How to calculate the electricity consumption of household appliances

Electricity is one of the most expensive parts of the family budget. All devices work from electricity, without which a modern man cannot imagine his life - lighting devices, household appliances, electronics. To save money, you need to be able to calculate how much a particular device consumes and how much the owner of a one-room or multi-room apartment should pay for it. To make a calculation, you need to understand what power is, and be able to determine it. How much electricity an apartment consumes on average will be determined by the type of device, the time of its use and other important parameters.

How to calculate electricity from household appliances

The ability to determine the power of technology is a must for every tenant of the house. Not only the financial component, but also the safety of housing depends on the ability to calculate electricity and determine the load of the device. A fire may result if an oversized device is plugged into an outlet that is not rated for the load and exceeds the specified limit.

The power can be found in the box from the device or in the documentation for it. It is indicated in Watts (W, W). According to the specified power, you can find the electricity consumption. To do this, the load is multiplied by the operating time of the electrical appliance in hours.

Calculation of the main consumers of electricity

Every home uses a variety of household appliances - from electronic clocks to dishwashers. All of them consume electricity, and you need to be able to calculate the values ​​for power supply from a single-phase or three-phase network. The total amount will depend on the standard and the tariff set in the country.

Washer

This device belongs to powerful household appliances. The average power is 2000 W. The machine runs for about an hour and a half at a time. Accordingly, 2000 × 1.5 = 3000 W of energy or 3 kW will be consumed per wash. This number is multiplied by the number of washes. For example, a person performs 10 washings per month - the machine will use 3 * 10 = 30 kW of electricity. When multiplied by the tariff, this is the cost that the owner must pay to the service provider.

Energy consumption will also be calculated depending on the weight of the laundry and the selected mode. The operating time of the device also depends on these indicators. A significant part of the energy is spent on heating water.

Computer and laptop

A stationary computer consists of a power supply and a monitor. Each consumes its own amount of electricity, so the power required for operation will be equal to their sum. On average, a power supply requires 350-550 watts. The load also depends on the programs being executed. In the case of correspondence in social networks, energy consumption will be minimal, and when working in complex graphic programs - maximum. The monitor requires about 80 watts of power to operate, depending on its size. Therefore, the average power will be approximately 0.5 kWh.

The notebook uses less power as only the power supply is involved.Average power consumption will be 0.05-0.1 kW *

Television

As with a computer monitor, the power consumption of a TV depends on the size of the screen. The design of the device also has an impact. Old TVs powered by a cathode ray tube require 60-100 W, LCD models about 150-250 W, plasma ones - 300-400 W.

Standby operation also requires energy. This is due to the fact that a red light will be on on the screen, which also requires power. For devices based on a cathode ray tube, 2-3 watts are required, for modern TVs 4-6 watts.

Refrigerator

This is a device that works 24 hours a day, seven days a week without interruption. But depending on the season, the amount of electricity required will be different. In winter, work requires about 2 times less electricity than in summer.

Refrigerators are divided into energy consumption classes. Products with low energy consumption consume energy approximately equal to the volume of the appliance in liters. A device with a volume of 250 liters requires an average of 250 kW per year. The exact value can be found in the documentation for the refrigerator.

Kettle, iron, stove

An electric kettle requires an average of 1.5-2.5 kWh of energy. The water heats up in about 4 minutes, i.e. this energy will be spent 15 times. The iron also consumes approximately the same power, but it depends on the operating mode. Maximum load is required for initial heating. An electric stove is a powerful device, it requires about 3 kWh of energy to operate.

Microwave

The amount of electricity consumed depends on the volume, equipment, operating modes. Fast heating requires 0.9 kWh, for defrosting 0.2-0.4 kWh. The volume of food also affects the power - a large portion will require a large load.

Warm floor

Electricity consumption for underfloor heating depends on the type and quality of thermal insulation, operating mode, room size, climatic conditions, type of coating and other important criteria. If the floor is the only and main source of heating, then about 0.2 kWh of energy will be spent per 1 square meter. To maintain a comfortable temperature in the room, 0.1-0.16 kWh of electricity will be consumed per 1 sq. M. To calculate the monthly costs for underfloor heating, multiply the consumption by 1 sq. M. per room area, working hours and number of days per month. For a more accurate determination, you can use a wattmeter. It is connected to an outlet and to an electrical receiver.

Energy consumption of the electric heating system

The supply of heat to a private cottage or SNT house is organized by a central electric boiler. This device is often used by owners of small houses. The following indicators affect the cost of an induction device:

• Electric boiler characteristics. These include the power of the product, the operating time, the number of circuits, the volume of the tank.
• Heating circuit characteristics. The number of carriers, their types and individual parameters.
• Building parameters. Number of rooms, area, wall and floor material, quality of thermal insulation.
• Climatic conditions and seasons.

The calculation of the consumed electricity is carried out according to the following sample:

• The first point is the boiler power is recognized. Data on this parameter can be found in the passport of the devices.
• The power should be multiplied by the number of hours per day during which the boiler operates.
• The daily rate is multiplied by the number of days in the month when the boiler is on. In winter, it operates around the clock, and in summer the number of working days can be equal to several units.
• The resulting daily average is halved to account for the average heat load and power consumption.

You can save money by installing an automated system. She will monitor the operation of the device and the specific power consumption, and also use it only in cases where the temperature is below the established norm.A room thermostat with a programmable controller acts as a regulating device, which measures the kilowatts used.

Electricity consumption for lighting

Lighting is an important part of energy costs that can be reduced. Before calculating the electricity from the lamps, you need to find out which bulbs are used. Classic incandescent bulbs require a lot of power to operate and are an economically disadvantageous light source. To reduce waste, increase efficiency, efficiency and service life, it is recommended to switch from conventional lamps to LED lamps. The cost of one product is quite high, but it quickly pays for itself during operation due to its long service life, low electricity consumption and high energy efficiency. In addition, they are completely safe and do not contain harmful components in their composition, therefore, they are economically viable for creating a lighting group.

Methods for calculating the average electricity consumption

Electricity consumption can be calculated using different methods.

• Removing the annual meter readings and calculating the average monthly consumption from the obtained value.
• By power, current strength, voltage of each household appliance.

Calculations can be made using online calculators. The program will perform all the necessary calculations and help you develop a system for optimizing waste on electricity.

To calculate the electricity by the meter, the kW-hours indicated in the previous readings must be subtracted from the current value of the meter, without taking into account the digit after the decimal point.

Recommendations for energy saving and increasing energy efficiency

Optimizing costs is an important task for every owner of a house or apartment. Only after analyzing the electricity consumption tables, the owner will know the weaknesses in the power supply system. Usually, the refrigerator and lamps show the highest power indicators. To lower your costs, you need to buy light bulbs with less electricity consumption and use natural light more often.

If possible, you can swap out the refrigerator for a low-energy device. If this is not possible, it is recommended to move the device away from the wall. This will improve the ventilation of the area near the compressor, which will prevent the refrigerator from heating up.

Daytime energy use is usually more expensive than nighttime use. For this reason, some tasks should be left overnight in a multi-tariff system.