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| © Eugene Brennan |
You hear water running outside your home. You look up and see a pipe sticking out from the edge of the roof or soffit which you've never even noticed before. Water is trickling out from the pipe and down onto the ground.
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| © Eugene Brennan |
Weeds are unsightly and spoil neatly tended flower beds and borders, yards and driveways. Fortunately there are lots of ways to deal with them, either with chemicals or in a natural, environmentally-friendly way, by mechanical means or with household chemical chemicals.
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| AA batteries © Eugene Brennan |
There are various types of batteries on the market today: different sizes, different technology, different voltages, rechargeable and single-use disposables. So how do you know which to use? This article gives some basic facts about the different types of batteries available.
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| © Eugene Brennan |
With the cost of electricity rising all the time, it's useful to know how the various appliances in the home are contributing to the cost of your electricity bill.
In this short article, I give a comprehensive list of appliances and an estimate of the cost of running them. The power used by an appliance can differ somewhat from the values quoted but these are typical values. The cost per hour is based on a price of 18c per unit, the current average price in the US, but you can scale up depending on what your electricity supply company charges you.
For more detailed info about electricity, covering volts, watts, amps etc, see my article:
How to Understand Electricity: Volts, Amps and Watts Explained on Appliances.
Simply divide watts by 1000 to convert to kilowatt (kW), multiply the cost by the cost per unit, and the result is in cents (or whatever your currency is)
Cost = Power in kW x Run Time in Hours x Cost per Unit
To work out the cost of running an appliance, we use this equation:
Cost = (Power in watts / 1000) x (cost per unit in cents) x time in hours
E.g. An electric heater with a 2000-watt rating is switched on for 2 hours. If electricity costs 10 c per unit, how much does it cost to power the appliance for this period?
Power in watts = 2000
Cost per unit = 18c
Time in hours = 2
Cost = (Power in watts / 1000) x (cost per unit in cents) x time in hours
= (2000 / 1000) x 18 x 2 = 72 cents
The heater is rated at 2000 watts. This means it uses 2000/1000 = 2 units or kilowatt hours (kWh) in 1 hour. If it was switched on for 15 minutes, it would have used 2000/1000 x 0.25 = 1/2 a kWh. So basically you just need to work out the power in kilowatts by dividing the power in watts by 1000 and then multiply the result by the number of hours followed by the the cost per kWh in cents (or whatever your local currency is)
The utility company that supplies you with electricity keeps track of your energy usage using a kilowatt hour meter, fitted inside your home or on the wall outside. This meter measures voltage, current and time and displays the result in units or kWh on a mechanical counter display. Electromechanical meters are being replaced by electronic smartmeters which can take into account different tariffs such as night, day and peak rates. They also send the results over the cellular network so they don't have to be read by the "meter man" or consumer.
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| An electromechanical kilowatt-hour meter © Eugene Brennan |
The voltage, wattage and possibly the current will be specified on the appliance. This information may be embossed into the casing or printed on a label/metal panel. Sometimes this label is located at the back of the appliance e.g. on TVs, washing machines, freezers or other white goods. On kettles, food processors, etc, this information may be printed on the underside.
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| Typical electrical appliance labels/panels © Eugene Brennan |
Air conditioning, electric showers, clothes driers (tumble driers), room heaters and water heaters (immersion heaters) are the most energy hungry appliances. Kettles are also high powered appliances, however since they are turned on for a relatively short period of time, the overall energy cost isn’t too high.
| Appliance | Power in watt | Cost per hour in cents | Notes on cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen range/cooker | 2000 to 6000 | 36 to 108 | Depending on number of hotplates and whether oven is switched on |
| Tumble drier | 2500 | 45 | |
| Washing machine | 1000 on average | 18 | |
| Fridge | 60 | 1.08 | Depends on ambient temperature |
| Freezer | 80 | 1.44 | Depends on ambient temperature and capacity of freezer |
| Kettle | 2000 to 3000 | 36 to 54 | |
| Food processor | 500 to 1500 | 9 to 27 | |
| Laptop | 25 | 0.45 | |
| Desktop computer | 100 | 1.8 | Cost is less with LCD monitor |
| Large TV CRT | 100 to 150 | 1.8 to 2.7 | |
| Large TV Plasma | 200 to 300 | 3.6 to 5.4 | |
| Large TV LCD | 100 to 200 | 1.8 to 3.6 | |
| Large TV LED | 80 | 1.44 | |
| Alarm system | 20 | 0.36 | |
| HiFi | 30 | 0.54 | |
| Transistor radio | 4 | 0.072 | |
| Hair drier | 1500 | 27 | |
| Microwave oven | 1200 | 21.6 | |
| Air conditioning | 5000 | 90 | Depends on temperature setting on unit |
| Broadband internet router/modem | 14 | 0.252 | |
| 100 watt light bulb | 100 | 1.8 | |
| Cordless phone | <1w | <0.018 | |
| Computer printer | 12 | 0.216 | |
| Toaster | 1000 | 18 | |
| Water tank heater | 3000 | 54 | |
| Electric shower | 7000 to 10000 | 126 to 180 | |
| Phone charger | 5 to 10 W | 0.09 to 0.18 |
Many devices draw so called vampire power when on standby. These include sound systems, TVs, HiFis, video and DVD players/recorders, computers, radios etc. Power drawn on standby can be up to 25% of that when fully turned on. If you want to save money – pull the plug.
A power monitor is a useful device for tracking electricity usage and helping you save energy. The monitor is plugged into a wall socket and then the appliance is plugged into the adapter. The device then displays power consumption in watts and tracks energy use in kWh over time. It can also display voltage, current and length of time the appliance is powered on. This is useful for checking the duty cycle or percentage on time for devices that cycle on and off (e.g. fridges, freezers and air conditioners). You can read more about them in this guide:
Checking Power Consumption of Appliances With an Energy Monitoring Adapter
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| Power monitoring adapter © Eugene Brennan |
The Kill a Watt energy usage monitor from Amazon is a basic unit that monitors voltage, amps, watts, kWh and time run. It’s easy to use and each parameter can be selected by simply pressing a dedicated button. Values are displayed on a clear easy-to-read LCD display. Note that this is designed for AC 115 volt appliances.
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| Amazon |
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| Amazon |
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
© 2012 Eugene Brennan
khtanned on February 22, 2020:
I would like to get this power meter. May I know the brand or manufacturer.
Thanks
Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on February 23, 2020:
Hi khtanned,
This is a B&Q brand power adapter, so only available in the UK and Ireland.What style of plug (country) do you need on the meter?
K N S Prasad on December 26, 2017:
Very nice for explaining thanks so much.
Delores Wiley on March 13, 2017:
thank you very much I could not read a lot of my appliance wattage and this is very helpful
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| © Eugene Brennan |
With the cost of electricity on the increase, an energy monitoring adapter is a useful device that can measure and track the energy consumption of your home appliances.
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| Original un-captioned image, public domain via Pixabay.com |
This is a guide for beginner gardeners giving some basic info on selecting tools for the yard and garden. You may have moved into your first house and just need to buy tools out of necessity in order to do basic maintenance. Alternatively, you could be landscaping your new garden or rearranging an existing layout. In this article, we’ll discuss these tools.
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| Learn how to grow easy-to-grow-flowers for your garden by reading this guide. |
This article gives you some ideas about easy-to-grow perennial and annual flowers for your planters, pots, and flower beds. From Himalayan blue poppies to red valerian, this flower guide covers the entire rainbow colour spectrum. Find your favourites below!
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| A GFCI or RCD (Residual Current Device) will help prevent potentially dangerous “electrical leaks”. © Eugene Brennan |
A GFCI or “Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter” is an electrical safety device that shuts off power when there’s an electrical “leak”, increasing your safety by helping to prevent dangerous electrical shocks. A GFCI can typically be plugged into a standard socket outlet.
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| Original unaltered image byrev, public domain via Pixabay.com |
An angle or hand grinder is a power tool regularly used by construction workers and contractors. However, it’s also an invaluable tool in the home workshop or around the house, with a multitude of uses for DIY and crafts.
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| © Eugene Brennan |
So you want to start doing maintenance in your first home to save money or you’re fed up taking time off from work and waiting for tradesmen who don’t turn up on time?
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| © Eugene Brennan |
Cordless tools are great and, unlike their corded counterparts, they have the obvious advantage of freedom from a power cord that can get in the way, become taut when manoeuvring the tool or end up being tripped over. Also you don’t have to be lugging extension leads around.
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| Laying edging kerbs is a simple DIY job with this guide! © Eugene Brennan |
Edging a lawn or driveway gives it a crisp, clean look and helps the eye to define the boundary between lawn or flower beds and the harder look of the concrete, stone or tarmac (asphalt) surface of your drive.
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| © Eugene Brennan |
Fixing stuff to walls is relatively easy, in fact I’ve been doing it since I was 13!
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| © Eugene Brennan |
The epic saga of the two year construction of a garden shed…
Have you ever wanted to build your own garden shed? I always have and attempted my first one when I was about 10 years old, but abandoned the project because of lack of materials, skills and tools! Eventually, 40 years later, I got around to building a proper garden tool shed.
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| Petrol and electric corded trimmers © Eugene Brennan |
This garden power tool has many names depending on where you live in the world, but one thing is sure — it certainly beats a hedge shears for trimming and edging! Like most power tools nowadays, string trimmers are available in petrol, electric corded and rechargeable battery cordless versions.
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| © Eugene Brennan |
Motor oil is an essential requirement of all engines. It has several functions, including lubrication of metal parts in contact (reducing friction), cooling, keeping surfaces clean, sealing and corrosion inhibition.
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| © Eugene Brennan |
Like any other faucet (also known as a tap), a spigot has an internal washer which seals and cuts off flow when the spigot is turned off. Eventually after thousands of on/off cycles, this washer wears away, and the result is a dripping spigot.
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| AI image generated by Bing Image Creator |
This guide helps you identify the 25 most common weeds that you’ll encounter in your yard, flower beds or lawn. Some are annuals and others are perennials—many are easy to eradicate, others more difficult to eliminate.
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| © Eugene Brennan |
In this guide I’m going to make a nesting box suitable for European robins, although it can be sized down a little to make it suitable for finches, wrens or similar small songbirds. You can make a birdhouse like this from any waste timber (lumber) that comes to hand such as cladding, fascia or soffit, skirting board (baseboard), palette timber or ply.
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| © Eugene Brennan |
Basic plumbing isn’t rocket science. If you are reasonably adept at DIY, understand the basics, and take care when putting it all together, it’s not too difficult. This is a comprehensive and easy-to-understand guide to pipe types, plumbing fittings, thread sizes, with instructions for how to use fittings to connect copper, PVC, and PEX pipes.