Every year the cost of electricity is getting higher and higher, and this, in turn, makes users think about controlling its consumption and saving. The rate of consumption and the cost of electricity differ depending on the purpose of the household, the territorial and climatic features, the availability of energy, and other factors. Knowing the price and the number of kilowatt-hours worked, it is possible to understand the total amount the user will pay. While the price per kWh is a fixed value, consumption is a calculated value.
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How to calculate electricity consumption
Electricity consumption can be counted in different ways: by using a calculation or by using different meters. That said, each of these methods will allow you to evaluate the energy efficiency of any appliance.
According to the table
A simplified version of the calculation, is an approximate calculation using this table or adapting it to your situation.
| Name of electric device | Maximum power, kW | Number of units, pcs. | Operating time per day, h | Consumption per month (30 days), kW | Amount payable, rubles (tariff 3.48) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 0,6 | 1 | 2 | 36 | 125,28 |
| TV | 0,5 | 2 | 5 | 75 | 261 |
| Washing machine | 2,2 | 1 | 3 | 198 | 689,04 |
| Dishwasher | 2,5 | 1 | 3 | 225 | 783 |
| Kettle | 1,2 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 125,28 |
| Microwave | 1,1 | 1 | 0,5 | 16,5 | 57,42 |
| Lighting (lamps) | 0,01 | 10 | 5 | 1,5 | 5,22 |
This table shows the daily operation of electrical appliances at maximum power, in reality consumption may vary. Some appliances may run for a few hours a week or a month, so it is best to base it on the actual situation on the spot.
The tabular form allows you to clearly understand which appliance consumes the most energy, analyze the possibility of reducing the operation of certain appliances, switch to more energy-efficient devices or refuse to use certain appliances.
By formula
Also it is possible to calculate the power consumption using the load current and the mains voltage. This is all the more convenient when you know the current consumption, but do not know the power of the device. In such a situation, according to Ohm's law, first determine the maximum power consumption of the device: P=I(current)*U(voltage). And then, calculate the power consumption per hour: Ph = P(power)*t (1 hour).
Based on the calculation of this formula, you can also make a table and analyze the energy consumption in a given room, then it will become clear which device is the most energy consuming.
Online calculator
The easiest and most convenient tool for calculating electrical energy is a free online calculator.
It allows you to calculate the power consumption for a single appliance, as well as for all devices in the living space. You do not need any special experience or knowledge to do this. All you have to do is enter information in each field: the price per kW of electricity in your region, the power of each appliance, and the period for which you want to calculate consumption.
How to calculate electricity by wattage
In order to determine the consumption of electricity per hour, you need to know the wattage of each electrical appliance operating during this period.
Each appliance usually has its maximum wattage listed in the specifications and on the back cover. Therefore, the maximum power consumption per hour will be equal to this value.
For example, we have a kettle with a maximum power of 1200 W or 1.2 kW, then, accordingly, the power consumption of this kettle per hour will be equal to 1.2 kW*h.
This calculation is valid for the situations when the device is working at maximum power. If it will work in another mode (with less power), then the calculation will be inaccurate. For example, if one burner of a 7.5 kW stove is working, it is clear that the consumption will be much lower than the maximum.
More accurate consumption counts special devices, which can be connected either to an individual appliance or outlet group, or installed on the entire living space as a whole, for example, electricity meters. Some of these devices can transmit real-time information to a computer for later analysis, which is quite often used in smart home systems or for automated electricity metering by service organizations.
In order to save money, any savvy homeowner should know how much energy each appliance in his or her home is using and plan the use of each device based on that (For example, With a two-rate meter at night The use of high-powered appliances will be much cheaper.), as well as to abandon energy inefficient appliances. Evaluate the difference in power consumption LED bulbs and incandescent lamps can be found in our article on this topic.
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