How to Measure the Energy Usage for House Appliances
Most people don't realize that even though something is not in use, having it plugged into an outlet is still using the energy and putting out electrical wattage. Measuring your house appliances to know which use the most energy is a daunting and long process, however, it may help you to lower your consumption.
You Need:
- Clamp-on-ammeter
- First look on the name plate or the back or bottom of the appliance. Most companies will print on the appliance how much wattage it uses so that you know what its energy usage will be.
- If the wattage is not marked, than use the clamp-on-ammeter to calculate the wattage being used. To do this, touch the end to one of the prongs on the plug. Whatever the reading is, multiply the current by the voltage used. Most appliances such as your toaster and coffee pot run on 120 volts while bigger appliances such as your clothing dryer and refrigerator usually run on 240 volts.
- Once you have calculated the wattage, multiply it by the number of hours it is being used. If you never unplug the coffee pot, you have to assume it is being run 24 hours a day not just the 2 hours you want it to make coffee and keep it hot. Then divide that number by 1,000. Multiply this number by the number of days during the year that it is used. This gives you the total kilowatt hours it is being used.
- Calculate the operation hours of the appliances that are continuously plugged in that run through cycles, such as your refrigerator. Whatever the kilowatt hours you calculated for those appliances, divide them by 3.