If you want to know how to calculate your energy consumption, don’t miss this content! With the increase in electricity bills, more and more people are looking for ways to save.
One of the best ways to do this is by calculating the costs of each appliance to find out which consumes the most energy. So, just keep reading this content to find out how to do this calculation!
How Do I Calculate Electricity Usage
Before understanding how to calculate your energy consumption, you need to keep in mind the main characteristics of electrical appliances, which are:
- Voltage;
- Current;
- Power.
The three parameters can be indicated on the body or in the technical specifications of a certain piece of equipment or device. Each of them is measured differently:
- Current is measured in amperes (A);
- Voltage in volts (V);
- Power in Watts (W).
In an appliance with power up to 1000 watts, the unit of measurement is likely specified in watts (w). But if the power is more than 1000 watts, the power will be in kilowatts (kW). 1kW = 1000W, as is the case with:
- Washing machine;
- Microwave;
- Electric oven;
- Between others.
In other words, the higher the power, the higher the device’s energy consumption will be in a given time. To calculate the energy consumption of an appliance, you need to multiply its power in kW by the number of hours it was used. This way, you will obtain the amount spent on energy based on the kWh consumed.
How many kWh does a home consume?
All homes have an electricity meter. Newer models have a screen that displays the amount of kWh you have consumed since the meter was installed.
In older models, this amount appears on the mechanical indicator of rotating cylinders with printed figures. To find out how much kWh your home consumes, check the meter.
If you disconnect all appliances from the socket for 1 hour and leave only the one you want to know how much it consumes, you will be able to find out how many Wh or kWh it consumes.
Most of the time, this method is not possible. This is because, in most counters, the rightmost digit is separated by a comma, in another color, or in a different way.
This is one-tenth of a kilowatt, which is not considered in billing readings. It is also worth noting that not all electrical equipment consumes the amount of energy stated in the document, depending on how it operates.
How do we measure electrical energy consumption?
Once you know the power in Watts of a device, the next step is to calculate the energy consumption. To do this, multiply the power by the number of hours the device was on. Imagine leaving a 100 W TV on for 5 hours every day. Taking into account the 30 days of the month:
By multiplying the wattage of your TV by the number of hours it was on per day, you will find that it uses about 500 watt-hours per day.
- 500/1000 = 0.5 kWh per day;
- Taking into account the rate of approximately Php 9
Therefore, with your TV on for an average of 5 hours a day for 30 days, your electricity consumption will be around:
₱9 (daily) X 30 days = ₱270/month, this only takes into account the TV being on. To get a better idea of your spending, you need to do this calculation for all the appliances you use, including light bulbs, electric showers, etc. It is worth remembering that even devices on standby consume energy.
How to calculate the energy consumption of an appliance?
After all the bills, you will need to calculate how much you will pay at the end of the month. To do this, you need to know the kWh value that the energy provider in your region will charge.
This value tends to vary depending on the company and region, but in most cases, it is shown on the electricity bill itself. It can also change depending on the income bracket, region and consumer profile. And if you don’t find this amount on your electricity bill, another option is to look on the energy company’s website.
Once you know the price per kWh, multiply this value by the consumption of all your appliances. This makes it easier to know how much each appliance uses during the month.
How is the electricity bill calculated?
As you can see, there are ways to calculate your electricity bill using mathematics. There are also other ways to find out your energy consumption in a simpler way.
It is possible to get a better idea of the home’s energy consumption. After selecting each type of appliance, the user must enter the amount of each one, such as two TVs, a refrigerator, etc.
You will also need to define the time of use per day of the device and its power. Once this is done, you will have the result of the average consumption of the device, but this calculation is made using the average price of energy per kilowatt/hour, without taking into account the validity of the tariff flag. And there are also apps that were created to determine energy expenditure.
Conclusion
As you can see, calculating your energy consumption is not a simple task, but it is essential to know where you spend the most energy and how to save money.