consumption calculator will help you calculate the power consumption of each of the devices in your home.
Then you can also calculate the total amount of electrical energy consumed in a month of your house. And find the way to save your energy bill each month.