Electricity Cost principles involve looking at how much electricity consumption and we have to understand how it's measured. Electricity Cost is determined at any moment and is measured in watts consumed. To know the Electricity Cost and how much energy you're using you have to consider how long you run your appliances. When you use 1000 watts for an hour, that's a kilowatt-hour. The average U.S. household used 10,654 kWh a year in 2001, or 888 kWh/mo. (Dept. of Energy) The U.S. as a whole used 3,883 billion kWh in 2003, or 13,868 kwH per person based on a population of 280 million. For smaller items we use the term watt-hours instead of kilowatt-hours. For example, we say a 60-watt light bulb uses 60 watt-hours of electricity, not 0.060 kWh. Note that the "-hours" part is important. Without it we'd have no idea what period of time we were talking about. If you ever see a reference without the amount of time specified, it's almost certainly per hour. If your device lists amps instead of watts, then just multiply the amps times the voltage to get the watts.

2.5 amps x 120 volts = 300 watts Trivia: On a peak day in 1999, California used 50,743 megawatt-hours of electricity, or 50,743,000,000 watt-hours.Shower Head Exploded View How much does electricity cost?Cost Of Labor For Tile Flooring Electricity Cost depends on where you live, how much you use, and possibly when you use it. Vinyl Blinds Walmart CanadaThere are also fixed charges that you pay every month no matter how much electricity you use. For example, I pay $6/mo. for the privilege of being a customer of the electric company, no matter how much energy I use. Check your utility bill for the rates in your area. If it's not on your bill then look it up on the utility's website.The electric company measures how much electricity you use in kilowatt-hours.

The abbreviation for killowatt-hour is kWh. Note that on your bill there can be multiple charges per kWh (e.g., one for the "base rate", another for "fuel") and you have to add them all up to get the total cost per kWh.Most utility companies charge a higher rate when you use more than a certain amount of energy, and they also charge more during summer months when electric use is higher. As an example, here are the residential electric rates for Austin, Texas (as of 11-03): 5.8� per kilowatt hour (kWh) 10� per kilowatt hour 8.3� per kilowatt hour These figures include a fuel charge of 2.265� per kWh. The average cost of residential electricity was 9.86�/kWh in the U.S. in March 2006. The average household used 888 kWh/mo. in 2001 and would pay $87.56 for it based on the March 2006 average rate. The cost of electricity varies by region. In 2003 the price ranged from 5.81� in Tennessee to 12� in California, 14.314� in New York, and 16.734� in Hawaii.

In Summer 2001, electricity was a whopping 20�/kWh in parts of California.Most people tend to think more about the style of lamp they buy than theBut it's important to know there are many things you can do to make the lighting in your home more effective and efficient. Below are frequently asked questions about lighting. Q: How much does it cost to operate a 100-watt incandescent light bulb for eight hours? A: You can estimate the cost to operate most electrical devices, including lighting, with the following formula: (watts x hours of operation)/1,000) x $/kWh. Example — 100-watt light bulb: (100 watts x eight hours per day)/1,000 x $0.10 $0.08 per eight hours You can save 75% on your lighting costs by switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). A 27-watt CFL has the same light output as a 100-watt incandescent bulb and costs only 0.$02 per eight hours. Example — 27-watt light bulb: (27 watts x eight hours per day)/1,000 x $0.10

$0.02 per eight hours Q: What's the true story about CFLs? A: CFLs are an ideal substitute for incandescent bulbs. According to ENERGY STAR®, CFLs can save you energy and money. There are many types of CFL bulbs available, such as floodlights and dimmable bulbs. When a CFL burns out, remember to recycle it. Q: I use CFLs in several fixtures in my home, but they do not work well in fixtures with a dimmer switch. Is there a CFL made specifically to work in fixtures equipped with dimmers? A: Only specially designed CFLs will work in dimmable fixtures. Check the packaging to make sure the CFL is appropriate for the fixture. Q: Can CFLs be used in recessed can lighting? A: Only specially designed CFLs will work in recessed fixtures. Check the packaging to make sure the CFL is appropriate for the fixture. Gary Foreman: How to calculate the energy cost of appliances Gary Foreman is a former financial planner who currently edits The Dollar Stretcher website and newsletters.

'New Frugal You' archive Dear New Frugal You, I need to figure out how much it costs to run two box fans for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, what about a small high-velocity floor fan and long, shop-style fluorescent bulbs? We've been stabling a horse in a barn on property that we own but rent out. The tenants say that their electric bill went from $70 to $170! I had agreed to give them $30 a month. We're in a major heat wave, and I'm betting it's their air conditioning, but you know how that goes. Can I prove how much electricity my fans and light are So you want me to get in the middle of a landlord-tenantOK, but only if you leave my name out of it! Let's see if we can't help you prove your point. I think that a few facts and a little math should help Let's start by checking out how many kilowatt-hours each item uses and how much a kilowatt-hour costs where you live. A watt is the standard measure of how much electricity is

A kilowatt is simply 1,000 watts (kilo = 1,000). A kilowatt-hour (kwh) is 1,000 watts used for one hour. Most appliances have the wattage listed on an attachedYou'll need to convert that wattage to kilowatts. divide the wattage by 1,000. So a 1,500-watt hair dryer used for one hour isBurning a 250 watt lightbulb for an hour is .25 kwh. If the serial plate doesn't include watts, you can multiply volts times amps to getOf, if the model is sold online, its specs, including wattage, can often be found there. Now let's figure out what a kwh costs. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration in April 2011, the average cost per kwh was 9.65 cents. You can find out what it costs in your area by checking your most recent electric bill. So how much electricity are you using? We went shopping online and found typical box fans range from 40-100 watts. At the midpoint, 70 watts, if a kilowatt costs 10 cents per hour, the fan would cost 0.7 cents per hour (0.07 kwh x 10 cents).

Extend that out to a month and it works out to $5.04 per month if it runs around the clock (0.7 cents per hour x 24 hours x 30 days). would be just over $10 per month. Now for the high-velocity floor fan. We found one rated atSo at 0.135 kilowatts per hour, that would cost $9.72 per month ifYou can see how your fan compares. The fluorescent bulbs are a similar calculation. simple, let's suppose that he has a fixture that includes two 50-watt bulbs. they'd consume 100 watts per hour. That would work out to about $7.20 per month (.1 kwh x 10 cents x 24 hours x 30 days). So how much would you owe the tenants for "your" share of the power consumption? If you total them up, it would come to $27 per month. Now let's see what airDepending on size, window units should cost between 7 cents and 12 cents per hour of use. Central air costs three to four times what an Let's assume that the ones that the tenant is using costs 9 cents per hour and run 12 hours per day.

Each one would cost about $32.40 perSo it wouldn't be unreasonable for three of them to consume $100 ofI can't be sure because of all the assumptions in my examples, but if my estimates of power consumption are close to the equipment you have, you are. over there for a visit, take down the wattage of your equipment and crunch your own numbers to be sure. My back-of-the-envelope estimate says it looks like you're being fair, but now you have the tools to make a visit to find out for sure. By the way, as a goodwill gesture, I'd include bringing fresh filters and a toolkit to make sure your air conditioner system is running as If you're interested, the U.S. Department of Energy has a page to help you estimate the electric usage of various appliances. Use it to help you estimate how much it costs to run some of your appliances. One final thought: Many local power companies offer low-cost or free energy audits to see where the electricity is going, and they suggest methods to stop it from being wasted.

it could be a win for the electric company, you and your tenants. strain on the power supply, and it means less money out of the pockets of you See related: How to reduce your electric bills, Want to cut electricity? 's reader Q&A experts Does a personal finance problem have you worried? 's Q&A experts answer questions from readers. Ask a question, or click on any expert to see their previous answers. Three most recent New Frugal You stories: Closing joint bank accounts after a breakup – On joint credit card accounts, problems arise when you carry a balance. Legally, that debt belongs to both of you, even after a breakup ... Pros and cons of charging automatic payments to a credit card – Charging automatic payments on a credit card can be beneficial for busy consumers, but it also has its faults. Here are the pros and cons to think about ... Personal loan consolidation won't help win a mortgage – In trying to qualify for a mortgage, it probably won't help to consolidate several small personal loans into a big one with a higher rate ...