MONITORING ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN YOUR HOME
Kilowatts Just as litres measure water, kilowatt hours (kWh) measure electricity. Using one (1) kilowatt means using 1000 watts of energy.
When you receive your electricity bill, the section showing how many kilowatt hours (kWh) you used for the month. That way you can keep track of your conservation efforts.
HOUSEHOLD LIGHTS
POWER USAGE One 100-watt bulb (incandescent) operated six hours a day will burn 18 kilowatt hours per month. Cost: About $369.00
One 25-watt fluorescent bulb, which gives as much light as the 100-watt incandescent bulb Cost: $102.50
JPS's Tip Learn to read your meter. It's easy, and you'll always know whether your bill is accurate.
ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS
POWER USAGE The average water heater operated 3 hours a day will use about 135 kilowatt hours per month. Cost: $2,767.50
JPS's Tip The more heat on appliance produces the more power it uses.
HAIR DRYERS
POWER USAGE The average domestic hair dryer burns 1.8 kilowatt hours of electricity every hour. One (1) hour's use a day would burn about 54 kilowatt hours per month. Cost: $1,107.00* Based on a rate of approximately $20.50 per kWh
JPS's Tip Sixty cycle appliances use power less efficiently than true 50 cycle appliances.
CLOTHES IRON
POWER USAGE The average clothes iron burns just over 1kWh of electricity every 2hours. Two hours per week would burn about 10 kilowatt hours per month Cost: About $205.
JPS's Tip Appliances that provide heat use more power. Keeping them on, if you don't need to, is a waste of power.
CAC's Tip Iron once per week for a maximum of 2hours
REFRIGERATORS
POWER USAGE The average 16cu.ft. refrigerator burns about 60 kWh per month. Cost: About $1,230
JPS's Tip Top freezer models are more energy efficient than side-by-side models. Older refridgeration-10-15 years-will generally be less energy efficient than new ones.
Information provided by the Consumer Affairs Commission